Vangie Peasley made pies for Bagaduce Lunch in Brooksville, Maine, for just about her entire life. She started when she was young, in the 1960s, when her parents owned the clam shack, and kept it up during the years that she and her husband ran the business. Day-to-day operations have now passed on to the third generation, and Vangie’s daughter, Judy Astbury, praises the memory of her Mom and her amazing strawberry-rhubarb pie. “She had to make the pies. No one else could even come close to being so good at it.”

image: foodgeekery.com

Fresh Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie
Bagaduce Lunch, Brooksville, ME

Vangie’s Piecrust
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup solid vegetable shortening
6-8 Tablespoons ice water

Strawberry-Rhubarb Filling
2 1/2 cups sliced rhubarb (about 1 1/4 pounds)
2 1/2 cups hulled strawberries (halved or quartered if large)
1 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 Tablespoons butter

For the crust, stir together the flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut the shortening into small pieces and add to the flour. Using a pastry blender, two table knives, or your fingertips, work the flour and shortening together until the shortening is the size of small peas. Sprinkle most of the ice water over the flour mixture and work the dough with a large fork or your hands, adding more water by Tablespoons, until it is evenly moistened and begins to hold together. Divide into two balls, flatten into disks, wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or for up to 2 days.

Remove the pastry from the refrigerator a few minutes before rolling out. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll half the dough out on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch round. Ease into a 9-inch pie plate. Roll out the top crust.

In a bowl, toss the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, and cornstarch to combine. Transfer to the pie shell. Cut the butter into small pieces and distribute over the fruit.

Cover with the top crust and trim the overhanging dough to 3/4 inch all around. Turn the edges under and crimp or flute the edges to seal. Use a sharp knife to cut several vents in the crust.

Bake in a preheated oven until the crust is a rich golden brown and the fruit juices bubble through the vents, 45-60 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Brooke Dojny is the author of several cookbooks including Dishing Up Maine.