Tomato Pie

Now that we have Pate Brisee down, let's get into the good stuff, shall we?

Tomato Pie.

There's no better late Summer flavor than a sweet tomato. Well, there's local sweet corn too, which you need to try roasted with some salt and pepper, but that's not in this particular pie. Ok, roasted sweet corn should be worked into something before the season's over....I'll get back to you on that.

Lately I've been very into the tomatoes. Roasted tomatoes in a cobbler with a little gruyere was the inspiration behind this tomato pie recipe. I've layered roasted garlic and caramelized onions (with a splash of wine, because it's better that way), and gruyere beneath some fresh sliced tomatoes. The result is a major treat.

I'm planning to grill a swordfish steak tonight and serve this along side.

The recipe is below. Play with it to suit your palate. If you like thyme, add some thyme. If you want something brighter to compliment the tomatoes, try substituting dijon for the roasted garlic spread. For a little something visually different, layer yellow and green tomatoes in with the red.

Let me know if you try it, I'd love to know what you think!

Ingredients

    •    Pie crust (recipe here)
    •    3 large tomatoes, about 1 1/2 pounds, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
    •    1 large onion, sliced thin
    •    Kosher salt, for sprinkling
    •    Roasted garlic, removed from skin and mashed with a fork
    •    1 cup coarsely grated Gruyere
    •    Fresh rosemary, chopped finely
    •    2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons for top of pie
    •    Additional kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out pate brisee into a circle with a diameter slightly larger than your pie plate. Press pastry circle into the pie plate. Set aside.

Add the olive oil to a pan over a low heat. Add sliced onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Sprinkle the tomatoes with salt and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Spread a thin layer of the roasted garlic over the bottom of the pie crust and layer the caramelized onions over the roasted garlic. Sprinkle the gruyere over the onions. Arrange the tomatoes over the cheese in an overlapping layer. Bake until the pastry is golden brown and the tomatoes are very soft, about 35 to 40 minutes.

Brush the top of the pie with the remaining olive oil. Sprinkle with rosemary, salt and pepper to taste. Serve the pie hot or at room temperature, and ENJOY.