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This Strawberry Rhubarb Slab Pie has a crunchy pistachio topping made with olive oil which adds a peppery fruity dimension to the topping.
Last month I had the pleasure of visiting San Luis Obispo, otherwise known as SLO, with my friends at California Grown. I’ve collaborated with California Grown for years, going on farm tours and visiting local producers across the golden state of California. Last year was one of my favorite tours ever, as we had a chance to visit a rhubarb farm and I’m OBSESSED with rhubarb, as evident by my strawberry rhubarb pie, strawberry rhubarb cobbler, strawberry rhubarb buckle cake, strawberry rhubarb galette, strawberry rhubarb syrup, blueberry rhubarb pie, cherry rhubarb crisp, and so many more recipes.
This year’s trip did not involve rhubarb, but it did involve a group of us staying at the iconic Madonna Inn, visiting Pasolivo Olive Oil to do some olive oil tasting (pro tip, slurp it up and expect the peppery burn cough from super fresh olive oil), wine tasting at Hope Family Wines, and visiting FARMstead ED/City Farm SLO, where we learned about their educational program on sustainable practices, multiple ways to compost, and outreach to the community.
But it was the event at Hope On Park that made this one of the best trip yet (even if it didn’t involved rhubarb). There, my friend Becky of Baking the Goods demonstrated how to make an edible centerpiece using California produce using plates and cups that I made for the entire group. I don’t talk about it much, but I have a not-so-secret double life where I do pottery and ceramics. Becky and the folks at California Grown found out and asked if I would be willing to make cake stands for all the participants in this tour. Months of work later, I got the pleasure of seeing all my talented friends use my ceramics to make the most beautiful centerpieces!
Back at home, I was inspired by both this trip and my previous trip to come up with this strawberry rhubarb slab pie with pistachio olive oil crumb topping. The peppery fruity olive oil really works well with the pistachio topping playing off of each other and highlighting the flavor of each. And the texture of the crumb topping is an ideal foil for the sweet tart strawberry rhubarb filling making this a great dessert for a picnic, friends gathering or just a Spring and early Summer dessert anytime.
How to make this slab pie
Slab pies are similar to regular pies, but made in a rectangular baking sheet, which makes them easier to slice into smaller servings (perfect for large parties and gatherings) as well as a higher crust (and crumb) ratio to the filling.
Start with making a single pie crust by combining flour, sugar, and salt in bowl. Cut up cold butter into small cubes, then flatten and smash them with your fingers.
Drizzle ice cold water into the bowl, tossing until a shaggy dough forms.
Dump the mixture onto a clean surface, flatten with the palms of your hand, and then fold the dough over. Repeat this a couple of times to help create flaky layers, and then wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight.
When the dough has firmed up, make the crumb topping by crushing or chopping the pistachios and adding them to a bowl with flour, rolled oats, which sugar, brown sugar, Turbinado sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Drizzle olive oil over the entire mixture, tossing until clumps form. Chill the bowl of crumbs while you make the filling.
Make the filling by combing chopped rhubarb, strawberries, chopped kiwis, the zest of a Meyer lemon, the juice of a Meyer lemon, tapioca starch or cornstarch, olive oil, vanilla, cinnamon, black pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
Roll out the dough into a large rectangle and fit it into a 9 x 13 x 1 in pan (also known as a quart sheet pan). Add the filling and bake for 30 minutes. Then sprinkle the pistachio crumbs over the filling and return to the oven to bake until the filling is bubbly, then cool to room temp and serve!
Explaining the special ingredients
This recipe has a few uncommon ingredients that you typically won’t find in other recipes. Here’s why I’ve included them, as well as more common substitutions.
- Turbinado Sugar: Sometimes called by its brand name “Sugar in the Raw” this coarse sugar is refined using a turbine, which is where its name comes from. I use it because the blonde sugar lends both a slightly molasses flavor as well as a sweet crunch. You can substitute regular coarse white sugar if you like, or substitute more brown sugar or white sugar instead (though you won’t get the nice crunch that the Turbinado or coarse white sugar will give).
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: I use extra virgin olive oil in the crumb topping and in the filling to give it richness and dimension. I always recommend using California EVOO when possible. Look for olive oil with the California Olive Oil Council seal, which means the olive oil has been tested and met the one of the highest standards in the world. The olive oil itself gives a lovely rich peppery and fruity note to the crumb topping, working especially well with the pistachios. But if you don’t want to use olive oil, you can substitute the same amount of melted butter in place.
- Kiwis: Kiwis appear in the filling because of the high pectin content that they have. The sweet tart fruit plays well with strawberries (and rhubarb as well) and the high pectin means the filling naturally thickens with the need to use lots of starch, which can sometimes dull the bright fruit flavors. If you don’t have a kiwi, you can also grate an apple to add pectin and add a more neutral flavor. Or omit both of the kiwi/apple and increase the tapioca starch or cornstarch to 6 tablespoons.
- Tapioca Starch: My preferred thickener for fruit filling is tapioca starch, which is fairly easy to find at well stocked grocery stores. It works better than cornstarch in acidic environments and won’t muddy the flavor of the fruit. But cornstarch is a good substitute as well and has been tested to work in this recipe.
- Meyer Lemon: Meyer lemons are a hybrid between regular lemons and oranges. They have a tender fragrant zest and lower acidity than their regular lemon counterpart. If you don’t have a Meyer lemon you can easily substitute the juice and zest of a lemon or orange in its place. Or use 2 tablespoons of Balsamic vinegar for richer filling.
How to Store this Pie
This pie is best eaten the day it’s baked (and cooled). But you can store leftovers at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. You can also freeze the pie (whole or in slices) for up to 3 months. Just freeze on a baking sheet until solid, then move to a resealable freezer Ziploc bag, placing parchment paper or wax paper between layers.
If you like this slab pie, here are a few other slab pie recipes that you might enjoy:
- Cherry Slab Pie
- Peach Slab Pie
- Apricot Cherry Slab Pie with Crumb Topping
- Apple Slab Pie with Brandy and Prunes
- Mixed Berry Rhubarb Slab Pie
Strawberry Rhubarb Slab Pie with Pistachio Crumb Topping
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 175 g
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter 1 stick or 115 g
- 4 to 6 tablespoons cold water
Crumb Topping
- 2 cups shelled pistachios 250 g
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 105 g
- 1/2 cup rolled oats 55 g
- 1/2 cup white sugar 100 g
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar 55 g
- 2 tablespoon Turbinado sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 95 g
Filling
- 4 cups 1-inch chunks rhubarb 1 pound or 455 g
- 2 cups chopped strawberries 1 pound or 455 g
- 2 medium kiwis peeled and chopped, 200 g
- Zest of 1 Meyer lemon
- Juice of 1 Meyer lemon
- 3/4 cup white sugar 150 g
- 1/4 cup tapioca starch or cornstarch 40 g
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
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Make the pie crust dough by placing the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Cut the cold butter into 1/2-inch cubes and add to the dry ingredients. Using your fingers, toss the cubes in the flour then smash them into flat pieces, continue to dip your hands in the flour to prevent the butter from sticking. You want to break the butter down into pieces roughly the size of a pea.
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Once all the butter is flat and broken up, drizzle 4 tablespoons water over the dough and toss with a fork until a dough starts to form. Using your hands, massage the dry ingredients into the wet parts. If the dough looks too dry, add more water, half a tablespoon at a time, until a cohesive shaggy dough forms.
Gather the dough and flatten it into a 1-inch thick piece. Wrap with plastic wrap and then refrigerate for a minimum of an hour or overnight (or up to 2 days in the fridge).
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While the dough is chilling, make the crumb topping by chopping or crushing the pistachios (in a freezer Ziploc bag). Add them to a bowl with the flour, oats, white sugar, brown sugar, turbinado sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Drizzle the olive oil over all the ingredients and toss with a fork until it starts to clump up and is absorbed by all the dry ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to assemble the pie.
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When the dough has fully chilled, preheat the oven to 375°F. If you’re using a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan (the kind that you make brownies in), lightly spray it with cooking oil, then line it with parchment paper. If you are using a 9 x 13 x 1-inch rimmed baking quarter sheet, skip this step. Flour a clean surface and then roll out a disk of dough into an 11 x 15-inch rectangle.
Move the dough to the baking pan, tucking it into the sides, and then gently curl or crimp the edges of the dough. Place the dough in the fridge to chill (no need to cover it) while you make the filling.
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Make the filling by combining the rhubarb, strawberries, chopped kiwis, lemon zest, lemon juice, cornstarch, olive oil, vanilla, cinnamon, pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Toss with a spatula until all the ingredients are evenly coated and the cornstarch is absorbed.
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Take the chilled rolled out dough from the fridge and pour the filling into it, making sure to scrape out any liquid that accumulated at the bottom of the bowl. Spread the filling out evenly over the crust. Place the pan on a large baking sheet (to catch any drips) then bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
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Once the 30 minutes is up, pull the pie out of the oven and sprinkle the cold crumb topping over the top of the fruit, making sure to evenly distribute the topping all over. Break up any large chunks with your fingers but keep some of the smaller chunks together.
Return the pie to the oven and bake an additional 30 to 40 minutes or until the fruit is bubbling through the crumb topping and the crumb topping is golden brown. If the topping is browning too fast but the filling isn’t bubbling yet, cover the pie with aluminum foil and continue to bake until the filling is done.
Let cool completely before serving. You can server the pie by itself or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Nutrition
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