Strawberries and Rhubarb oh my!

Today I'll show you an easy and tasty recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb Pie. Both are coming into season now and should be readily available.



RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
CRUST
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
6 tbsp. cold butter
1/3 cup shortening
6 to 8 tbsp. ice water
FILLING
4 cups sliced strawberries
2 cups rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. orange zest
1 tbsp. butter
1 egg


1. To make the pie crust, place the flour, sugar, salt, butter and shortening into the bowl of an electric mixer or food processor. Blend until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add the ice water, a tablespoon at a time. When the dough sticks together, remove it from the mixer or processor. Divide it in half and place on waxed paper. Pat each half into a pancake, wrap, and refrigerate for half an hour.

2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. For the filling, mix the strawberries and rhubarb with the sugar, flour and orange zest in a large bowl. On a lightly floured surface, roll out half of the pie dough to a 1/8-inch thickness. Fold it into quarters, set it in a 9-inch pie plate, then unfold. Snip the edges evenly, allowing a slight overhang. Add the filling and dot with butter.

3. Roll out the remaining dough and use a pastry wheel or knife to slice it into 3/4-inch wide strips. Weave the strips over the filling and flute the edges. Beat the egg in a small bowl, then brush the wash over the top of the pie. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the filling bubbles and the crust slightly browns. (If the crust browns too quickly, lightly cover it with foil.) Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Asparagus is here!

With Mother's Day having come and gone spring truly is here. In Washington this means I'll start seeing an abundance of fresh produce at the Farmer's Market on a regular basis. This weekend they happened to have a nice selection of asparagus for sale and I thought I'd get some before it sold out. Now asparagus can be cooked in many, many ways but I decided to go with a simple saute to compliment the rib eye steaks that were being served.

First thing to do is wash the asparagus thoroughly and trim the ends. I use the snap method personally. Simply grab it firmly at each end, bend it gently until it snaps, and there you have a good cutting point to get the best part of the plant.
Once it's washed up, get some water boiling with a dash of salt in it. While this is boiling prepare a mixing bowl by filling it with ice. Boil the asparagus for about 1 minute in the salted water then place it into the ice and let it rest for a few minutes. After this pat it dry and it's ready to cook
Get a frying pan(I use a non stick Teflon coated pan) and add a couple tablespoons of olive oil and toss in a few cloves of minced garlic. When the garlic has released it's flavor put the asparagus into the pan.
Let it cook for about 10 minutes or so on medium-high heat or if you like it more tender cook on a lower heat for a longer time.

After cooking sprinkle with fresh grated parmigiano, salt, and pepper and enjoy!

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