Day 2: Pie Crust
Mom and I made a strawberry rhubarb pie with homemade dough, a recipe from my Mom’s neighbour Ron. His parents were pastry chef’s in Europe. He gave my Mom two tips: the vinegar from the old recipe of my great-grandmother’s recipes makes the tough tough and so does handling it. Use parchment paper to transfer it and always cook with a clear dish so you can see if the crust is done. We also learned not to make it in sweltering heat or it will melt, lol.
For breakfast, we enjoyed an indoor picnic with meat and cheese from the Hamilton Farmer’s Market. For dessert we had freshly made pie. Then, Mom drove me on a secret trip to the AGO. We saw the works of the Group of Seven and Tom Thomson and the ABEX exhibit from New York. We both liked the work of Robert Frank. The highlite was lunch at the Member’s Lounge, which used to be the Grange on the Green. We got a private tour of the historic kitchens – unbelievably fun!!!
Best Ever Pie Crust from Ron
- 2c flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 c shortening
- 1 c water
Use a pastry blender to mix flour, salt and fat. Add ≤ 1 cup water, very slowly. When partly moist, make sure the pastry can cling and lump together. Cut in half; roll out on parchment paper to transfer to pie crust. Top the filling with the 2nd rolled out dough. Cut away the excess, pinch up to join them and then poke two or three vent holes.
Filling: 2 cups finely diced rhubarb, 4 cups sliced strawberries, ½ cup sugar. Mix together and toss it in the pie plate. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes, or until done. We recommend you pop a tray on the rack below to prevent spills on the burning.
Bon Appetite!
