Just as there are open-faced sandwiches, there are open-faced pies, or “free-form pies,” as they’re often called. Free-form pies are fun to make since the whole idea is to wind up with an irregular, imperfect result. And whether you’re making a whole-wheat pie or a gluten-free pie, it’s liberating to not have to worry about creating an evenly round crust. Besides, in terms of food fashion, the rustic look is in! Ain’t it great when the desired outcome is also the one that takes the least amount of work? Laziness can occasionally equal brilliance.
Although I’ve opted for spring-fresh rhubarb paired with organic strawberries, you could use any berry along with the rhubarb: blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, even cranberry (although you’d have to sweeten the filling a little more to account for the tartness of the latter). Since you’re making an unleavened crust, you don’t have to worry about the odd color change that happens when you mix a dark purplish berry with baking soda.
(Note for you food techies out there: the pigments that make the dark purple/red react in an alkaline environment by turning into an odd greenish-blue color. Not appealing. Luckily, you can off-set that alkalinity with a strong acid like buttermilk or lemon juice, or you can use baking powder or yeast as leaveners rather than highly alkaline baking soda.)
Rhubarb & Strawberry Crostata
For the crust:
1/2 cup almond flour, preferably freshly ground*
1/2 cup brown rice flour*
1/2 cup coarse- or medium-grind cornmeal
2 T. palm sugar OR sucanat
Pinch of sea salt
1 stick cold butter, preferably from grass-fed cows (Organic Valley or Kerrygold are good choices)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 eggs, preferably from pastured hens
Dash of whole milk, preferably from grass-fed cows
For the filling:
About 4 slender stalks of rhubarb (weighs about 1 lb.)
About 8 oz. ORGANIC strawberries (since strawberries are our #1 most-sprayed crop and you’re eating the whole fruit, it’s worth choosing organic)
1/4 cup palm sugar OR sucanat
1/4 cup brown rice flour*
To make the crust, whisk together the flours, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter, cut it into chunks with a knife, then use a pastry blender (or two knives) to cut the butter into the dry ingredients to make a fine crumbs. Pour in the olive oil and eggs and mix with a wooden spoon. Add a dash of milk and see if the mixture holds together well or is too dry. You should be able to easily form a ball with the crust and not have it fall apart. (If it gets too wet, add more flour.) Cover and refrigerate crust for at least an hour to make it firmer and easier to handle.
In the meantime, make the filling by placing all ingredients in a medium-sized sauce pan. Add just enough water to barely cover the fruit. Simmer uncovered on low for about 10 minutes or until the rhubarb is easily pierced with a knife tip and the mixture has become thick. Remove from heat and let stand while crust is chilling.
Preheat oven to 400F. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop crust out of bowl and press (or roll, if you’re using wheat flour) the crust into a large and evenly flat circle, going all the way to the edge of the pan — you’re going to be folding the edges back onto the center, so you need to have a pretty large circle to start with. Place cooled filling in center of crust and spread it out to about 2″ from the edges. “Fold” the crust back onto the filling by picking up the edge of the parchment paper and gently encouraging the crust to fall inwards. Keep lifting the paper and nudging the crust over and down until you have a free-form, roundish pie.
Bake for 45 minutes or until crust is brown on the edges and the fruit is gently bubbling. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into it. Serve with whole-milk Greek yogurt, ice cream, and/or a drizzle of maple syrup.
* These are gluten-free flours. If you’d like to make a wheat version, use whole-wheat or spelt flour in place of almond and/or brown rice flour. I do think the almond lends the crust a nice nuttiness that compliments the fruit, though, so I would only sub out the brown rice flour. The cornmeal provides a pleasant crunch.
Posted by Lisa Baker's Corner Subscribe to RSS feed
Every food has a story, and every story has a food.
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lisa@theculturedcook.com
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AGRICULTURE/FARMING
The Unsettling of America, W. Berry
A Natural History of the Future, R. Dunn
Never Out of Season: How Having the Food We Want When We Want It Threatens Our Food Supply and Our Future, R. Dunn
The Paleo Manifesto: Ancient Wisdom for Lifelong Health, J. Durant
Sweetness & Light: The Mysterious History of the Honeybee, H. Ellis
Pig Tales: An Omnivore's Quest for Sustainable Meat, B. Estabrook
Hit by a Farm, C. Friend
The Compassionate Carnivore, C. Friend
The Chain, T. Genoways
Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food, P. Greenberg
Fatal Harvest: The Tragedy of Industrial Agriculture, A. Kimbrell, ed.
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, B. Kingsolver
The Carnivore's Manifesto, P. Martins
Big Chicken, M. McKenna
Oceans of Grain: How American Wheat Remade the World, S. Reynolds Nelson
The Niman Ranch Cookbook, B. Niman & J. Fletcher
In Meat We Trust: An Unexpected History of Carnivore America, M. Ogle
Resetting the Table: Straight Talk About the Food We Grow and Eat, R. Paarlberg
Perilous Bounty: The Looming Collapse of American Farming and How We Can Prevent It, T. Philpott
Botany of Desire, M. Pollan
Tomorrow's Table: Organic Farming, Genetics and the Future of Food, P. Ronald & R. Adamchak
Folks, This Ain't Normal, J. Salatin
Holy Cows & Hog Heaven, J. Salatin
Salad Bar Beef, J. Salatin
Bread, Wine, Chocolate: The Slow Loss of Foods We Love, S. Sethi
Raw Deal: Hidden Corruption, Corporate Greed, and the Fight for the Future of Meat, C. Sorvino
BUSINESS/ECONOMICS
Small Giants, B. Burlington
The $100 Startup, C. Guillebeau
The Art of Nonconformity, C. Guillebeau
The Ecology of Commerce, P. Hawken
Bet the Farm: How Food Stopped Being Food, F. Kaufman
No Logo, N. Klein
The Post-Corporate World, D. Korten
Freakonomics, S. Levitt & S. Dubner
Buy-o-logy, M. Lindstrom
A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things, R. Patel and J. Moore
The Value of Nothing, R. Patel
CULINARY ANTHROPOLOGY & FOOD HISTORY
The Primal Feast, S. Allport
Consuming Passions: An Anthropology of Eating, P. Armelagos
Tasting the Past: The Science of Flavor & The Search for the Origins of Wine, K. Begos
White Bread: A Social History of the Store-Bought Loaf, A. Bobrow-Strain
Cork Dork, B. Bosker
Three Squares: The Invention of the American Meal, A. Carroll
The True History of Chocolate, S. Coe & M. Coe
Seaweed, V. Cooksley
Vanilla: Travels in Search of the Ice Cream Orchid, T. Ecott
Devoured: From Chicken Wings to Kale Smoothies, S. Egan
Doctors and Distillers: The Remarkable Medicinal History of Beer, Wine, Spirits, and Cocktails, C. English
The Fruit Hunters, A. Gollner
From Hardtack to Home Fries, B. Haber
High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America, J. Harris
Good to Eat: Riddles of Food and Culture, M. Harris
Our Kind: Who We Are, Where We Came From, Where We Are Going, M. Harris
The Truffle Underground, R. Jacobs
Butter: A Rich History, E. Khosrova
Sweet Invention: A History of Dessert, M. Krondl
Milk: A 10,000-Year Food Fracas, M. Kurlansky
Salt: A World History, M. Kurlansky
100 Million Years of Food: What Our Ancestors Ate and Why It Matters Today, S. Le
Repast: Dining Out at the Dawn of the New American Century, 1900-1910, M. Lesy and L. Stoffer
Immortal Milk, E. LeMay
Chocolate: An Illustrated History, M. & F. Morton
Covered in Honey: The Amazing Flavors of Varietal Honey, M. Niall
Hog and Hominy: Soul Food from Africa to America, F. D. Opie
From the Family Kitchen, G. Philibert-Ortega
Vanilla: The Cultural History of the World's Favorite Flavor and Fragrance, P. Rain
Chocolate: A Bittersweet Saga of Dark and Light, M. Rosenblum
Olives: The Life and Lore of a Noble Fruit, M. Rosenblum
The Book of Spices, F. Rosengarten Jr.
Tastes of Paradise, W. Schivelbusch
Coffeeland, A. Sedgewick
Whey We Eat What We Eat, R. Sokolov
A History of the World in 6 Glasses, T. Standage
An Edible History of Humanity, T. Standage
Until Proven Safe: The History and Future of Quarantine, N. Twilley & G. Manaugh
Much Depends on Dinner, M. Visser
The Rituals of Dinner, M. Visser
Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat, B. Wilson
Swindled: The Dark History of Food Fraud, From Poisoned Candy to Counterfeit Coffee, B. Wilson
Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human, R. Wrangham
DIABETES, OBESITY & SUGAR
Body, Mind & Sugar, E. Abrahamson
Lick the Sugar Habit, N. Appleton
The Diabetes Solution, R. Bernstein
Living the Low Carb Life, J. Bowden
Sugar Blues, W. Dufty
The Obesity Code, J. Fung
Sugar. Stop the Addiction, K. Genzlinger
Diabesity, F. Kaufman
Fat Chance: Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity and Disease, R. Lustig
Metabolical: The Lure and the Lies of Processed Food, Nutrition, and Modern Medicine, R. Lustig
Sugar Nation, J. O'Connell
The G.I. Handbook [Glycemic Index], B. Ravage
The Case Against Sugar, G. Taubes
FAST FOOD
Fast Food Nation, E.Schlosser
Don't Eat This Book, M. Spurlock
Super Size Me, M. Spurlock
FAT & CHOLESTEROL
Queen of Fats, S. Allport
The Great Cholesterol Myth, J. Bowden & S. Sinatra
Eat Fat, Lose Fat, M. Enig
Fats That Heal, Fats That Kill, U. Erasmus
The Facts About Fats, J. Finnegan
Why Women Need Fat, S. Gaulin & W. Lassek
Fat, J. McLagan
The Surprising Story of Milk Through the Ages, A. Mendelson
The Cholesterol Myths, U. Ravnskov
The Truth About Statins, B. Roberts
The Untold Story of Milk, R. Schmid
Statin Nation, J. Smith
The Big Fat Surprise, N. Teicholz
FOOD
Everyone Eats, E. Anderson
The Art of Natural Cheesemaking, D. Asher
Salted: A Manifesto on the World's Most Essential Mineral, With Recipes, M. Bitterman
More Home Cooking, L. Colwin
Good to Eat, M. Harris
The Food Lover's Companion, Ron & Sharon Tyler Herbst
Bones, J. McLagan
What I Eat: Around the World in 80 Diets, P. Menzel & F. D'Aluisio
The Flavor Bible, K. Page
Plenty, A. Smith & J.B. Mackinnon
Grocery: The Buying and Selling of Food in America, M. Ruhlman
Ratio: The Simple Code Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking, M. Ruhlman
Taste What You're Missing: The Passionate Food Eater's Guide to Why Good Food Tastes Good, B. Stuckey
Zingerman's Guide to Good Eating, A. Weinzweig
FOOD INDUSTRY/POLITICS
A Bone To Pick, M. Bittman
Food Matters, M. Bittman
American Wasteland, J. Bloom
Food Fight, K. Brownell
Stuffed: An Insider's Look at Who's Really Making America Fat, H. Cardello
FatLand, G. Critser
Twinkie, Deconstructed, S. Ettlinger
Losing It: False Hopes and Fat Profits in the Diet Industry, L. Fraser
Organic, Inc., S. Fromartz
The Raw Milk Revolution: Behind America's Emerging Battle Over Food Rights, D. Gumpert
Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Food Rights, D. Gumpert
Food Wars, T. Lang & M. Heasman
Consumer Beware!, B. Hunter
Lunch Wars, A. Kalafa
The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved, S. Katz
The Meat Racket, C. Leonard
The End of Overeating, D. Kessler
The Secret Life of Groceries, B. Lorr
The American Way of Eating, T. McMillan
Salt Sugar Fat, M. Moss
Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil, T. Mueller
Eat Drink Vote, M. Nestle
Food Politics, M. Nestle
Soda Politics, M. Nestle
Real Food / Fake Food, L. Olmsted
The Omnivore's Dilemma, M. Pollan
In Defense of Food, M. Pollan
The World is Fat, B. Popkin
Raising Less Corn, More Hell, G. Pyle
The Tastemakers: Why We're Crazy For Cupcakes But Fed Up with Fondue, D. Sax
Appetite for Profit, M. Simon
Amber Waves of Grain, J. Trager
Ultra-Processed People: The Science Behind Food That Isn't Food, C. van Tulleken
The Hundred Year Diet: America's Voracious Appetite for Losing Weight, S. Yager
FOOD LABELS
What to Eat, M. Nestle
Eating Between the Lines, K. Stewart
New Good Food: Shopper's Pocket Guide to Organic, Sustainable and Seasonal Whole Foods, M. Wittenberg
FOOD SCIENCE
BakeWise, S. Corriher
CookWise, S. Corriher
KitchenWise, S. Corriher
Culinary Reactions, S. Quellen Field
Kitchen Science, H. Hillman
The New Kitchen Science, H. Hillman
The Curious Cook, H. McGee
How to Read a French Fry, R. Parsons
Cooking for Geeks, J. Potter
What Einstein Told His Cook, R. Wolke
What Einstein Told His Cook 2, R. Wolke
GLUTEN-FREE/FOOD ALLERGY
The Total Food Allergy Health and Diet Guide, A. Anca
Dangerous Grains: Why Gluten Cereal Grains May Be Hazardous to Your Health, J. Braly & R. Hoggan
Gluten-Free, Hassle Free, M. Brown
The Gluten-Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide, S. Case
What's Eating Your Child?, K. Dorfman
Go Dairy Free, A. Fleming
The G-Free Diet, E. Hasselbeck
Wheat-Free, Worry-Free, D. Korn
The Gluten-Free Bible, J. Lowell
The Gluten Connection, S. Lieberman
The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook, C. Pascal
Gluten-Free Baking Classics, A. Roberts
The Gluten-Free Nutrition Guide, T. Thompson
MEDICAL
Critical Condition, D. Bartlett
The Alzheimer's Antidote, A. Berger
Missing Microbes, M. Blaser
The American Health Care Paradox: Why Spending More is Getting Us Less, E. Bradley and L. Taylor
Overcoming Thyroid Disorders, D. Brownstein
The China Study, T. Campbell
Immune: How Your Body Defends and Protects You, C. Carver
The Food-Mood Solution, J. Challem
Cultured: How Ancient Foods Can Feed Our Microbiome, K.H. Courage
The Yeast Connection, W. Crook
The Human Super-Organism, R. Dietert
The Body Ecology Diet, D. Gates
Breaking the Vicious Cycle, E. Gottschall
Gut Check, S. Gundry
Perfect Health Diet, P. Jaminet & S. Jaminet
Eat to Beat Disease, W. Li
Zoobiquity, B. Natterson-Horowitz & K. Bowers
The Autoimmune Epidemic, D. Jackson Nakazawa
Stand Tall: Every Woman's Guide to Preventing & Treating Osteoporosis, M. Notelovitz
Do You Believe in Magic? The Sense and Nonsense of Alternative Medicine, P. Offit
Breaking the Antibiotic Habit, P. Offit
The Cutter Incident: How America's First Polio Vaccine Led to the Growing Vaccine Crisis, P. Offit
Grain Brain, D. Perlmutter
An Alternative Approach to Allergies, T. Randolph
Is This Your Child?, D. Rapp
Our Toxic World, D. Rapp
A Silent Fire: The Story of Inflammation, Diet & Disease, S. Ravella
Trace Your Genes to Health, C. Reading
An Elegant Defense: The Extraordinary New Science of the Immune System, M. Richtel
An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became Big Business and How You Can Take it Back, E. Rosenthal
The Island of the Colorblind, O. Sacks
The Mind's Eye, O. Sacks
The Schwarzbein Principle, D. Schwarzbein
The Hungry Gene: The Science of Fat and the Future of Thin, E. Shell
The Good Gut: Taking Control of Your Weight, Your Mood, and Your Long-Term Health, J. & E. Sonnenburg
Food & Behavior, B. Stitt
Most Delicious Poison: The Story of Nature's Toxins from Spices to Vices, N. Whiteman
Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History, F. Williams
I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life, E. Yong
NUTRITION
Super Nutrition for Babies, K. Erlich & K. Genzlinger
Nourishing Traditions, S. Fallon
Super Nutrition for Women, A. Gittleman
The Jungle Effect, D. Miller
Real Food, N. Planck
Real Food for Mother & Baby, N. Planck
Vitamania: Our Obsessive Quest for Nutritional Perfection, C. Price
Deep Nutrition, C. Shanahan
Feed Yourself Right, L. Smith
The Diet Myth, T. Spector
Eating on the Wild Side, J. Robinson
Take Two Apples and Call Me in the Morning, J. Stone
Good Calories, Bad Calories, G. Taubes
Why We Get Fat, G. Taubes
The Dictionary of Wholesome Foods, E. de Persiis Vona
SOY, CAFFEINE & GMOs
Caffeine Blues, S. Cherniske
The Whole Soy Story, K. Daniel
Seeds of Deception, J. Smith
SUSTAINABILITY/GLOBAL ISSUES
Bound Together: How Traders, Preachers, Adventurers, and Warriors Shaped Civilization, N. Chanda
The Organic Cook's Bible, J. Cox
Bottled & Sold: The Story Behind Our Obsession with Bottled Water, P. Gleick
Organic: A New Way of Eating, S. Grigson
Waste Free Kitchen Handbook, D. Gunders
Cooking Green, K. Heyhoe
Grub: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen, A. Lappé
Diet for a Small Planet, F. Lappé
Hope's Edge, F. Lappé
World Hunger: Twelve Myths, F. Lappé et al
Bitter Chocolate, C. Off
Stuffed & Starved, R. Patel
Slow Food Revolution, C. Petrini
The End of Food, P. Roberts
Water Wars, V. Shiva
The Ethical Gourmet, J. Weinstein
