Hi there,

My friend Nancy sent me the suggestion to write about Sara Foster. Thank you Nancy. It was terrific fun learning about Sara. Sara Foster is a chef, restaurant owner and a cookbook author who lives in Durham, North Carolina. She is the founder and owner of the gourmet cafe and market Foster’s Market, which opened in Durham in 1990. Sara Foster is known for her use of fresh vegetables and herbs in southern food and for her long history of advocating for the use of locally grown produce in her restaurants and in home cooking. Here is Sara’s recipe for rhubarb pie.

Ingredients:

• ½ (14.1-ounce) package refrigerated piecrusts parbaked (see Kitchen Tip)
• 1½ pounds sliced rhubarb (about 4–5 cups), cleaned and trimmed
• 1¼ cups granulated sugar
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 2½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• ½ cup rolled oats
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• 12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• Vanilla ice cream, to serve

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 375°. Place piecrust on a rimmed baking sheet.
• In a large bowl, combine rhubarb, granulated sugar, cornstarch, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ginger, and ½ teaspoon salt; toss to mix. Add lemon juice and zest; stir to mix. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, oats, remaining 2 teaspoons cinnamon, allspice, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt; toss to mix. Work butter into the oat mixture with the tips of your fingers until it is combined and begins to clump together.
• Stir rhubarb mixture again and pour into the prepared piecrust. Pile crumb mixture on top of the filling to cover, pressing gently to adhere. Place pie on baking sheet on the center rack in the oven.
• Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling around the edges. If the edges or top are browning too quickly, cover the pie loosely with foil. Remove from the oven and cool about 2 hours before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Special Note: In Sara’s words: To prevent a soggy bottom pie, parbake your crust. Fill pie tin with rolled dough and crimp edges as desired. Top with parchment, fill with pie weights, and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Remove parchment, brush crust with beaten egg white, and let cool. You can also sprinkle the bottom crust with crushed shortbread cookie crumbs to absorb some of the liquid.

I hope you have enjoyed reading about Sara Foster as much as I have enjoyed learning about her.

See you soon, ❤️💕 Bernadette