When tomatoes are at peak season and you are sick of them in salad try baking them in a rustic pie. I made this tomato pie for the first dinner I hosted last summer. The juicy tomatoes are surrounded by a buttery cheese filled crust with another layer of cheese hidden on the bottom. Even the people who weren't big on tomatoes and were skeptical of them in a pie loved it. And, if there are any left overs, this pie is great the next day for breakfast with a fried egg on top. When I was testing this recipe I tried it with and without roasting the tomatoes first. Both were good, but the roasted tomatoes had a more intense flavor and were less watery than using fresh.
Ingredients -
2.5 pounds tomatoes -variety is nice, you can use, heirloom, Roma, and cherry
2 T olive oil
1 cup sharp white cheddar, divided - shredded, I used Beecher's Flagship because its local
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
12 T cold butter - cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4 T cold water - you may need more, start here
1 egg
1/4 cup chopped basil
Good balsamic vinegar - one thats been aged and has a bit of thickness to it
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the large tomatoes into 1/2 inch thick slices and leave the cherry tomatoes whole. Coat the tomatoes with olive oil and arrange in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Roast the tomatoes in the oven until they are starting to soften and brown a little but not falling apart. Set aside to cool.
In a food processor combine the flour, salt, and 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese. pulse once or twice to combine. Add the butter cubes and pulse until the butter is the size of peas and everything is incorporated. With the processor running add the cold water a couple tablespoons at a time until the dough starts to come together into a ball. Remove the dough from the processor and shape it into a thick disk. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Sprinkle a large surface with flour, roll out the dough into a 1/4 inch thick circle. Don't worry, edges can be rough, this is a rustic pie. Transfer the rolled dough to a baking sheet, if the edges hang over thats ok, you're going to fold them in. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese over the center of the dough, leaving a 3 inch border around the edges. arrange the tomato slices in an overlapping circular pattern on top of the cheese until all of the cheese is covered. Fold the border you left in around the tomatoes leaving the center of the pie open. If you have any cherry tomatoes put them in the open center of the pie. Whisk the egg in small bowl and brush the top of the crust with an even layer of egg, you won't use it all. Bake the pie for 45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Let cool for 15 minutes, sprinkle on the chopped basil and a drizzle of balsamic. Cut into wedges to serve.
Serves 8
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