Receta Tomato Pie
Before moving to Georgia, tomato pie meant a pie filled with green tomatoes that had a similar taste as apple pie (recipe to follow in a later post). I discovered a savory ripe tomato pie at a local restaurant our first summer here. However, the restaurant went out of business and I almost forgot about the tomato pie. Several years later I saw it on the menu if the Tomato Shed near Charleston, South Carolina and I ordered it. It was there that my affinity for these fresh, ripe tomato pies would take hold.
I was the next summer that a request from a friend prompted me to begin making my own tomato pies.
I now make tomato pie a couple of different ways. One is a traditional pie crust and the other is a biscuit based tart. Today, I am sharing a cream cheese pie crust tomato pie.
Despite many variations, most tomato pies seem to have a few key ingredients: tomatoes, cheddar cheese, and mayonnaise. Mayo? Yes…it is the South.
While a whole pie looks okay, it is not a very pretty pie once sliced. It is a good thing that a pie doesn’t have to look pretty to taste great
The biggest challenge of making a fresh tomato pie is all the moisture in the tomatoes. To keep down the amount of moisture the cooking tomatoes release remove most of the seeds from the tomato slices. Then, place the sliced tomatoes on a cooling rack lined baking sheet and sprinkle with some Kosher salt to pull some of the remaining moisture from the slices while you prepare the rest of the pie. The end result is worth the little extra effort.
Recipe: Tomato Pie
Ingredients:
- 1 deep dish pie crust, 9 inch (cream cheese dough or other favorite)
- 2-3 large tomatoes or 4-5 small tomatoes
- kosher salt
- 1 sweet onion, very thinly sliced
- dried basil
- 4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese
- 4 oz. Monterey jack cheese
- 1/2 c. mayonnaise
Instructions:
Slice tomatoes, remove most seeds, place on cooling rack lined baking sheet,sprinkle with salt and allow to drain until ready to construct pie.
Pre/Blind bake the pie crust, if desired. (It makes for a less soggy pie bottom. But, I do not recommend blind baking if using the cream cheese crust. If you do, you must use pie weights or dried beans in a liner inside the crust.)
Shred the cheeses and mix them together with the mayonnaise.
Spread a couple of tablespoons of mayonnaise on the sides and bottom of the pie crust (not baked or pre-baked).
Dry off sliced tomatoes with a paper towel.
Layer sliced tomatoes over bottom of pie crust.
Add some of the thinly sliced onion.
Sprinkle with basil.
Repeat with other layer of tomatoes, onion, and basil until the pie crust is filled to within a couple of inches of the top.
Top the tomato layers with the cheese mixture to cover.
Bake in a 350 degree oven until the cheese is melted and it and the crust are lightly browned, about 30 – 35 minutes.
Let cool slightly before cutting.
Serve warm or room temperature.
Notes:
Cover the rim of the crust with aluminum foil if you use a pre-baked crust and it is getting too brown.
Copyright © 2015.
Recipe by Paula, A Simple Home Cook.