Where I try to make a Strawberry Rhubarb pie

Pie is pie right? Well, sort of. When using things I know of, know their ways and such it is an easy task. Then I happen to see all that fab looking rhubarb at the market and those strawberries, well, how can I not want to make them into a pie? So, there I was, considering that strange looking celery and wondering if I should give it a go. I might have been talking to myself, all the thoughts spilling from my mouth as I verbally decided, since there were a few folks watching me closely. Good thing there was a crazy woman wrestling the plastic sacks throwing apples around. Compared to her I looked quite sane. I may have talked out loud but I didn't curse the fruit and plastic sacks before going to fondle the greeting cards. (Shopping during the day is quite an experience.)

Alright. When I got the fruit home it sat on my counter and I considered it some more.

Rhubarb.

Red looking celery thing with poisonous leaves.

Someone thought it worthy of pie. And someone learned the leaves are poisonous.

Rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb....well time you became pie.

For the first time in a long while I had to go find me a pie recipe. I have no idea what to do with this rhubarb stuff and how much to use and well, everything. I found one that looked right good. A lady named Elise created her recipe by taking the best of two others she used previously. As I gathered my ingredients I noticed on the back of the box of tapioca there was a recipe for the pie. Well then, that's how it always goes, eh? Finally the pirate chef in me said 'to heck with one or the other, just use 'em as guidelines' and so I did. I added some things I had that I think would be a good twist and the result is my own recipe.

All hope abandon ye who use this recipe.

Pirate Strawbe(arrrrr!)y Rhubarb Pie
pastry for a 9 inch pie

2 cups rhubarb stalks cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 cups sliced strawberries
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup quick cooking tapioca
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange peel
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder (I use Nielsen-Massey brand of Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla powder)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix together the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, tapioca, orange peel, ginger, and vanilla powder. Let rest 10 minutes. Roll out pastry, lining the pie pan with one crust. Gently mix the ingredients once more before turning out into the pastry lined pan. Top with second pastry, trim edges and crimp together the pastry. Cut slits in the top to vent. Place pie on baking sheet, put pie shield on top of crust edges. If you do not have a pie shield of any sort then you'll have to make your own from foil. Simply tear off thin strips (usually I use 3), about 2-4 inches, and mold around the pie crust edges. Be careful not to squish it on too tight, you'll want room for the crust to bake so that the foil does not pierce the pastry. Alternately you can fold a 12-inch foil square into quarters. With scissors, cut out center and round off edges. That should make a 2-inch-wide ring once unfolded. Place foil ring over pie.

Bake pie for 20 minutes, reduce heat to 350°F and bake an additional 30-40 minutes. Cool on a rack. This pie should cool completely before serving. If you can not wait just be prepared for the filling to be runny. Don't worry because the tapioca will set once the filling is cool, but there may not be any pie left once you get a taste.