High time for vegan strawberry rhubarb pie time

It’s high time for pie time, ya’ll.

She lives!

It’s true. I am back, and I bear a delicious, pie-shaped apology for my long absence.

My hiatus was due to an abrupt, but destined, across-the-continent move from Chicago to my new home base: the lovely and not-as-rainy-as-you’ve-been-lead-to-believe Portland, Oregon! Check it out on that Vine thing the kids are talking about.

From where I stand, PDX is the vegan home planet. I haven’t even been here a month, and I’ve already discovered so many veg-focused and veg-friendly nosh spots that I am equally concerned for my waistline and wallet. The Steve Caballero at Sizzle Pie is currently tied with the vegan bratwurst at the Altengartz food cart for my favorite treat.

But I’ll save the Stumptown deets for later. For now, let’s talk pie.

So, you want to make a vegan strawberry rhubarb confection, do you? Of course you do. It tastes like summer with sugar sprinkled on top. Plus, it makes a great breakfast (IMHP).

Here’s what you need:

Filling Ingredients

• About 1 1/2 lbs of  strawberries, hulled and quartered (two of the 16 oz. containers)
• About 1 1/2 lbs of rhubarb, chopped into bite-size bits (about three foot-long stalks)
• 1 cup sugar
• 5 Tbsps arrowroot powder (or good old cornstarch, if you’re me)
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• A pinch (pronounced: peeeeench) of sea salt
• 2 tsps orange zest
• Additional 1 tsp of sugar (for sprinkling)

Crust Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup solid coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp sea salt

How to Pie

No, not this kind of Zest. But weren’t these commercials inspiring?

First of all, I misplaced my zester in the move, so here’s a little bonus tutorial on how to zest a citrus fruit without a grater or a zester (You’re welcome):

1. Use a sharp knife to peel a few strips of the rind off the fruit. Try your best not to get the white part, as that has a bitter taste. You just want the colorful bit.
2. Chop up the rind as fine as you can.
3. That’s it. You’ve made zest.

For further instructions on the filling, and pie assembly, check out the original recipe here from Mattie on veganbaking.net.

But for the crust, I recommend this simple, and super tasty gem from Gene Hemshaw on food52.com. It’s crazy simple to make, especially if you’re blessed with a food processor. It really is the perfect vegan pie crust.

Now that I have a kitchen again, I promise that more recipes from me are on the way. But for now, Bon appetit!

Also, a special thanks to my love, Miles Pfefferle, for capturing pie time with his Canon. xo.