"Do you think the rain will hurt the rhubarb"

My dad would often say "do you think the rain will hurt the rhubarb?

I don't know why he would say it

as we never had rhubarb but nevertheless it made me laugh. It turns out it came from an old vaudeville joke where the straight man asks, "do you think the rain will hurt the rhubarb" and the funny guy or "top banana" would answer "not if it's in cans"

Well, the rain doesn't hurt the rhubarb whether it's coming out of the ground or in a can.

Not Joes's rhubarb plant. In fact, the plant grows like a weed. A couple of weeks ago, he said, "I made a strawberry rhubarb pie" Come over for a slice!

Needless to say, it was beyond delicious! He used a prepared pie crust, so it literally takes no time to make it. I made it the other day and it was one of the best pies I have ever made. Joel and Margie came over and they too agreed. Once you try it, I think you will agree. This Strawberry Rhubarb pie is the bomb, and I am ready to make it again!

Joel's Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

1.1 package of prepared pie crust

I've used some and Pillsbury Pie crusts are the best. You'll find them in the refrigerated area in your grocery store) Of course you can use your own favorite.)

2. 6 to 8 stalks of rhubarb (make sure there are NO LEAVES as the leaves are extremely poisonous)

3. 1 small box of strawberries.

4. 3 tablespoons of flour

5. 1/2 cup each of brown and white sugar (I didn't cut back on the sugar as rhubarb is very tart)

6. 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

7. 2 teaspoons of cinnamon

8. Butter to dot the pie

9. 1 egg

10. Coarse sugar (sometimes called sanding sugar but regular sugar is fine too)

11. Deep dish pie pan

Heat oven to 375F

Wash and dry your rhubarb stalks. Cut the stalks lengthwise down the middle and then dice into approximately 1/2-inch pieces.

Wash and hull the berries. Cut the berries into halves or quarters depending on their size.

Mix the rhubarb and strawberries together and add in the flour, sugar and spices.

Use a deep-dish pie dish and roll out one of the pie crust circles. They are already a circle when you remove them from the box, but they need to fit into the dish and drape a little so you can seal at the end.

Place the filling in the dish, dot with butter and aside while you work on the lattice crust.

The top crust is a lattice design. Trust me, it is not hard. The reason for the lattice is that it allows excess moisture to escape, which can caramelize the filling. So, roll out the second pie crust and even though it's a circle I sort of force it into a somewhat rectangle because you are going to cut it into strips. Using a sharp knife or pastry wheel, cut the dough into strips approximately 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide, from the long side of the rectangle. Lay four to seven strips parallel to each other about 1/2 inch apart over the filling with longest strip in the center. Starting in the center of the pie, fold over every other strip back so that they are almost falling off the pie. Lay a strip going the other way, unfold and fold over the remaining strips. Repeat until you finish one side of the pie and then move onto the other side. Trim the lattice near the inside of the pie, fold over the bottom crust to cover the raw edge and crimp to seal.

This video by Sally's Baking Addiction shows you exactly how to do it.

Make an egg wash by beating the egg and adding a little water. Using a pastry bush, brush over all of the lattice and the sealed edge. Sprinkle with the coarse sugar. The coarse sugar is decorative but regular sugar works fine.

Bake for about an hour. If the crust is browning too quickly, put a sheet of aluminum foil loosely over the pie.

You can serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on just on its own. It's delicious either way. And once you taste it, you will be glad that rain doesn't hurt the rhubarb!