Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
“I’ve culled my cookbook collection and I’ve kept the ones that I think really work,” baking instructor Alison Dolder said. “I really like the balance of the sweet and sour in strawberry rhubarb pie, and this is a really good pie crust.” Dolder shared the recipe below.
Filling:
3 ½ cups half-inch-thick slices of trimmed rhubarb (1 ½ pounds untrimmed)
One 16-ounce container of strawberries, hulled and halved (about 3 ½ cups)
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
— Mix all dry ingredients together, mix all fruit together then combine and toss to coat.
Crust:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
8 ounces unsalted butter (cold and cubed)
6 tablespoons of ice water
Crust Preparation:
- Place flour, sugar and salt in a food processor to blend.
- Add butter and process about 10 seconds or until smooth.
- With the processor running, add the ice water and process about 10 seconds until the mixture begins to form a ball.
- Place dough on a clean surface. With the palm of your hand, smear the dough two or three times across the surface until it is smooth and the flour and butter are blended. Do not handle the dough too much.
- Cut the dough in half and round each half into a disc. Wrap both with plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour before rolling.
Putting it all together:
- Make an egg wash by whisking together one egg, a pinch of salt and a splash of milk.
- Roll out one dough disc to fit a nine inch pie plate, with a little extra dough to hang over the edge. Place the dough in the pie plate and press to fit.
- Pour the filling into the pie plate.
- Roll out the second disc of dough to cover the filling.
- Fold the dough top in half, then in quarters. Cut the point off the triangle to create a vent for steam.
- Brush egg wash on the underside of the top crust before placing it over the filling.
- Lay the top crust, with the point in the center, over the filling and unfold to cover the filling and bottom crust edge.
- Fold the edge of the top crust under the edge of the bottom crust to seal.
- Pinch the edge of the crust between your thumb and forefinger, working your way around the top crust to create a closed, dented edge.
- Egg wash the entire crust and refrigerate.
- Egg wash again before baking.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly.
Grilled Lemon Chicken Salad
“Lemon is one of those things that people naturally gravitate to [as] fresh in spring,” Clark cuisine instructor Aaron Guerra said. Guerra shared the recipe below.
Ingredients:
2 medium lemons
1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
1 ½ tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (6 ounces each)
Cooking spray
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces thin asparagus
8 green onions, trimmed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ tablespoons white vinegar
- Grate two teaspoons of lemon rinds; halve lemons and set aside. Combine rind, oregano, canola oil and garlic in a large bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat.
- Heat a grill pan over medium high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray.
- Sprinkle chicken with ¼ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add chicken to pan; cook five minutes on each side until done. Add lemon halves to pan with cut sides facing down and cook for four minutes. Remove chicken and lemons from pan and cut chicken into slices.
- Cut asparagus and green onions into two–inch pieces then coat lightly with olive oil and add to pan. Cook three to four minutes, turning occasionally, until charred and tender.
- Combine remaining ½ teaspoon salt, remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper, olive oil and vinegar in a large bowl. Add asparagus, green onions and arugula then toss. Serve with chicken and lemon halves.
Peach Scones
“Who doesn’t love scones?” Clark baking student Helen Boyle said. “Good, buttery, flaky scones and there’s peaches stuffed in there.” Boyle shared the scones recipe below. (cq)
Ingredients:
3 cups bread flour
2 cups pastry flour
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
¾ cup chopped peaches
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
4 sticks butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups buttermilk
8 eggs (plus one for an egg wash)
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Cut butter into cubes and add to a 20 quart bowl and blend until coarse.
- Add all dry ingredients and mix by hand.
- In a separate container, combine all wet ingredients and mix. Add peaches.
- Make a well in the center of the bowl of dry ingredients, then pour the liquid and peach mixture into the well.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the liquids and peaches until they’re well blended.
- Lightly round each scone then press into a fluted tube pan.
- Cut each scone into six pieces, but do not separate the pieces once cut. Leave them as a whole. This will allow the pieces to pull apart easily after baking.
- Press the dough out to the corners of the pan and make sure the thickness is even.
- Egg wash the tops of the scones.
- Bake in the pan for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.
