Four and twenty tomatoes (well, almost that many) baked in a pie

A very special adult son’s visit to his parents’ house called for a dish beyond description. Fresh tomatoes from the garden and an enticing new recipe for tomato pie was just the combination.

We wanted our son, in town on a business trip, to enjoy some of the yield of our overpoweringly fertile tomato vines. Gorgeous red tomatoes were starting to line our window-ledges and countertops as Hubby marched them in from the garden rows. They got a home in this Old-fashioned Tomato Pie after the July 2012 issue of Southern Living featured some new, creative ways to work with tomatoes that are just-ripened.

In a flaky pie crust and garnished with fresh herbs and filled with a delicious cheese mixture, the pie was devoured in a hurry. The straight-from-the-vine tomatoes first were laid out on a paper towel, salted (salt substitute was used), and left to stand for 10 minutes to rid them of excess water so the pie wouldn’t be soggy.

We had quite a celebration; this pie of pies easily could have been the dessert course, since the tomatoes represented such sweet goodness.

Old-fashioned Tomato Pie

2 1/4 pound assorted heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced

1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided (I used salt substitute)

1 sweet onion, chopped

1 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/2 cup assorted chopped fresh herbs (such as chives, parsley, and basil)

1/2 cup freshly grated Gruyere cheese

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese 

1/4 cup mayonnaise

pie crust recipe of your choice (source furnished one, but I used my own tried-and-true version)

Line prepared crust with aluminum foil; fill with pie weights or dried beans to keep the crust from bubbling up or shrinking. Place on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove weights (or beans) and foil. Bake 5 minutes or until browned. Cool completely on baking sheet on a wire rack (about 30 minutes). Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Place tomatoes in a single layer on paper towels; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Let stand 10 minutes. Meanwhile sauté onion and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper in hot oil in a skillet over medium heat 3 minutes or until onion is tender. Pat tomatoes dry with a paper towel. Layer tomatoes, onion, and herbs in prepared crust. Season each layer with pepper (1 teaspoon total). Stir together cheese and mayonnaise; spread over pie. (I sprinkled a little extra grated cheese on top.) Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. As you bake, shield edges with foil to prevent excessive browning. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Pie! Pie! Tomato Pie! So fresh, it could walk off the table.

With my vegetable bin now filled with tomatoes the size of grapefruit (thanks to my previously mentioned, roadside-stand haul), I was into my pile of tomato recipes big-time. I had dogeared one for Tomato Pie, featured in Southern Living’s August 2011 issue featuring summer favorites. I thought it looked absolutely mouth-watering. I also was intrigued by the idea of the Sour Cream Pastry crust that underlay it.

The recipe called for four tomatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. I admit that in the interest of time, I didn’t peel mine. I don’t think I’ve peeled a tomato in years and wasn’t about to start now. (The most nutritious part of everything is the peel, right? At least that’s a mom-ism I remember from my childhood. Hubby says that a lot, too.)

Atop the tomato layer of the pie went a marvelous blend of mayo, green onions, fresh basil, and Parmesan cheese. I was a little worried about the sour-cream pastry, made with a combination of shortening and sour cream, being a little flimsy, but after the dough chilled for an hour, it rolled out into a very substantial, workable crust that I baked for 10-12 minutes before I piled on the filling.

I can’t say that I ever before sampled a tomato pie, even though it was conceptualized as an iconic Southern item (and my great-grandmother was a Mississippi transplant to Texas. How Southern can you get?). But this one was an amazing way to start. Fresh tomatoes, a new take on a pie crust, and an herb-y, cheesy topping. Like, like, like!

Tomato Pie

4 medium tomatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

1/2 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

3 green onions, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Parmesan cheese, divided

Sour Cream Pastry (below)

Sour Cream Pastry

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup sour cream (I used fat-free)

Preheat oven to 350 degree. Prepare Sour Cream Pastry. Meanwhile, place tomatoes in a single layer on paper towels; sprinkle with salt. Let tomatoes stand 30 minutes. Pat dry with paper towels. Stir together next 3 ingredients and 3/4 cup of cheese. Roll Sour Cream Pastry into a 13-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate; fold edges under and crimp. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly brown. Remove from oven; sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup cheese over bottom of crust. Arrange tomato slices over cheese in crust; spread mayonnaise mixture over tomatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for 34 to 37 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before you serve. If desired garnish with basil leaves. Makes 6 servings.