A random order

A couple of weeks ago, a few friends and I roamed over to northeast Portland for the weekly street fair Last Thursday on Alberta. We ended up sneaking out of the rain and into a handful of different shops, hoping to dry off a little bit and fill our bellies with something sweet. Cool weather tends to light up my sweet tooth, inspiring me to fortify myself against the elements. I picked up a few pastries from La Petite Provence to deliver to Sara, who spent that evening trudging away at her work in the library and who needed a substantial pick-me-up. For myself, I set my sights on Random Order, a little coffee shop whose bakery case overflows with all sorts of big, handmade pies. My eyes darted around, looking at the handwritten signs showcasing treats like blackberry apple, brandied peach, and Tahitian vanilla salted caramel apple. I'm sure ny of those pies would have sent me into a dizzying spell of sugar-induced bliss, but instead I went for the one that just felt right for that moment--rhubarb with ginger streusel. 

Historically, I cannot stand ginger. With the notable exception of Swedish-style, wafer-thin ginger snaps that I consume in record quantities during the Christmas season, I tend to scrunch up my face in a tightly-knit pout if I end up biting into something laced with ginger. Or at least, I used to do that, until I began to work at the farmers market, and Marven convinced me to try the homemade ginger-rhubarb jam he sells. Spicy, tangy, and just a little sweet, the ginger-rhubarb somehow managed to stand out against all others as my favorite jam. I can't really explain why, except that every note that ginger and rhubarb hit on their own is that much clearer when they do it together. Something magical happens in those little jam jars that tames ginger's potency just enough so that it doesn't quite lose its bite, but it certainly doesn't overwhelm. I just love the stuff, and so when I saw the pie at Random Order, I knew. And then I just couldn't get enough.

GINGER-RHUBARB PIE WITH STREUSEL TOPPING
Inspired by Random Order, with some guidance from this recipe

I almost cried when I ate this. It's not quite the same as what you'll get at Random Order, but it is a damn good pie, especially if you like desserts that aren't too sweet. I made two of these in a week, since the first one was gone in under six hours.

FOR THE PIE:
1 batch pate brisee, à la Martha Stewart (this recipe makes two rounds of pie dough, but you'll only need one for the pie. I'd recommend freezing the other round for later use)
4 stalks rhubarb, green stems discarded, sliced into 1/2" pieces
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
Zest from one lemon
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp butter

FOR THE STREUSEL TOPPING:
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
8 tbsp or 1/2 cup butter, chilled and cut into pieces

1. Combine rhubarb and next six ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well. Let stand for 15 minutes to let the rhubarb macerate (this part is important, as it release some of the moisture in the rhubarb and makes for a more syrupy filling).

2. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Remove the pie dough from the refrigerator and let stand for 10-15 minutes before rolling out.

3. Butter a 9" pie plate and place rolled out dough in the dish, trimming off the edges. Pour rhubarb mixture into the crust and bake for 10 minutes.

4. While the pie is in the oven, mix together the oats, brown sugar, and flour. Cut in the butter and combine until the mixture is crumbly. Remove the pie from the oven, cover with the streusel topping, and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes or until the crust and streusel topping are golden brown.