Page 162 - United States of Pie

Rhubarb (Pie Plant) Pie

Rhubarb, which is technically a vegetable, is so tart that without
the addition of sugar, many people find it inedible. In fact, its leaves
actually are toxic. Since its first cultivation in the United States in the
early 1800s (though apocryphal history has it that Benjamin Franklin
introduced the native Chinese plant by bringing the seeds to the East

Coast in 1772), just what to do besides make a pie with this
vegetable-cum-fruit has so puzzled cooks that rhubarb came to be
known colloquially as “pie plant.”
Rhubarb is a hardy plant that grows well even in extremely cold
climates. Because of this, it is grown in abundance throughout the
Midwest, where many of the best “pie plant” pie recipes hail from.
Because rhubarb is so astringent, many of the recipes are laden with

sugar. But I’ve always found rhubarb’s tartness pleasing—like taking
a bite from a crisp-tart apple. My recipe for this traditional double-
crusted pie is still sweet, but not cloyingly so—the perfect entrance
to spring.

1 recipe Standard Pie Dough or Rich and Buttery Pie Dough

1 pound rhubarb, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices (4 cups)
1¼ cups sugar

¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon grated orange zest
1 /8 teaspoon ground nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
Pinch of kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch cubes

Optional
1 tablespoon heavy cream