Name: Old-Fashioned Tomato Pie
Total time: 205 min
Ingredients: 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour; 1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into pieces; 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces; 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt; 3 to 4 Tbsp. ice-cold water; 2 1/4 pounds assorted heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced; 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided; 1 sweet onion, chopped; 1 1/4 teaspoons 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 Gruyère cheese; 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese; 1/4 cup mayonnaise

old-fashioned tomato pie on a teal cloth — Photo: Iain Bagwell

Hands On Time:

50 mins

Total Time:

3 hrs 25 mins

Yield:

6 to 8 servings

Old-fashioned Tomato Pie is summer perfection thanks to garden fresh tomatoes and chopped herbs such as basil, thyme, parsley, or chives. When you serve Old-fashioned Tomato Pie, this plate of goodness is always a home run.

Ingredients

Piecrust

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into pieces
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 to 4 Tbsp. ice-cold water

Filling

2 1/4 pounds assorted heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 1/4 teaspoons 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 Gruyère cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise

Directions

Prepare Piecrust: Process first 4 ingredients in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse meal. With processor running, gradually add 3 Tbsp. ice-cold water, 1 Tbsp. at a time, and process until dough forms a ball and leaves sides of bowl, adding up to 1 Tbsp. more water, if necessary. Shape dough into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill 30 minutes.
Unwrap dough, and place on a lightly floured surface; sprinkle lightly with flour. Roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness.
Preheat oven to 425°F. Press dough into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim dough 1 inch larger than diameter of pie plate; fold overhanging dough under itself along rim of pie plate. Chill 30 minutes or until firm.
Line piecrust with aluminum foil; fill with pie weights or dried beans. (This will keep the crust from bubbling up.) Place on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet.
Bake at 425°F for 20 minutes. Remove weights 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°F.
Prepare Filling: Place tomatoes in a single layer on paper towels; sprinkle with 1 tsp. salt. Let stand 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, sauté onion and 1/4 tsp. 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, seasoning each layer with pepper (1 tsp. total). Stir together cheeses and mayonnaise; spread over pie.
Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until lightly browned, shielding edges with foil to prevent excessive browning. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Tips

This recipe originally appeared in our July 2012 issue.