It was a good Monday in my house while making this pie. I found a recipes online that I really liked, but could NOT for the life of me find fresh or frozen rhubarb. Since this vegetable ( then considered a fruit in the US in 1949 since we use it like one and for regulations and such) only grows year long in warm climates, I’m actually not at all surprised that the 6 stores I went to did not have it. So, I compromised. Instead, I found a great Rhubarb and Strawberry spread that had no sugar added. SCORE!

Organic strawberries are another tricky one to find in my parts. I believe that strawberries are a MUST for purchasing organic. They are so much healthier for you than the chemically sprayed strawberries. I’m not saying they all are, but I’d rather not take my chances with it. And since strawberries are great antioxidants, full of fiber fight against inflammation, without the over the counter side effect, why wouldn’t I want the best I can get?

http://www.strawberry-plants.com/about-us.htm

I love rhubarb. As kids, we would dip it in sugar and chew on it all day. Kind of like a farm kids version of a Fun Dip, if you will. Like the strawberry, rhubarb is full of fiber and Vitamin C. And that’s not all! Rhubarb also has a significant amount of calcium (for your teeth), Vitamin K (to help prevent diabetes), and it’s low in sodium (to help prevent heart disease). And it’s old! Rhubarb is from 2700 BC China, and was used in medical practice only. Except for the leaves, those are toxic!

http://www.spadespatula.com/2012/06/13/yes-you-can-grow-rhubarb-at-home-and-its-not-even-that-scary/

For the Filling:

3 TB organic cornstarch

½ tsp. Ground Cinnamon

¼ tsp. Sea Salt

½ tsp. Orange Peel (dry or fresh)

3 cups Cleaned and Sliced Organic Strawberries

9.5 oz. Rhubarb Strawberry Jam (Or 3 cups fresh sliced rhubarb)

1 tsp. Chopped Fresh Thyme

Place the Rhubarb jam, strawberries, salt, cinnamon, and orange peel in a pot and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes on medium high heat.

Whisk in the chopped thyme and cornstarch. The cornstarch will begin to thicken the filling once it boils. When it’s nice and thick, turn the heat off and let it sit while you make the crust.

For the Crust:

1 -1/3 cups AP Flour

1-1/3 cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

1 tsp. Sea Salt

2/3 cup Safflower Oil

6 TB Oat Milk (Or soy/almond/hemp)

½ tsp. Organic Sugar

Side Note-I like to make sure that my Sugar, cornstarch and Safflower oil are Organic. ALWAYS!! Cornstarch for sure!! I like to make sure that I’m always using an organic non-gmo product.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place all the dry ingredients together and sift for about a 1minute.

Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry until a dough forms.

Remove the dough from the bowl and separate into 2 equal sized balls. With one of the dough balls, using a rolling pin, roll the dough until it can lie inside the pie shell.

From here, use your fingers and knead the dough up the sides of the pan.

Then, pour the hot Strawberry filling in the shell.

Now…the other dough ball can be rolling to fit the top of the pie shell, and then slits can be made for cooking.

Or..

You can spend 45 minutes on creating beautiful lattices criss crossing the pie. (Well I need more practice for sure, but not bad..) By rolling the dough out, measuring the length needed and cutting is all have to do. It’s tricky at first, but it gets easier I swear.

Spray the top of the crust with water then sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until the top is golden and the filling is bubbling!

Allow the pie to cool for at least 25 minutes, if possible. If you are ok with a warm gooey center, grab a spoon and dig in!

We mixed a little Tofutti cream cheese, vanilla extract and agave together, but you can also enjoy with some coconut or rice ice Cream also!

Strawberry Thyme Rhubarb Pie