Tomato and Corn Pie

naomi — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:15:20 +0000

I’ve been on a tomato kick recently. It’s the end of summer (actually summer pretty much exited stage left the moment September came into view) and I’m trying to cram as many fresh tomatoes into our diet as I can.

I first made this pie over a month ago, and while we loved it then, it was so juicy that the pie plate was flooded the moment you cut into it. It wasn’t a huge problem, we just drained it off and continued eating, enjoying the bright taste of the fresh tomatoes and corn.

I made it again last week and I roasted the tomatoes a little to get rid of some of the excess juice without losing any flavor. (I hate blanching tomatoes, I don’t know why, but it just feels inhumane to me). We took the pie over to our neighbors’ house and their twelve-year-old son asked for seconds. I think that’s a pretty solid recommendation for a dish that consists almost exclusively of vegetables (though the biscuit crust and heavy dose of cheese couldn’t have hurt).

Tomato and Corn Pie
Adapted from Gourmet

Some notes: While I like the effect of the roasted tomatoes, and the less watery pie they produced, I don’t think it’s entirely necessary. If you’re feeling lazy, or are in a rush, don’t worry about it.
I didn’t actually puree the corn, coarsely or otherwise, I just chopped it.
I added marjoram because I love it, it’s works as a nice counterpoint to basil, similar in flavor, but a little spicier.
I used Tumbleweed the fist time and a sharp English farmhouse cheddar the second time, both were delicious.
I would also like to note that the first time around this crust came out beautifully, was so easy to make. The second time I mistakenly added 3/4 cup- not 3/4 of a stick- of butter, making the dough impossible to roll out. It was still very tasty.

for the crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into chunks, plus 2 tsp melted
3/4 cup whole milk

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the milk until the mixture just comes together, form the dough into a ball.

Divide the dough in half, set one half aside to rest and roll out the other half into a 12″ circle (more or less). Fit the dough into a lightly-greased 9″ pie pan.

for the filling:

2 tbsp lemon juice
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1-3/4 pound beefsteak tomatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4″ thick, or sliced and roasted 10-15 minutes in a 350-degree oven
1-1/2 cups corn (from 2-3 ears), coarsely pureed in a food processor
2 tbsp finely chopped basil
1 tbsp finely chopped marjoram
1 tbsp finely chopped chives
7 oz coarsely grated sharp cheddar (1-3/4 cup)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Whisk together the mayonnaise and lemon juice.

Stir together the basil, marjoram, and chives.

Arrange half of the tomatoes on the bottom of the pie dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, half the corn mixture, and half the herb mixture.

Repeat with the rest of the tomatoes, corn, and herbs, then sprinkle with 1 cup of the cheese.

Pour the lemon mayonnaise over the filling and then add the remaining cheese.

Roll out the remaining piece of dough and fit it over the filling folding the overhang under the edge of the bottom crust, pinching to seal.

Cut four steam vents in the top crust and brush with the 2 tsp of melted butter.

Bake pie until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling 30-35 minutes.

the honey eater » corn

Tomato and Corn Pie