Seems like all I am making lately is tomato pies and blueberry pies. I have to do something with all them ‘maters we got growing in our garden. We have blueberries too, a big bush, but most of those end up on breakfast cereal.
I came across this pie recipe in Bubby’s Homemade Pies by Ron Silver and Jen Bervin. I changed a few things from their recipe, but kept the most important things. I used a different crust recipe which was possibly the best part. Overall, this was a super delicious pie, but maybe not the most friendly for the health conscious. It is pretty rich! Of course, the tomatoes balance out the richness of the crust and custard filling.
Creamy Tomato Pie with Basil Parmesan Crust
Ingredients:
For the Crust
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 stick of unsalted butter
4-5 tablespoons of ice water
1 cup shredded parmesean
1/4 Cup fresh basil chopped
For the Filling
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
pinch of ground nutmeg
2 pounds of tomatoes
Begin by peeling, slicing, and salting tomatoes and place in a colander in the sink. Let sit while you prepare the crust.
Preheat oven 375 degrees. Make crust in food processor by combining dry ingredients, including basil and parmesan, and pulsing twice. Cut the butter into small cubes and slowly add to food processor. Finally, add ice water and pulse a few more times until flour is well moistened. Do not over mix. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface and then transfer to pie dish. Trim any edges that spill over. Place in oven and cook for about 10-15 minutes. Then set aside to cool.
While the crust is cooking, whisk together the cream, buttermilk, eggs, 3/4 of the cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a medium sized bowl. Place tomatoes into pie dish saving a few of the prettiest slices for the top layer. Pour the cream mixture over the top and then add more tomatoes. Top with remaining cheese and bake on a baking dish for about an hour. Allow pie to come to room temperature before serving.
Carpie Diem 