If you’re from the South, you’ve probably had tomato pie. If you’re from the North, you probably think of a giant, square, cold pizza without cheese when I say tomato pie, but I mean something completely different. This is a regular, buttery, warm, flaky pie crust filled with fresh tomatoes and a cheesy, herby topping.
My Mama always had a garden in the summer, which means we always had tons of tomatoes. (if they made it from the vine to the house...the grape tomatoes are just too easy to pop in while you’re harvesting!) So, now, naturally, I have a summer garden, and it’s very, very full of tomatoes, with which I decided to make a Sunday pie. You can, of course, use a store bought crust, and it will lessen the time this takes, but man is this home made crust tasty!
Give this pie a try--it’s not your typical pie, but it’s savory and fresh and the perfect Sunday supper.
Ingredients
Filling:
4 large tomatoes, sliced
2 cups shredded mozzarella
½ cup mayo
5 green onions
8-10 basil leaves
½ tsp garlic powder
Salt
Pepper
Crust:
1.5 cups AP flour
½ tsp salt
1.5 tsp sugar
1 stick of very cold, unsalted butter
½-¾ cups of ice water
Method
Crust:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Put the stick of unsalted butter in the freezer for at least 15 minutes, and up to 30.
Mix together the flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor on low for about 8 seconds.
Cut the (very cold) butter into ½ tbsp size pieces and pulse into the flour, 8-10 times, until the butter is in pea sized pieces.
Slowly add the ice water (without the ice!) through the top feed tube, a couple of tablespoons at a time, until the dough forms into a ball. You may not use all ¾ cups of water.
Turn dough out on a floured surface, and gently knead it into a ball. You shouldn’t knead it more than 5 times. Use a rolling pin to roll it out, and shape it to your pie dish.
Par bake the crust for 10 minutes, then you’re ready to fill it with the goods!
Filling:
Place the sliced tomatoes in a colander in one layer, and sprinkle with salt. Let them sit for about 15 minutes. The salt will draw out the excess moisture. After 15 minutes, pat them dry with paper towels.
Finely dice the green and light green parts of the green onions, along with the basil.
In a medium bowl, mix together the cheese, mayo, green onions, basil, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste.
Mix together 1 egg and 2 tbsp of cold water to create an egg wash.
Layer the tomatoes in the crust, and top with the cheese mixture. Brush the crust with the egg wash, and bake for 25 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.
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