Rhubard Custard Pie

My grandpa used to keep half a dozen hoops of rhubarb growing at their house in town. He would tie the plants up inside washtubs or hand made square wooden boxes, the bottoms removed to encircle the plants. Rhubarb is a cold weather perennial, rolling beautiful red/pink/lime green fronds out in the early spring. By summer, the leaves would be giant elephant ear shaped fans jetting out of the rings. We had a constant supply of rhubarb, fresh or in the freezer, year round.

As kids, we thought rhubarb was tart... and it is. But over the years, we acquired the love for rhubarb custard pie, homemade by Grandpa or Mom every summer and as treats through the cold winter.

Last week at the market, my eyes fell upon rhubarb (not local to Malta), and my heart compelled me to buy some. While I only bought a few stalks, I'll substitute space with raspberries (or sometimes strawberries), which gives the pie an even lovelier color.

 The girls asked lots of questions about this new plant and helped to put the pies together. Let's hope we can get them to love it too... eventually!

Grandpa Kueker's Rhubarb Custard Pie

Mix together 1 c sugar, 1/8 tsp salt, 1 1/2 tsp flour.

Add 4 c rhubarb (raspberries/strawberries) into pie shells and spoon dry mix atop.

Let sugar mixture sit atop rhubarb for 15 minutes (to juice).

Combine 1 c milk, 3 eggs (slightly beaten), 1/2 tsp vanilla & 1/2 c sugar. 

Pour onto pie mixture.

Bake @ 450 for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and bake another 25-30 minutes

until pie custard is firm. Cool and refrigerate.

Yields 1x9" pie.

*can add strawberries or raspberries with rhubarb to = 4 cups