I always know it’s truly the beginning of spring when rhubarb starts showing up at the store in all of it’s ruby-stalked glory. I love, love, LOVE rhubarb with all of it’s weird, vegetal, fruitness. It looks a lot like celery, but it’s flavor is reminiscent of tart berries–which it incidentally pairs beautifully with–and has the best color when cooked. The hue of cooked rhubarb can run the spectrum between a blush of pink to hot magenta, depending on how red your stalks are to begin with.

One of my favorite things to make with rhubarb is a pie. Maybe because flaky, buttery pastry and tart-fruity fillings were made for each other. Maybe because it reminds me of my great-grandmother, her little garden patch full of rhubarb, and her fabulously untouched 60′s decor. I’m talking tortoise, seashell-shaped bead curtains, green shag carpeting, and vibrant granny-square afghans…but I digress. Basically it’s springtime comfort and what pairs better with rhubarb than berries? I am using a mix of marion and raspberries here–because honestly, I’m not so into cooked strawberries. Really, though, any berry you like will pair perfectly with the tart rhubarb. Just be sure to serve it with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Fold-Over Rhuberry Pie

Rhubarb and a mix of berries meet in this fold-over pie, no pie plate necessary.

This pie dough has a bit of sour cream to add some tenderness, along with the flakiness the butter adds. You will only use half of the pie crust recipe. Make another pie (unbaked) to freeze for later, OR just freeze the crust for another use!

Pie Crust:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 sticks cold butter, cubed

2 tablespoons sour cream

4-6 tablespoons ice water

Rhuberry Filling:

1 cup diced rhubarb

1 cup mixed berries (I used 1/2 cup each marion and raspberries)

1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar (to taste)

1 teaspoon cornstarch

For brushing:

1 egg

1 tablespoon milk

sugar

Place the flour, kosher salt, and cold butter in a bowl (or in the bowl of a food processor) and pinch in the butter (or pulse) until you get a coarse meal with some incorporated bits and some pea-sized bits. Fold (or pulse) in the sour cream, as well as the water beginning with 4 tablespoons, just until the dough sticks together when pinched between your fingers. Add more water only if the dough does not come together. Turn out the dough and knead just a few times until it comes together. Divide the dough in half and shape into a disk. Wrap each dough disk well in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. If you are saving one disk of dough for later, go ahead and freeze it.

Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the egg and milk together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Place the diced rhubarb, berries, sugar, and cornstarch in a bowl and toss to combine. Roll out one of the dough disks into a rough, large rectangle. Place the rectangle of dough onto the baking sheet, one half may flap over the edge of the pan, but it’s okay since you’ll be folding it over the filling anyway. Brush the edge of the dough with the egg mixture, and mound the rhubarb-berry mixture in center of one side of the rectangle. Fold the naked half of the dough over the rhubarb-berry side and press gently along the edges where you have brushed the egg mixture to seal. Using a pastry cutter or paring knife, trim the edge of the crust off to create a large pop-tart shaped pie. Crimp the edges with a fork, if you like, and brush the top of the pie with more of the egg mixture, sprinkle with sugar, and slash some vents in the top of the pie with a knife. Bake in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes or until the pie is golden, the crust edges look flaky, and the juices from the filling are bubbling. Remove from the oven and cool at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving.