Baking With The Greenmarket: Sarah Jenny's Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Nora Whelan -

This Cooking (well, Baking) with the Greenmarket recipe comes from neighbor Sarah Jenny, who has lived in Ditmas Park for a year and half and began making pies as a way to experiment with her finds at the Cortelyou Greenmarket.

She runs the monthly South Brooklyn Queers meetup (stay tuned for details about the June 23 event in Prospect Park) as well as Hey Queen!, a multi-gender queer dance party featuring performances by new and established performers on a monthly basis.This month, Hey Queen! has co-curated Everybooty at BAM on June 27, and will be holding Queen of Pentacles, an event at Littlefield NYC on June 29.

If you’ve been wondering what to do with all the berries you got at the Greenmarket this week (and don’t worry if you missed them, because manager Tali Biale hopes to have at least two vendors with strawberries this coming weekend), check Sarah Jenny’s recipe out below.

For this recipe, you will need:

  • A food processor
  • Saran wrap
  • A rolling pin
  • A pie pan
  • A cookie sheet

And these dough ingredients (alternatively, baking rookies can buy pre-made dough):

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 sticks of unsalted butter (frozen, then chopped)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 12 tsp of ice water
  • One egg and a small amount of milk for glaze

1. Chop the frozen stick of butter, then combine it with the all-purpose flour and salt to mix in a food processor.

2. Layer ice water into the dough in the food processor to help it start to form a mass.

3. Once dough is mostly mixed together, remove from the food processor, roll into a ball, and cover with Saran wrap in the fridge for 30+ minutes. Don’t worry about the egg and milk just yet.

As well as these filling ingredients:

  • 4 stalks of rhubarb (~4 cups)
  • 1 cup of strawberries
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar

1. Pre-heat the oven to 425° F.

2. Wash the strawberries and rhubarb.

3. Chop the tops of the strawberries, then slice them in half.

4. Cut the rhubarb into 1/2″ pieces.

5. Mix fruit together with sugar and flour.

When the dough is fully chilled:

1. Split the ball and roll each half out into an approximate circle. Use one of the pieces to line the bottom of the pie pan.

2. Fill the pan with the fruit mixture, and cover it with the second piece of dough. Use a fork to seal the edges.

3. Use a knife to create air holes–“I like to make a little pattern!” Sarah Jenny says–at the top for the steam to emerge.

4. Beat one egg and a little bit of milk, then glaze the top of the pie crust.

5. Finish with a sprinkle of sugar.

Now that it’s oven-ready:

1. Put the pie tin on a cookie sheet (“Dripping is inevitable!”) place in the oven. Let it bake at 425° F for 15 minutes.

2. Lower the heat to 375° F for 50 minutes until the crust becomes golden-brown. The filling will start to solidify as the sugar interacts with the fruit.

3. Cool for 20-30 minutes and–voila! Strawberry rhubarb pie!

Have a Greenmarket-inspired recipe you’d like to share? Let us know at editor@ditmasparkcorner.com.

Photo by brooklynwonder