Rhubarb Custard Pie

by Laura Frerichs, Tastemaker in Residence - recipe courtesy of Prairie Drifter Farms

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If you grew up in the Midwest, rhubarb probably grew like a weed in your backyard. We had gigantic bushes of it growing up in SW Minnesota, and I just took it for granted that one ate rhubarb bread, muffins, pies, cakes, and sauce all Spring long. No big thing. My sister Sarah now lives in San Francisco and on her last visit to Minnesota in April, smuggled back a few pounds of the first farm rhubarb to make a rhubarb custard pie for her husband and friends who are totally unaware of rhubarb's virtues. 

As an adult, I now appreciate and so look forward to rhubarb's arrival and its wonderful tart flavor, firm texture, and rosy stems. I do like a strawberry rhubarb mix, but our farm strawberries aren't ready yet, so we are just going for straight-up rhubarb goodness right now in our kitchen. Our farm friends and neighbors, Nick and Joan Olson from Prairie Drifter Farm, shared this family rhubarb custard pie recipe. It is easy and amazing--the best combination!

Ingredients
2 lbs rhubarb, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup half-and-half
1/3 cup flour + 1 Tbsp flour
1 cup sugar
1 single 9" pie crust (can pre-bake for 10 minutes but not necessary)

Instructions

  1. Mix flour and milk together until flour dissolves. Add with chopped rhubarb and sugar. Pour into pie crust.
  2. Bake for 30 minutes at 400° and another 30 minutes at 350°. Let pie sit until cool so custard sets.  

Cook’s Note
It is delicious with freshly whipped cream!