Let me tell you about something that always happens, and it’s the best thing, ever: A month or so ago, a reader emailed me and asked me if I’d ever tried a tomato pie. No, not the Italian-American tomato pie seen in New York and New Jersey — a thick, bready pizza dough slathered with sauce and broiled with Romano cheese on top then served in squares — but a Southern thing, baked in a pie shell. Where I’m from, “tomato pie” is the Italian-ish thing I’ve described it above, thus I responded that I’ve never heard of it before and added “but mark my words, not two days after I send off this email, I will have heard about it three times.”
Sure enough, tomato pie is everywhere this summer. I’ve seen a version from Paula Deen, Elise has a version up at Simply Recipes and my good old August Gourmet magazine — as packed with an impossible level of late-summer inspiration — adapts Laurie Colwin’s (remember her? We love her.) and James Beard’s (remember him? We love him.) nearly 20 year old version to include market-fresh corn, and updating the crust with a biscuit-like dough.
People, this is so good, it defies gushing. There’s no way to describe the surprise I felt when I lured my friend Dave over on Tuesday to be a “recipe guinea pig” and we both approached this cheesy mayo and corn confection with what I’d think is an understandable level of caution and proceeded to finish almost half of it. HALF. I haven’t had an appetite to finish seconds of anything since I’ve been pregnant, but here I was, with barely the willpower to talk myself out of thirds. Thirds! Who am I?
And now? Now I’m just going to stop talking about this because I don’t want you to be bogged down with any more needling words. I want you to stop what you’re doing, head to the nearest market as soon as humanly possible, grab yourself two giant beefsteak tomatoes, a few ears of corn, block of cheddar, some fresh chives and basil, breathe a sigh of relief that you’ve already got some butter, milk, lemon and mayo on hand (you do, don’t you?) and go home and make this for dinner. If you’re lucky, you’ll have a slice leftover for breakfast. If your friends are lucky, you’ll share with them. But I wouldn’t bank on it. Really, they can make their own.
One year ago: Marinated Eggplant with Capers and Mint
Two years ago: Double Chocolate Torte
Tomato and Corn Pie
Adapted from Gourmet, August 2009
A few notes: First, butter-brushed biscuit-crusted savory pie, where have you been my whole life? I’ve been living on the wrong side of the Mason-Dixon line, clearly. Second, this recipe works exactly as-is, save one irksome issue: our pie was a puddle when we cut into it. I simply poured off the crust-sogging liquid, but I’d advise you to instead seed and juice your tomatoes if you bear it (I hate tossing the most flavorful parts, personally) or risk a mushy base. Third, this pie includes the curious instruction to peeling your tomatoes, which I first dismissed as an annoying extra step but in the end felt that it was absolutely brilliant. No chewy separating tomato skins! Just pure, instense peak-season tomato goodness. Consider me converted.
Adapted, barely, from Gourmet’s adaptation of Laurie Colwin’s and Jame’s Beard’s versions
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 3/4 teaspoons salt, divided
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons or 3 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus 2 teaspoons melted
3/4 cup whole milk
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 3/4 pounds beefsteak tomatoes
1 1/2 cups corn (from about 3 ears), coarsely chopped by hand (my preference) or lightly puréed in a food processor, divided
2 tablespoons finely chopped basil, divided (skipped this, no harm was done)
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
7ounces coarsely grated sharp Cheddar (1 3/4 cups), divided
Whisk together flour, baking powder, and 3/4 tsp salt in a bowl, then blend in cold butter (3/4 stick) with your fingertips or a pastry blender until it resembles coarse meal. Add milk, stirring until mixture just forms a dough, then gather into a ball.
Divide dough in half and roll out one piece on a well-floured counter (my choice) or between two sheets of plastic wrap (the recipe’s suggestion, but I imagined it would annoyingly stick to the plastic) into a 12-inch round (1/8 inch thick). Either fold the round gently in quarters, lift it into a 9-inch pie plate and gently unfold and center it or, if you’re using the plastic warp method, remove top sheet of plastic wrap, then lift dough using bottom sheet of plastic wrap and invert into pie plate. Pat the dough in with your fingers trim any overhang.
Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle. If your kitchen is excessively warm, as ours is, go ahead and put the second half of the dough in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. Whisk together mayonnaise and lemon juice.
Cut an X in bottom of each tomato and blanch in a large pot of boiling water 10 seconds. Immediately transfer with a slotted spoon to an ice bath to cool. Peel tomatoes, then slice crosswise 1/4 inch thick and, if desired (see Notes above recipe), gently remove seeds and extra juices. Arrange half of tomatoes in crust, overlapping, and sprinkle with half of corn, one tablespoon basil, 1/2 tablespoon chives, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper and one cup of grated cheese. Repeat layering with remaining tomatoes, corn, basil, chives, salt, and pepper. Pour lemon mayonnaise over filling and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Roll out remaining piece of dough into a 12-inch round in same manner, then fit over filling, folding overhang under edge of bottom crust and pinching edge to seal. Cut 4 steam vents in top crust and brush crust with melted butter (2 teaspoons). Bake pie until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes, then cool on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Do ahead: Pie can be baked 1 day ahead and chilled. Reheat in a 350°F oven until warm, about 30 minutes.
An idea: Want to slab pie this and serve it to a crowd? I agree, it would be brilliant. This is how I’d approach it: Make 1 1/2 batches of the crust (slab pies require more crust for the same amount of filling) and arrange the filling in one layer instead of two in a parchment-lined 15x10x1-inch pan. Increase the amount of butter you brush the top with to a tablespoon or two and the baking time to about 45 minutes (this is an estimate, you should take it out when it is golden and the filling is bubbling). Be sure to remove the tomato seeds; that extra wetness could make for a slab pie mess.
I love how you’re always giving us new things to try – I’ve never even heard of this dish but it looks fantastic!!
Hope your pregnancy is going well, you’re almost there! (Even though I’m sure it doesn’t feel like it. Trust me, I know – I’m at 16 weeks and it seems to be crawling by!) :)
I believe this will be my Sunday dish. I always like to try something new on Sunday.
This looks great!
I love (*love*) tomato pie. It’s cheap and easy and is heavenly! I switch up cheeses too — maybe a little bleu? Or Gruyere? Yes, ma’am! I have one friend who loves hers with bacon sprinkled on top. Love this recipe!
I am just noticing that we have the same counter tops, but yours look so photogenic and mine are just tired…
Still, I am inspired to look at my B&W speckled counter tops with fresh eyes.
I made this recipe a couple weeks ago and it is definitely delicious! Since so many people complained of sogginess on epicurious, I just avoided the whole issue by putting the biscuit part on top, with no bottom pie shell. It worked really well, although didn’t look nearly as beautiful as this. I love your photos and tips!
This looks really good.
We have a recipe for “Chili Pie” from a can of organic whole kernel corn (Hain, probably) that my good spouse modified a lot, which is very different from this (corn, tomatoes, diced mild chilis, onion, eggs, colby-jack, plus some things I’m forgetting, and no crust) but at the same time very similar sounding in the end. I bet my monkeys would like this, too.
I had never heard of this tomato pie either until Eloise posted her recipe. I have made four (one in slab form) this week, not to worry- I gave three away. Now I want to have to try your version, that crust looks and sounds too good. Hmmm, maybe add a diced jalepeno or two. Your pictures are always so inspiring!
Those gloriously wacky Southerners! I swear they could put absolutely anything into a pie crust and turn it into manna from heaven.
And I’m with you on the August issue of Gourmet. It’s Nobel-level greatness should they ever decide to award something to periodicals.
I’m making this over the weekend. Amazing.
Another way you can make this pie is by using Phyllo dough for the crust- it is super flaky and yummy!
I have made this recipe several times and I love it. I do not peel the tomatoes, but I salt them and put them in a colander for a couple of hours and then lightly squeeze them before use. (I save the juices and drink ’em up, yum!). I put the corn down first, also to help prevent sogginess. This recipe is a bit of work but it’s fabulous.
I too just recently made a tomato pie (this is fairly similar) and O-M-G, where has it been all my life?!? I’m from the south, although just barely, and had never heard of it until this year. I like some of the changes here, I may just have to give it a go before the season ends. I second the suggestion to peel the tomatoes first, discard seeds, and pat very dry! YUMMY
Yum…I have made tomato pie quite a few times, but never included corn. Looks delicious. The one I’ve made also does not have a top crust, but really, one can’t have too much delicious crust. Sometimes I stir pesto into the mayonnaise. And, I’ve found that a light coating of parmesan cheese on the bottom crust when it’s baking helps prevent some sogginess.
I’ve never commented, but thank you for all the wonderful recipes! And congratulations on your growing family!
Can we call it “late Summer Jersey Road side Farmstand Pie”? :)
It does look great! At the moment I am busy soaking up those last few dog days of Summer before the kids head back to school, so I can tell you that I will NOT be making it anytime soon.
What beautiful crustage you have there!
I’m so sad that this went up today. Tuesday night I had 4 small ears of corn and 3 tomatoes that, as my mother would say, “needed to be eaten”. I put them to good use, of course, in a different way…but I wish I’d thought to look up tomato corn pie!
It’s recipes like this that make me wish I liked tomatoes.
Making this next week! Looks fantastic, can’t wait!
I know what my usual suspect friends and I are eating on Saturday night :-) Hopefully I will have enough ripe tomatoes from my own plants (I’ve got three nearly ripe smallish ones) to make this work!
Do you think it would be possible to do this without mayo? What would you substitute for the mayo? or would you just skip it all together?
I have to admit to just absolutely detesting the stuff so while the rest of the pie sounds PHENOMENAL!, the mayo throws me off so much that I can’t bring myself to make it! What if I make the whole thing and I can still taste the mayo and then I can’t eat it? and then I would cry :)
Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Suz — I’d try using sour cream instead.
Mayo hater here as well. I use sour cream and it’s just amazing!
Love tomato pie! have already made 2 this summer from our garden. The recipe I use is slightly different and you have more ambition then me in making your own crust! To avoid soggy bottom crust, I pre bake then brush lightly with olive oil. I also core and seed and drain my tomatoes. I use a little bit of onion, basil and then I put a mayo, sour cream and cheese mixture for the topping. Yummy!
I love tomato pie!! This looks awesome!
I second the question about the mayonnaise? Any suggestions on substitutions?
1/3 of a cup is enough to keep me from making the pie— and I really do want to try this pie without any mayonnaise flavor!
So, I’m not a huge mayo fan, especially when it comes to making it hot. Do you think cream cheese would work?
oh look, you just answered my question as I was typing it, ha– fantastic! thanks for the suggestion–
Mmm, I love the idea of savory pies. Mark Bittman has a recipe for a tomato cobbler that I’ve been meaning to try as well–better get to it (and this recipe now, too!) before summer’s over!
I made this too just when it came out as I had tomatoes and corn from my CSA Alas, I never blogged it. I thought the biscuit crust was such a neat twist!
Freaky! I just bought all the ingredients to make this. I found this issue of Gourmet I thought I had already read. Can’t wait to make it. Looks delicious!
What would you suggest serving alongside this? Or should I look at it as a meal within its self with a simple side salad?
I’ve been eating tomato pie since I was a baby :) I’m from South Carolina, & my hubby is from California, & I haven’t been able to get him into it! Maybe I’ll try this version – the biscuit like dough & the addition of corn may make him change his mind!
Oh, yum! It’s CSA pick-up day for me, so by the end of the day I’ll have an abundance of tomatoes and corn at my disposal. I can’t wait to try this pie.
This looks AMAZING! I am not a mayo person either, but I do like it on a good ol’ summer tomato sandwich, so I’m sure it would be great in this!
Thanks for sharing, Deb!
I just made the version that Elise posted on her site earlier this week. While I was very happy with the taste, mine too turned out VERY soggy, and I thought maybe I had done something wrong. I’m glad to see that you had the same problem.
I had squeezed my tomatoes first, but I think they were still very wet, due to them being so dang ripe (fresh from my garden…yum!). I’ll have to try a little harder next time.
I love the corn twist on this, and also the second layer of crust…mmmm.
I’ll have to try this version next, because goodness knows I have enough tomatoes!
Wow, I have never heard of this. Looks intriguing, especially that crust.
Okay, now I’m starving. You mentioned Tomato Pie (the Northeast variety). I went to college in Providence, RI, and fell in love with Tomato Pie there. Every weekend I would walk the length of Federal Way, to get to the tiniest bakery, and buy a box of tomato pie. It was a pink cake box full of deliciousness, nothing but sauce and bread. By the end of the weekend, the greasy pink box would’ve collapsed into itself, but trust me there was no Pie left.
Now that lactose intolerance, have made normal pizza a banished item from my culinary menu, I’d love to see a good, tasty, simple Tomato Pie (Northeast Style), so this Southern California boy could share it with the homies out here.
I have to say I scratched my head at this one… but it’s definitely worth a try! Love tomatoes, love corn, love cheese, love pie hehe
Can wait to these looks so delicious ~
Have a wonderful Day ~~
Mmmm. My mom-in-law makes tomato pie almost just like this, but with asparagus instead of corn. It’s divine. I’ll have to try this version!
Do you have a suggestions for a replacement for the mayo?
I recently made a tomato pie from a recipe in July’s (I think) Southern Living – it called for green, yellow and red tomatoes and was wonderful! One of the steps was to slice the tomatoes, salt them and place on a cooling rack and let them sit for thirty minutes before placing them in the crust…it really helped cut down on the juice.
Can’t wait to try this one too…
I just noticed the version at Elise’s site too. Looks delish. And not too hard even for a slacker like me.
Would it be at all possible to omit the mayo? I hate the stuff with the passion unrivaled, but this pie sounds amazing!
I love the ideas of putting down a bottom layer of corn or parmesan to keep the bottom from getting too soggy, but wouldn’t it just be easier to blind-bake the crust first?
After the crust is in the pan, cover it with a layer of foil and hold it down with dried beans you don’t plan on using again or a bunch of spare change. (Pie weights work too, of course, but I think they’re an unnecessary expense when beans or coins work the same.) Bake ten minutes or so, remove the foil and weights, and bake another couple of minutes until the crust is just barely golden. You can do this while prepping your tomatoes, and it won’t take much extra time. Moreover, you’ll have a beautiful, golden, dry pie crust under your delicious gooey filling. Sounds good to me!
I grew up eating “corn pie.” Next time, eighty-six the tomatoes and replace them with some shredded, poached chicken meat and sliced, hard-boiled egg. Add the chopped up poaching vegetables, a bit of cream, a few dots of butter, S&P, the top crust, and bake. Heaven!
Are there any tricks to peeling tomatoes that I should know about? I used to absolutely hate tomatoes and I never ate them but I recently changed my mind, so I don’t have much experience cooking with them.
Carole — Peeling tomatoes is very, very easy if you cut an “x” in them and blanch them for ten seconds first, as the recipe describes.
As for sogginess — While the parmesan trick sounds delicious, I don’t think it could stop the crust from absorbing the sheer amount of liquid that comes from farm-fresh beefsteak tomatoes. Blind-baking the bottom crust is a good trick for tarts, but again, will not hold up against the amount of liquid that comes out of these tomatoes. The best approach is to seed and drain them, or be willing to eat a mushier bottom crust (frankly, we didn’t mind. But there are ways to avoid this.).
Mayo questions — Many many many people asking! I suggested sour cream as a replacement in comment #23.
Holy Moly that looks so awesome. I am making this pie immediately.
That looks wicked good. I love pie, sweet or savory.
I’ve heard of it, but never tried it. This looks absolutely wonderful!
Your tomato pie recipe is quite similar to the one in Cook’s Country magazine, August/September 2009, page 22. They suggest when making tomato pie, to first drain the tomatoes by spreading them on a paper towel lined baking sheet, sprinkling with 1/2 teaspoon salt and letting them drain for 30 minutes, then pressing them with additional paper towels until very dry. I followed these instructions and the pie came out perfectly and cut cleaning without leaving any juice behind to make the pie soggy. Even the next day, the leftovers were not soggy. Hope this helps. The pie was yummy. You would not know there was mayonaise in it. It has wonderful flavor with our garden tomatoes.
I think this sounds so good and really want to try it – the trick is getting my husband to be willing to try it!
Tomato pie is one of our favorite dinners – even for my meat loving husband! I’ve been making a slightly different version for years – ours only has a bottom crust. No mayo, either. Just crust and garlic, and then alternating layers of mozzarella, beefsteak, and cherry/grape tomatoes. I’ve solved the sogginess issue by adding a layer of breadcrumbs in between each layer of tomatoes.
I get the Hater Parade for mayo, I do, but seriously, I hate to say it, tomato pie doesn’t taste quite the same without it. If you’re a fan of Miracle Whip, that’s an awesome substitute.
Being born-and-bred Southerner, I loved it when my grandma made this for me when I was a kid.
Looks wonderful! My cousin made something similar this summer- but it was more quiche than pie. I will surely be trying this!
Yay for tomato pies! I just made Elise’s recipe with a few modifications, but wanted to address the “soggy tomato” problem.. I had quite ripe heirlooms (yellow! red! red/green! Pretty!) and after I rough chopped them, I threw them in the salad spinner for a few turns. As I was prepping the other ingredients, I’d occasionally give it another whirl. I really didn’t want to lose the tastiness that lurks in the seed and juices, I just didn’t want a second course of tomato soup at the bottom. Also prebaked my crust and did a tiny layer of mozzarella before layering carmelized onions, etc. Corn would have been a perfect addition! (Note to self…)
And for those who don’t like mayo, my apologies, but that means you’ve probably missed out on one of the staples of southern childhood, the pimento and cheese sandwich! The topping totally approximates that, and ’tis delish.
This is so… perplexing. I don’t know if I can wrap my brain around a tomato pie. It’s crazy. It seems like it would be delicious, but I’m just blown by the idea. Also slightly scared of pie dough. Rolling out things isn’t my strong point!
Looks delicious! I think it would be GREAT with BBQ ribs!
it has all my favorite ingredients except mayo….and i must try it…
thanks for the tomato tip.
I do have a question about draining tomatoes (and anything, for that matter) – I have always heard that I can lay out the slices of tomato/eggplant, etc. on a baking sheet lined with paper toweling, then generously salt the tomatoes, then wait and blot dry. My concern is the salt. Do you leave the salt on the tomato, do you wipe it off? Do you rinse it off and risk adding more liquid back into the item? (I love salt, but have dietary concerns about the amount of salt it would take to ‘generously salt’ a whole baking sheet full of something. . . .) Would love to know your take on this.
And, the pie sounds great. I have to take a meal to a family with a new baby this weekend. I believe I will add this to the menu. .. saving at least half the pie for our house!
Hmmmm… I’m intrigued… a little apprehensive too, I’m not sure why since I love love love tomatoes. Maybe it’s the fear of it coming out like a stewed tomato. #55, I will have to try your technique for avoiding the soggy bottom. No one likes a soggy bottom. ;)
One more on the detesting mayo bandwagon! Glad you think sour cream would work . . . I’ve got a tub at home with this pie’s name all over it!
Ooh! I tried something similar last weekend, a recipe I found when the Washington Post had a bevy of tomato recipes a couple of weeks ago. One of them was for a rustic tomato pie (more like a crostata) that included garlic mayonnaise and fresh basil … I used some beautiful heirlooms from the farmer’s market and it was DELICIOUS. And with corn? Swoon! I have got to try this.
I’m with you on your thoughts about rolling out the dough between two sheets of plastic wrap … seriously, how on earth would that work? I don’t even like doing it with wax paper. Floured counter all the way!
I just realized this summer that I actually like corn (I know, I’m really late getting to this, but better late than never). Thanks for the fun idea!
I’ll be honest, Ive had authentic tomato pie like this once before and its something that I have not made at home before. Yours looks SO good!!! Thanks for the inspiration!
This recipe looks excellent! I’ll definitely be trying it sometime in the (hopefully) near future.
Note on the pie crust rolling: my family has always rolled ours out between two sheets of waxed paper, rather than plastic wrap. It keeps the crust from getting too saturated with flour, and doesn’t do that irritating sticking thing you were worried about.
Thanks for all the wonderful tips and recipes! I’ve been reading your blog for quite a while now – first heard about it through a friend’s blog (http://elizabethcarroll.wordpress.com/).
Do you think this would still taste good without the bottom crust? I’m looking to make it a little healthier and avoid the sogginess. I realize it would be less like a pie and more like something you scoop out with a delicious crust on top. would that be too much of a filling to crust ratio though? either way i’m definitely planning on making this!
Megan — Of course. I might use a non-metal pie plate. You could also just use a slew of regular unbaked biscuits (this is my favorite biscuit recipe) to top it, it would be sort of cute and cobbler- or pot pie-ish. (I’d been thinking that this was like a summer pot pie anyway!)
Plastic wrap comments — The reason I was convinced that the plastic wrap wouldn’t work is that a biscuit dough is even stickier than a regular pie dough — it made no sense and even a couple commenters on Gourmet/Epicurious said as much. If the dough was chilled first, however, it might work but not as well as just rolling it out on a well-floured counter.
deb…ii am totally smitten!!! this is a keeper.
Made this today and it was AMAZING. I took it out of the oven after 35 minutes, crust looked fine. It tasted great, but I don’t think it really cooked all the way through. Shredded cheese never really melted in the middle. Not sure if my oven just isn’t hot enough (need to get a thermometer to check it) or what.
I’m glad to see a new take on this recipe. I tried Paula Deen’s in the past, but it told me to mix the cheese in with mayonnaise and spread it on the top, then bake. It never went anywhere, just became this warm mayo mixture, and was deemed inedible in my household. (It could have been user error, for sure. I was new to the south and wanting to try more southern recipes, and believe I probably used light mayo, haha!).
These last days of August really beg for every last summer tomato and ear of corn to be gobbled up and I’m always looking for new ways to use these summer veggies – thanks! I think we’re on similar wavelengths because I just posted a Summer Corn Pudding yesterday – delish!
I love tomato pie and one of my favorite variations on it is a tomato-summer squash pie. Looking at this recipe you could probably just substitute the corn for the squash; though, I cook the squash first before layering it in the pie so as to cook out some of the extra water, otherwise you will have soupy pie :(. Instead of cheddar and mayo, I like to mix goat cheese with pesto and spread it on the bottom of the pie shell before layering it in the tomatoes and squash. I have also done the pie in individual puff pastry shells, which look great and a little fancy for a dinner party.
Hi Deb and wee one! Over here in Scotland, we love making tomato pie during tomato season! We get around the sogginess by slow-roasting the (unpeeled, thick sliced) tomatoes for about 1.5 hours at 300f, or until they’re about 1/2 shriveled. Less mushiness AND you concentrate the sweet, sweet deliciousness of the tomatoes! YES!
The biscuit top, however, is new to me. But not for long.
This is too funny. I have 4 ears of corn and two tomatoes that have been hanging out in my fridge all week, waiting for some sort of purpose, when your recipe popped up in my reader. Good timing indeed!
I too had never come across the likes of a tomato corn pie until recently when I’ve been seeing it everywhere! I have to say- i’m sold the most by your beautiful pictures though! I wonder if my recent batch of slow roasted tomatoes would be nice in this- and solve this watery bottom thing everyone else is going on about. thanks!
I made this earlier this summer and loved it. Ditto for loving both Laurie Colwin and James Beard. Love you too.
We love the Paula Dean recipe over here. Oh – here’s another variation idea. I use puff pastry, par bake it in the flexible rubber muffin sheets, fill the individual cups with the mix and then finish baking it. Makes a very nice first course or appetizer, easy to do ahead and very good at room temperature.
This pie looks like the perfect way to celebrate summer veggies!
I don’t know you personally…BUT I wish I did!!! :) WOW!!!! DOUBLE WOW!!! Not only to this recipe, but to all your recipes. This site is SO SO WAY awesome. Whoever is taking the photos as well, has done nothing but ADD further justice to your “OBVIOUS” grand talents.
I SALUTE YOU. You have certainly impressed the heck out of me.
I have been telling everybody I know to come to this site…and have a look at your offerings.
All My Very Best To You~~~ K.
Hi Deb,
Do you think you can squeeze the halved tomatoes to remove the seeds and pulp before blanching,ice-bathing and then peeling them?
Also,you can roll out pie crust between two sheets of wax paper and it will not stick.
I froze some entrees like this to have on hand after we had our son. It was like money in the bank.
Oh my goodness, how long did this take you? I’m from the south, so talk about good corn and tomatoes! This is genius. I must try it right away.
This pie sounds good using since it uses less mayo than most recipes, and the addition of corn is a new one. I’ll give it a try when I get some tomatoes.
I wonder if some Alfredo sauce might be a good sub for those that are put off by mayo.
Sounds delicious! My very mother-in-law from Georgia NEVER used a tomato with the peel on or the seeds in – maybe it’s a Southern thing.
Thanks for the dinner idea. This is in the oven as we speak. It looks great being assembled…hope it tastes just as good!
Seriously Deb? You are fabulous. I saw this in Gourmet and thought to myself “Ohh I hope Deb makes this!”. Evidentally the subscrition I pay for is to get a preview of things I wish I could bake fearlessly, but instead wait for you to plunge into. And random thought: I grew up with 12 siblings (yes, t-w-e-l-v-e) and we never had a dishwasher, so I totally appreciate all your posts for things that require a minimal amount of elbow grease at the sink (to be fair, it’s really my husband that appreciates the minimal amount of cleaning :-) )
I read the recipe and could not help but wonder…how would crab taste in this? Would that be bad?
Yes! This time of year I start really wanting to cook again. This is a perfect end of summer recipe.
I think I will make this for brunch on Sunday, then I can take extras to my technique class. — Sherry
As I picked a gallon of cherry tomatoes I found myself wondering about a cherry tomato pie. I know what I’m doing tomorrow!
I wonder if using San Marzano tomatoes would work better in this recipe to avoid the sogginess? San Marzanos are usually used for sauces because they have less juice than other tomatoes… just made a sauce today and it literally reduced in about 10 minutes. I would also hate to get rid of all that delicious juice! (on the other hand, tomato water for cocktails?
WOW WOW WOW – looks wonderful. The combination of flavors incredible!!
I have a bunch of Roma tomatoes from my garden that I might try this with. I have a feeling it would cut down on the sogginess.
I usually salt and drain my tomatoes for about a half hour before I make my tomato pie (swiss, tomatoes, scallions, basil, and breadcrum/ parm topping). This version sounds yummy too, though.
Of course I will try the recipe.
But this time Deb, I must say, your photographs are truly gorgeous. I would come here for that reason alone.
-Michaela
I think folks might be surprised at the flavor and texture of baked mayonnaise, which is really eggs and olive oil, which really tastes nothing like the cold stuff.
Deb, this looks awesome. I’m 38 weeks along w/ our fouth baby and need to take something to a bbq this weekend. Would you be aghast if I used a pre done crust? What would you suggest? Thank you!!!
I saw that issue of Gourmet at my son’s orthodontist but we weren’t there long enough to copy. See if I wait you give us what we need. Welcome to the our world of southern pies. The biscuit crust sounds wonderful and I like my pie crust thicker than normal for savory pies.
I made Elise’s (Simply Recipes) tomato pie and it was excellent.
No top crust so I saved on the extra calories.
Tomatoes, mayo and cheddar, how can you go wrong?
Oh yes, tomato pie is the best thing EVER. You have to try Farmgirl Susan’s recipe at foodiefarmgirl.blogspot.com. Her tomato pie is fairly different from this one, though it also has a biscuit crust. She has some ideas for the sogginess issue, too. Absolutely insanely delicious. Happy summer!
mmmm. I love tomato pie, and in the winter, when I can’t get fresh tomatoes… I use Rotel (drained, of course). Don’t judge. It rocks.
tomatoes + corn = greatest combo. it is my obsession right now, especially when the tomatoes come from my garden and the corn from the farmer’s market. yum!
That’s it! I’m going to the store RIGHT NOW.
First it was cheese straws, now it’s tomato pie.
You’ll be sayin’ “ya’ll come over an git some supper” before long!
I love southern cookin’.
this pie looks absolutely divine. All my favorite ingredients for a summer salad, but tucked neatly in a sweet, savory crust–something I am always too big of a wuss to make. For fruity desserts it always seems like its not worth the trouble when I can just put brownies in the oven and meet that need in 20 minutes or less. But for something as savory and satisfying as tomato and corn in summer, it might just be worth the effort.
THANK YOU!
I live in the deep South (Augusta, Ga.) and I made tomato pie last week. I can’t wait to try it with corn. The recipe I use is just tomatoes, mayo, sharp cheddar and a double crust (plus salt, pepper and fresh basil). It is a wondrous thing. So delish! This is definitely something we make a lot down here, wheneve we have an abundance of fresh, ripe tomatoes.
Love your blog, thanks for the culinary inspiration!
What a pretty pie…it looks like a tribute to summer!
Is there any short cut for those of us who are “dough challenged”? Since it’s more biscuit-y could I use canned biscuits or just use refrigerated pie crusts.? Love the addition of corn to this!
I loved Laurie Colwin – thanks for mentioning her! I had years of Gourmet saved, because of her articles…..
If you liked that, don’t miss this one, which is even easier (no crust!) and makes me wait for the first corn harvest every single year.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Corn-Zucchini-and-Tomato-Pie-103231
Looks awesome. I made the version from Simply Recipes on Sunday, and we loved it. She included the instruction to cut the tomatoes in half and squeeze out all of the juice (seeds go along with it). Then she says to squeeze out more liquid in paper towels. I was a little nervous about making it too dry (is that possible with tomatoes?) but even after I did both of those steps, the pie still turned out just a tiny bit on the wet side. So I can’t imagine how much liquid you had without doing any squeezing or draining! Anyway, I loved the simply recipes version, which I made with a traditional pate brisee crust, but now I’m going to have to try this one with the biscuit crust–yum!
I made a version of this from the 2009 cook’s country magazine. (It got to me first!) I agree, tomato pie has been all over the web and ‘zines this august. Cook’s Country recommends salting the tomato slices and then drying them to sop up extra juice. It worked terrifically. I’ll have to try the tomato and corn variation too.
When I make tomato pie, I slice the tomatoes (I never peel them) and run them through my salad spinner in small batches. It gets rid of most of the seeds and gelatinous goo, plus it dries them off and the soggy crust problem is solved. No need to squeeze them or salt and drain them. Try it!
Hey Sam! You’re the man! :-) I hate mayo too and was instantly crushed to see this as an ingredient… Can it be omitted, oh great culinary goddess?
Deb — is that really 1 tablespoon of baking powder? Sounds like a lot.
Marie — It is. It is a biscuit dough. Biscuits use a lot of baking powder. (My recipe actually uses more, 4 teaspoons.)
It’s best to slice the tomatoes, sprinkle with salt and let the liquid drain out. Helps eliminate the liquid. Have to make this. Corn is a good idea. Two of my fav summer veggies.
Being a real man who eats quiche, I incorporated the best of both worlds by prebaking a thin layer of egg and cheese on the bottom to control the sogginess, then worked the corn/tomatoe stuff on top and finished baking. I ate half, cut the lawn and ate the other half with a hefeweizen and slice of lemon. Wife came home with the kids, saw the empty pie plate with this site on the screen and swears that Deb and I are having an affair. And I admit… I am.
I’ve made tomato pie using fresh mozz and pesto….Delish!!!!
I’ve had my eye on a tomato cobbler in How to Eat Everything Vegetarian (one variation includes corn in the cobbler topping)…but I think this would do the trick too!
OMG, I cannot wait to make this!!! I am practically DROOLING over the photos. There outta be a law against taking such good photos, ’cause I feel like I would commit a crime to be able to make this, let alone eat it! Yuuuuummmmm!!! =]
Thirds…. that means something. Can’t wait to try this. Looks amazing!
Jumping on the mayo bandwagon slightly (and apologies if this has been answered and i’ll read comments more thoroughly after work!) but what kind of texture does the mayo add? It seems strange to me to cook mayo would the pie work with a quiche type filling of whisked milk and eggs instead? although i guess that might be tricky in a pie?
I think i need to try this to be converted because i can’t imagine the flavours!
I always find it interesting how food differs in different regions. I am from the South and I grew up eating this. It reminds me I need to go call my mother.
I saw the tomato pie at Simply Recipes last week and was already like, OMG, how delicious…and then YOU make one too? This looks so amazing. I NEED to figure out a gluten-free pie crust that’s as flaky as the one you describe here, and go to town on this pie. Yum.
Yes, slice tomatoes and lightly salt both sides. Place slices on several layers of paper towels and place more paper towels on top. Let sit at least 30 minutes then gently press top to extract any other liquid. This is a great help with gratins as well!
Yippee, more ideas for all the tomatoes I have. This pie is very similar to a PA Dutch dish I grew up with, creatively know as “corn pie.” It goes like this…
3 ears of corn. 2 potatoes, 2 hard boiled eggs. 1 reg. size carrot.
or two small. 1 stalk of celery. Cook veggies in water ’till tender, drain. Then add the egg and just enough milk to cover the veggies. stir. Then pour it into the pie shell to fill it..maybe all will not fit. sprinkle with flour, dot w/butter, top with pie crust. bake at 350@ about 45min. or until crust starts to brown. Then the best part….serve slice in a bowl with warm milk over top.
Happy summer cooking.
I bet some ricotta would be a good alternative to the mayo as well. I have a tomato tart recipe that calls for ricotta. Not as smooth, though.
Oh my–this is going to be dinner tomorrow night after a visit to the farmers’ market for sure. Anything that you and Laurie Colwin both love is on my list without question.
I can’t wait to make this with fresh sweet corn. Thank you to Nancy from PA for remembering my favorite post-Thanksgiving meal, Turkey Corn Pie. That recipe was a favorite in my Dad’s Pennsylvania Dutch family.
must*make*this* NOW. awesome, thanks!
Mmmmmmmmmm. Love tomatoe pie! I use carmelized sweet onions, basil , goat cheese and parm in mine with a varity of tomatoes.This looks great, can’t wait for dinner!
as a southerner, i’m ashamed to say i’ve never had this nor heard of it. *adding corn and cheddar to my grocery list*
Hi! I’m a hige fan of your site! I can’t wait to make this delicious meal over the weekend. Quick question though, if I’m rushed for time, would prepared pie crusts be ok with this?
this is my all time favorite summer recipe. we grow heirlooms every year and literally count the days till they are ripe so we can make the first pie of the season. i too have learned to salt and press the tomatoes to get rid of the excess liquid. i’ve heard of some folks substituting yogurt for the mayo. haven’t tried it personally but, plan to this weekend.
best summer dish, hands down.
I made this last night for dinner and it was A-MAZ-ING. My hubby was a little put off by the ingredients (in his words, “How can something made from that taste SO GOOD.”) I love all the ingredients so it came as no surprise I went back for seconds (and quite possibly thirds). My older son loved it also. We used sour cream for the mayo and it turned out great. The only thing was that it didn’t quite pour – it was a bit too thick so I just spooned it over the top and tried to spread it out a bit. Another use for all the tomatoes we have growing in the garden!!
wow..this looks good!
Oooh, this is perfect for wine heirloom tomatoes and fresh corn are abundant at farmers’ markets. Sadly my tomato supply has been weak this year due to the weird new england weather, but I have had a lot of corn. I’ll have to pick up some tomatoes the next time I’m at the market on Monday and make a slightly lightened version of this.
Oh I saw this little guy. And I’m totally making it. Do you think I can use garlic chives? Or would they mess with the flava?
Deb, do you think it would work to sprinkle some flour over the tomatoes before sprinkling the herby/cheese mixture on top?
Substitutions questions — It’s really a matter of personal taste. I personally wouldn’t/didn’t want to add flour/tapioca or other potentially gummy thickeners to the pie. If it doesn’t bother you, go ahead and try them. This goes for herb substitutions as well (though I’m sure garlic chives, if used in moderation, would be great). As for crust questions, I’ve only made the pie with this crust and can’t attest to how it would work with a regular tart dough or store-bought biscuit or pie dough. But I honestly don’t see why it wouldn’t work.
Yummm…. the corn and tomato combination being one of my very favorites cannot wait to try this! These together at peak of ripeness exemplify summer. But it’s hard in Florida to find that in August. Must get self to Fresh Market with wad of cash.
I made this last night & thought it was delicious! Per your recommendation, I removed the seeds/watery pulp from the tomatoes, but I still had a lot of water on the bottom. Nonetheless, the flavors were great & I’d definitely do it again.
…OMG…I’m on my way out to the farmstand to pick up the corn and tomatoes… this looks amazing!!! Thank-you, Deb, for another wonderful recipe!!!
This look so good! pie is my absolute favorite. thanks for the recipe. I’ll try this one out soon!
This looks wonderful! A summer favorite of ours is similar — a tomato tart — starts with a cornmeal crust (or a buttery crust with ground pine nuts mixed in), then a thin layer of sauteed shallots and pancetta, topped with layers of thick slices of summer tomatoes (multicolored heirloom ones are especially beautiful), a drizzle of olive oil, a little salt and chopped parsley and that’s it. (We also have trouble with centers, but have learned to live with it).
Yours sounds like more of a meal though — can’t wait to try it!!
Laurie Colwin-a blast from the past. I was devastated when she died so suddenly. I haven’t thought of her in ages, but I just ordered one of her books on cooking from Amazon. I didn’t realize how much I missed her writing until you mentioned her.
Thank You!
Good luck on the impending blessed event.
Mmmmm! Looks yummy!
I’m picturing little individual pies baked in muffin tins for parties. Sounds like it would be a special treat for wedding showers, baby showers, or “special” covered dish.
Thanks for the inspiration! Yummy!
Golly bum that looks good. Wish I was more confident with pastry dough.
This recipe sounds great. It’s also similar to Greek pastry using Feta cheese and spinach and no tomatoes. I hope to make this for our meeting in two weeks. You can also coat the bottom crust with brushed egg white and bake for a few minutes to stay away from a soggy crust. Thanks again. It looks delicious.
Fran Glaros-Sharp, Clearwater, FL
This sounds so great! I don’t own a pie plate. Do you think this could be done as a galette??
This is so weird. I just made a tomato pie last night but turned it into a tart. This recipe looks fabulous and we will be having it soon. Some of the tomato gloppiness/gummy crust problem can be fixed by putting the tomatoes between triple thicknesses of paper towels and letting them sit for a while.
I am SO excited that you posted about this pie. I have been making this pie every single summer since I first saw the recipe in Gourmet’s August 2003 edition. Since then it has become an annual tradition for my friend Nora and I to get together sometime in August to make and feast on this pie. I provide the tomatoes and basil out of my garden, she brings the sharp cheddar and corn. This pie has never disappointed, it is always a delight, always a refreshing surprise when you take your first bite, and yes, we hardly ever have any leftovers.
Mmmmmm, baby is hungry for tomato pie. Even though my due date is creeping up (September 15, yikes!), I think I can haul myself up out of the recliner long enough to make this!
What an interesting idea! I just used up the last of our farm fresh corn last night, and wish I had seen this first. I will remember this next time I have corn around. The tomato/corn/cheese combo sounds so satisfying!
I made this pie a couple of weeks ago and agree with you totally. It’s phenomenal!
Made this for dinner and it was great. Followed two bits of advice posted here: 1) salted the tomatoes and put them in a colander to drain for a few hours; and
2) layered the corn first, then the cheese, then the tomatoes. The result was a beautiful pie with no juice. It stood up perfectly, like a good lasagna.
OMG, summer in a biscuit crust. I’ve never made anything like this before (I am intimidated by piecrust) but what a success. Two slices down, and heading back to the kitchen for more! Perfect.
There is so much fuss about the wetness of the tomatoes. Think concasse. What French cooks do automstically when cooking with tomatoes. After blanching and peeling the tomato, cut it in half vertically, and run your fingers through the cavities, disposing of seed and extra juice. (you can save it for soups or other uses.) You should be left with the meat of the tomato. Thus no sogginess. And please don’t even think of cutting the tomato before blanching.
I am going to try this tomorrow. Having grown up in pizza territory, this will be a true first,but it sounds wonderful,
This may be a silly question – but can this be done in a tart pan, or would that be too shallow? Also, can the crust itself be made ahead of time and refrigerated until the next day?
Thank you – I think my 3 year old and tomato obsessed 16 month old are going to love having this for dinner tomorrow!
I made this tonight for dinner and it was delicious!! I’m so excited to have the leftovers for the week. I de-seeded my tomatoes and then blotted them in paper towel before layering and that seemed to do the trick without losing any flavor.
Deb, thank you, because this was fantastic! I made it tonight and it was a smash hit. I substituted whole wheat flour for all-purpose and it came out great. The dough was very simple to make for a baking disaster magnet like me & I found that rolling it out on wax paper, then inverting it into the pan was waaay easier than folding it (again, please note baking disaster magnet status). You are such an inspiration – please keep the yumminess coming!
P.S. Best wishes to your growing family :)
Yum. I had forgotten about Tomato Pie. I didn’t like tomatoes as a child (don’t worry, I got over it and love them now) and my family used to eat this but I haven’t had or seen one in years. Now I know what I am going to do with the 3 tomatoes and 3 ears of corn in the fridge still left from last weeks farmers market run.
Sadly, I dropped and broke my beautiful Emile Henry pie pan just a few weeks ago – somehow everything cooked in that pan tasted better.
Oh and peeling tomatoes. ALWAYS!! The skins are just gross. I dont even bother with cutting the “x” before hand. Just a quick blanch, nick the skin with a paring knife and the skins pop off in your fingers.
Lovely. This would be great with a puff pastry crust (store-bought, mind you)! And perhaps a few barely sin-dried tomatoes and roasted garlic would make it…for me. Thanks for all the tips guys on how to prevent it from becoming wet and soggy. Will try it someday soon
Hi Deb!
This recipe reminds me of my family’s favorite summer pie: corn pie. We use an old Pennsylvania Dutch recipe that is little more than herbs, fresh corn and some hard boiled egg packed into a pie crust, baked to release the juices and served warm in a bowl with a mixture of warm milk and butter, salt and pepper. I cannot wait to try this version of one of my favorite dishes. The addition of cheese and tomato are sure to make it out of this world! I think it’s going to be my Sunday dinner this week!
Thank you for this phenomenal blog, and all your tips, tricks and humor. I eagerly anticipate the next treat!!
All day yesterday, I couldn’t stop thinking about making this, but I didn’t end up being home until after 9pm. So I made a fly by the seat of your pants version. Now don’t have a coronary, but I used a roll of crescent rolles we had in the fridge as the crust. I just rolled them out into a thin layer and pressed it into a small pie tin. Sliced up the eldery tomato on our counter & layered it with cheese & the seasonings. Sour cream & Mayo for the creamy stuff on top. It was SO good!! One thing though; I was a little paranoid after all this business about sogginess, so I took out the seeds, but I think it was a very dry tomato; it didn’t really get juicy at all!
P.S. And I’m very sad to say that for the first time EVER there was no corn in our household! A travesty! But it was still delicious.:o)
Can I say how perfect this pie crust looks?! We made tomato pie for the first time, but i didn’t think of adding corn! That sounds so good!
I love that you added corn to your tomato pie. The sweet tomatoes and sweet corn epitomize end of summer eating. My tomato plants are packed with ripe tomatoes and I think this would be just the thing to help me use them up.
Hey Deb, Gourmet 2009 seems like a treasure trove for fabulous recipes! I also highly recommend the Stone Fruit Tea Cake from that issue. Made it with peaches and it was certainly drool worthy! Who can go wrong with 1 tbsp of vanilla?
Oh my goodness this looks amazing! I have a huge big bowl of tomatoes that I picked from the garden yesterday, this recipe is perfect!
For the sogginess issue, America’s Test Kitchen did a tomato squash casserole that had a step of removing seeds and jelly-like pulp from the tomatoes and then reducing it in a saucepan and straining before adding back to the casserole. They claimed the pulp and juice is where all the great tomato flavor comes from. Might be worth a try in spite of the extra work. I can’t wait to try this recipe as it contains all our favorite summer ingredients. Also, how about adding some diced, crisp bacon bits?
I went home last night and, like a cheery Smitten Kitchen automaton, made this right away. I also had issues with excess liquid even after seeding the tomatoes–I might try the salting/squeezing method someone suggested above. By the way, I made this with plain (full-fat) yogurt instead of mayo, and it could not have been more delicious. My fiancee could barely slow down his forkfuls long enough to say, “So, so good.” Magnifique!
alrighty, I just discovered what I’m having for dinner tonight. It sound yummy and the perfect remedy for my cold
I’ve been makeing a version of this for years, but I use a tube of Pillsbury Crescent dough for the bottom crust, and just cheese on the top of the tomatoes. It is fast, easy and yummy!
First time commenting on your recipes — many of which I have tried and have loved. I made the tomato and corn pie last night and it was delicious. The few changes I made were using white and yellow cheddar; red onion instead of scallions and I dusted the bottom crust with corn meal so no soggy crust! Many thanks for such a fun and wonderful blog.
Mmmmm… this was the perfect Friday recipe. I’ve made dozens of your recipes (and blogged about a few), Deb, though this is the first time I’ve felt compelled to write in.
I picked up sweetcorn, gorgeous beefsteak tomatoes, and chives at the farmer’s market in the parking lot across from my office. Luckily, we’re housesitting a basil plant for my boyfriend’s parents. And, why yes!, I did already have some butter, milk, lemon and mayo at home.
I seeded the tomatoes and had zero sogginess issues. The crust is PERFECTION! I think it would be amazing with a meat pie, and my boyfriend and I rhapsodized a lamb, pearl onion, and mushroom pot pie. Then, we struck upon the brilliant idea of a pact in which we would, in future, only consume food in pie form!!
He expects me to make another pie tonight.
might try half baking the crust, paint on an egg wash on bottom to seal the crust… then put the goodness in and continue baking. maybe not so soggy to substitute for mayo I’d go with olive oil… OO is a natural with tomatoes, no?
I made this today with no bottom crust and a half batch of your chive buttermilk biscuit recipe as the top crust. Peeled the tomatoes, but didn’t juice or seed. Used about half the amount of cheese and lemon mayo called for in the original recipe. I baked the pie with no crust for about 20 minutes, then crumbled the biscuit dough on top and baked for another 20. It was delicous — loved the flavor combination of corn, tomatoes, lemon & chives. Thanks for the idea!
this look SO good- bummer the tomatoes in the netherlands taste like water. literally. everything here is grown in a greenhouse. weird.
Rock on cookin’ mamma! We just made this tonight and holy crap was it good. We are sitting here now plotting all the other “pot pie” style meals we can make with this killer biscuit crust. I am just now finishing up the chilled honeydew melon soup out of this month’s Veggi Times mag for our dessert. Heaven.
I just made this tonight–it was delicious, and I got around the soggy crust problem by sealing the crust with egg yolk before baking it (I also followed your suggestion and seeded/juiced the tomatoes). Sealing the crust meant the bottom crust was nice and doughy without being soggy. Thanks for the recipe!
I wish I was one of the commenters saying I had just made this. How I wish that. Delicious. Perfect summer perfectness.
Ooh, I’ve been wanting to try my hand at a tomato pie lately and wouldn’t have thought to add the corn. It sounds great. I’m going to pray real hard and try this piecrust recipe, too, as all of my piecrust attempts have resulted in wasted butter, messy ovens, and lots of [bleep]-age.
Wow. This was realllly good, and easy to assemble. I bought an heirloom tomato at a local farm stand, and it was so huge/heavy I didn’t have to use any other tomatoes. I couldn’t find my regular chives in the thicket I call my garden this year, so I used my fresh garlic chives and it was perfect. My pie wasn’t too soupy – I did squeeze out some of the seeds/extra juice.
I’d had this bookmarked since my August Gourmet came, and made it last night with tomatoes from my mom’s garden, basil and chives from my window garden, and corn from my CSA! I de-seeded and de-gooped the tomatoes and STILL got a soggy bottom crust. Not that we cared, it was delicious, but I think between the tomatoes and the mayo dressing, it’s just going to be a goopy pie. Also, I tried the plastic wrap thing and your suspicions were correct. The dough stuck, got weird creases, etc. I gave up 5 minutes later and rolled it out on a floured counter, which worked perfectly. Finally, I would like to say that I am not a huge mayo fan, and still I loved this pie. Delicious!
I made this last night with the few tomatoes our CSA managed to save from the blight. I half-heartedly de-seeded the tomatoes and had no problem with a soggy crust and no liquid to pour off. Not sure how that happened, but the pie came out great. It’s incredible – thanks for sharing!
Made a loose version of this our last night on vacation trying to use up some food before we left the beach. Already had a pie crust, so just used a top crust over the tomato and corn layers in a 8 x 10 dish. The best addition was a 3/4 block of cream cheese that I added to the may/lemon mix. It really thickened up everything and made it delish!
Oh wow. I just took a bite, and wow. This might just be my new favorite recipe. Thank you for posting it!
Just finished dinner – this recipe was awesome! Thanks. I did find, even though I seeded and took out extra juice, the first piece was a bit watery, but now that it’s sat it’s looking more firm and cut-into-able.
Yumm!
AMAZING!!!! I made this for dinner tonight, along with spicy grilled shrimp and wilted lettuce. My husband had some serious doubts before eating this. You made a believer out of him!
You posted this recipe just in time to use the loads of tomatoes on my counter in a potluck dish for our family reunion. The biscuit dough is genius! Great fresh flavors!
It’s in the oven. The co-op had huge yellow slicing tomatoes on sale (local and organic!!!). OMG, I can’t wait.
I made this last night for dinner and it was yummy. I did include the chopped basil as I had some that I had grown. I did not seed the tomatoes and did run into the same sog factor as you did, but I just took your advice and poured it off and the leftovers are just fine. I gave a piece to a neighbor and she loved it so much I forwarded the recipe to her. Now I want to try the nectarine galette! Oh, I also made the peach cupcakes with brown sugar cream cheese frosting and they were a hit neighborhood wide. Love this site and your recipes are easy, quick and delicioso!
Oh! One more thing…could you use the mayo/lemon mixture to spread on a pizza crust and then top it with the tomatoes, corn, basil, chives and cheese to create a pizza?
I made this with feta cheese instead of cheddar and with tinned Artichoke hearts instead of corn. It was awesome (tho next time I would pat the artichoke quarters dry on paper towel first). I also invented a wholemeal shortcrust which worked perfectly with the sweet tomatoes and tart feta.
this has been the summer of the tomato pie in our house. Our recipe is slightly different, and the corn sounds divine in the recipe. We’ll give that a try.
One helpful hint on the soggy crust – put in some pie weights or use tin foil filled with rice and pre-bake the bottom crust for 10 minutes or so in a 400 oven. that helps set the crust really nicely and you end up with less of a chance of having a soggy bottom. I never peel the tomatoes, nevermind seeding them, and we don’t seem to have any trouble with a soggy crust.
I have been nuts about corn and tomatoes this summer! I have lived on a fantastic sweet corn and heirloom tomatoe salad for the last few weeks. I tossed a bit of fresh bail and garlic in, it’s like dessert for dinner. My mouth is water thinking about it. oops! What a surprise when I saw this recipe you conjured up. I can’t wait to try it out! Thanks!
Been reading for a while and this is my first comment. I had never seen anything like this and it looked strange but yummy. The recipe worked perfectly for me and it was a hit! No soggies when I seeded the tomatoes. I can’t wait to play with this idea because the crust is amazing!
Delicious! No tomato juicing for me so my end result was soupy, but my husband and I polished off half of this for dinner. The combination of the sweet corn & tomatoes and the saltiness of the sharp cheese was amazing. I did, however, go with heirloom tomatoes as they are bountiful right now at the farmer’s market. The pastry crust was a first for me. Will use it for a chicken pot pie some time. Thanks!!
Long-time reader, first time commenting! Hello from Texas!
As I was reading this, I could soooooooo see this pie filled to the brim with a couple of massive, meaty five-pound Mortgage Lifter tomatoes. In fact, this pie practically BEGS for the Mortgage Lifter treatment: rich, flavorful flesh, few seeds, and juicy but not full of excessive pulp. It’s a great all-purpose wolf-apple that’s as capable of holding its own draped over a hamburger patty as it is slow-cooking into a devastatingly tasty marinara.
If not Mortgage Lifter (also called Radiator Charlie,) then maybe some good-sized Romas would do. They tend to be more flesh than juice since they’re expressly bred to be made into sauce.
Either way, it looks like another excuse to play with my all-time favorite fruit! :-)
You know I’m sure this could very well be wonderful, but I will be completly honest and say that it horrified me when I saw the title. Oh dear God I hate tomatoes and corn.
I made this for Sunday night dinner with the bounty from our Sunday farmers market. I DID NOT peel the tomatoes. I DID seed and squeeze excess juice and it wasn’t at all soggy. I skipped the chives (no matter), and it was the star of the meal. That biscuit crust was a hit! I did use the plastic for the crust (that’s how I make my normal pie crust) and I just added a little flour to each side of the plastic. It didn’t get too sticky. Another winner!!!
As with every Smitten Kitchen recipe I try, this one came out perfectly, as directed. The only bummer moment I had was when I took the first bite and didn’t like it. That did not make sense to me because I like all the ingredients individually. So I picked it apart taste by taste and discovered that it was the basil completely overpowering the dish. I thought I was a big fan of basil, but if I make this again, I will omit it.
I also tried your best challah recipe (my first attempt at challah)… it turned out great!
Just made this. It’s really delicious and easy to make! Thank you!
I like Sherry’s suggestion to use the salad spinner to remove most of the liquid/seeds. It definitely sounds more pleasant and much quicker than the squeezing method I employed. Plus, you get the nice pretty slices instead of the mutilated, hacked up chunks I got after the squeezing. One day when I have the luxury of a salad spinner, I shall try this! I made the pie yesterday to baptize my new pie dish that I was terribly excited about finding over here in Ireland. Boyfriend and I enjoyed this very much. Only thing is, I thought it was a tad too salty. But then, I didn’t use a measuring spoon but the ‘tea’ spoon that’s part of our everyday flatware. Next time I’ll either measure more precisely or put less than a teaspoon of salt in the filling. Biscuit dough was lovely, but of course very sticky,and my rolling technique leaves much to be desired. I’d like to use the crust again (practice, practice!), and adapt my favourite chicken-and-peach curry for pot-pie form. Thanks, Deb, for another winner! (I make the cauliflower/walnut thing all the time for a weeknight dinner–so fast, so easy, so delicious…and even so healthy!)
So simple in its ingredients yet so impressive in look. You continue to astound with each post!
I made this oh so delicious pie on Saturday – no problem w/sogginess (I blanched tomatoes and removed seeds which was really quick and easy to do). We used control and managed to save some leftovers for lunch yesterday and, believe it or not, my hubby and I both thought that the flavor was even better on day 2! I picked up more corn and tomatoes and am making another one tomorrow!!
This was delicious, but I also had problems with a soggy crust despite seeding and peeling the tomatoes. The upper crust, alone, was worth making. It was incredibly crispy, fluffy and delicious.
I made this last night, and it was delicious. My husband and I polished off almost the whole pie, with just enough for us to each have a (smallish) slice for lunch today.
I did what Anne (#157) said, though I didn’t know it when I was doing it. I just cut the blanched tomatoes in half and ran my fingers through the caverns and pushed the seeds out. It took only a few seconds and was super easy.
The 3rd tomato I had wasn’t ripe enough, so I used only 2 (big) tomatoes and it turned out fine.
Also, I’ve never made my own pie crust before, and I am inordinately proud of myself.
Made this on Friday night – absolutely amazing. Definitely a recipe I’ll use again and again! Perfect for progressive dinner evenings. (We also had the hacked caprese salad as the side – yum!)
I had been haunted with thoughts of this pie from Gourmet- and then when you made it I knew I had to do it sooner rather than later. Made yesterday for a casual get together, and it was gone in moments. My husband is already lobbying for me to make another! I did not have the soggy problem, I took out most of the gooey tomato middles and it worked perfectly. And the crust is a dream, usually crust makes me curse, but this biscuit-y crust is perfect.
This was HEAVEN. I tried so hard to not eat an entire half…I saved some for breakfast so not to feel guilty. I found out at breakfast, when I went to get the leftovers, that my husband just couldn’t wait and finished his half before he went to bed. We are fond of second dinners here!
I really loved the lemony mayo! I thought it worked really well, but then again mayo doesn’t gross me out. The biscuit crust was so good that I am trying to figure out ways to put all of my favorite foods into a savory pie form…
I live in North Carolina and we eat tomato pie all summer long. I thought I had made or tried every variety out there – until I came across this recipe. What a great idea to combine tomatoes and corn! I made it this weekend and just loved it! After reading through many of the comments and the recipe suggestions, I seeded the tomato slices and that must have worked because there was no sogginess. I also used heirloom tomatoes because we have them in abundance right now. It was a huge hit and my friends immediately asked for the recipe!
I made this last night for a dinner party and we loved it! For those of you who don’t like mayo, I suggest making your own – it is SUPER easy and has nothing in common with Hellman’s. My only comment is that the lemon flavor was a bit overpowering, so I think I would use slightly less lemon juice to mix with the mayo next time. Otherwise, this is delicious! No sogginess (I peeled and de-seeded the tomatoes) and the crust came out perfectly. Love the fresh tomato and corn combo. Thanks!
I have been dying to make this since you posted! Finally made it last night, despite numerous calamities (where oh where is my pie plate?? what, only reduced fat mayo?) it was a hit. Served it as a side dish with grilled steaks and the your green bean/cherry tomato salad (yum!!) – the lone vegetarian ate it as a main course. Used gorgeous tomatoes and corn from local farmer’s market. Sliced, salted tomatoes and let sit on paper towels for about half an hour, then pressed out with more paper towels. Perfectly dry crust top and bottom. Due to aforementioned missing pie plate, was forced to make it in a round cake pan – not as pretty as a pie plate, even though I did flute the edges, but it worked. I was surprised that the mayo layer stayed pretty much intact, so when I sliced it there was a lot of mayo visible. I guess I was expecting it to kind of melt in. Anyone know – is that because I used reduced fat or is it supposed to look like that???
Mmmmm! Another delicious option for my million tomatoes!
I made this last night and it was delicious! Thanks for the recipe. It’s a keeper.
Made this yesterday and YUM!! I took Deb’s suggestion and “de-juiced” the tomatoes, and I’m glad I did. Peeling the tomatoes is a snap when you parboil them for 10 seconds first.
I personally don’t think omitting the mayonnaise would have any detrimental effect. The tomato and corn flavors are what you want to have dominate, anyway. I used fresh basil and parsley from my garden – no chives, and it was terrific. I’d also like to try it with some mozzarella and/or parmesan, which I think would be really good.
The crust is definitely a keeper – it will be my new crust of choice for pot pies from now on.
GREAT RECIPE!
Wow. This is delicious looking. I love corn in pretty much anything, so I will have to hit the farmer’s market on Thursday for this. Yummy!
This recipe sounded to good to me and I just had to make it. The recipe/instructions were very easy to follow and the end result was wonderful. I did end up with a fair amount of liquid in the bottom of the pie plate, even though I used Roma’s out of my garden and I drained them on paper towels. The puddle didn’t look that good, but it sure didn’t alter the taste. Love, love, loved this recipe.
Made this tonight…oh my. Pound-your-fists-on-the-table good. I had never peeled tomatoes before and I was nervous. It was a cinch following these directions. Same with the crust. Wasn’t sure how mine would turn out and almost bought the pre-made, refrigerated Pillsbury stuff. Don’t do it. The crust is easy and it tastes just like a biscuit. This is an easy recipe, just time-consuming. Go make it now before the tomatoes and corn are out of season!
Making this pie turned out to be a fun family project! We drained the tomatoes, and it was very successful. Next time I would add even more basil though.
Oh my goodness, this was wonderful! As soon as I read your post, I ran to the store to buy the ingredients, and I’m not sorry! It tasted like summer, but better.
I got around the soggy crust by resting my tomatoes on paper towel after I blanched/sliced them and then I used a Pampered Chef stoneware pie dish. (Sorry if it looks like I’m advertising. I don’t sell the stuff, I swear.)
I didn’t measure my vegetables at all so I probably wound up with a higher percentage of corn/tomatoes than the original recipe called for. Consequently, I felt like there wasn’t quite enough of the mayo mixture. Next time I’ll use the same amount of veggies, but increase the mayo part by 50%.
Even my veggie-phobic husband really loved this.
Just made this and it was fantastic! I took out the seeds and juice but still had a fair amount of water in the bottom – after we took out the first two slices, I tipped the pie and drained it out, then propped it up on a dishtowel so juices could run out into the space and not soak my delicious crust. I’m very happy to see the other tips to reduce this, including salting and laying out the tomatoes on paper towels, or roasting them a bit (that has to be yummy!)and/or putting parmesan on the bottom (who doesn’t love a bit of parm?) Thanks for this recipe – it was surprisingly delicious and I never would have guessed there was mayo in it if it hadn’t put it there myself. One of my favorites! (this comes on the heels of your fabulous peanut butter chocolate cake that I made for a party last night! Big fan!)
Hi Deb,
Made this pie on Sunday, and it was great! My hubby asked for seconds and thirds! And it was delish next day, just warmed in microvawe.
I followed recomendation on de-seeding tomatoes, and while there was a little juice at the bottom of the pie once I have finished baking it,I just poured it out so the bottom stayed firm.
I think this would go into my weekly recipe collection as to me it looks like a good base for experiments. Will try next one with double amount of chives and some tuna!!!
Thanks for another great recipe!!!
Can we just call this summer pie. So insanely good. I did have a lot of juice, too. But like deb, I just poured it off and all was well. The crust holds up well. So good _ ican’t wait to make this for a brunch or Summer Potluck
Oh tomato and corn pie, where have you been all of my life! This is the best combination of late summer flavors, it really highlighted the flavor of my heirloom tomatoes. Deb, thanks again for another go-to recipe.
I made this Saturday for dinner with friends. Fabulous! It will definitely be a go to recipe in the future
This is my first attempt in pie crust in many many years. (I was a teenager the first and last time I tried piecrust.) But there’s always been something about your website that makes me feel like even a bumbling fool like myself might just pull this off.
Its in the oven as we speak, (Type, read.. whatever) thanks for the newest cooking adventure! It’s not nearly as pretty as yours. But its the taste that matters right? And how can you go wrong with tomatoes, corn and cheese? How I ask you!
I’ll probably be linking in my blog, (yet again). I hope that’s alright.
MK
I made this last night, and unfortunately we didn’t like it at all. Something about the flavor just didn’t taste right. maybe it was the mayonnaise? oh well…the crust was awesome, and i’ll definitely be trying that again with a chicken pot pie or something similar. sadly, most of this got thrown out. At least it was cheap to make :)
If you haven’t tried rolling out dough between plastic wrap, you really should. Especially with oily or buttery moist doughs when you don’t want to toughen the dough with extra flour and rolling. The trick to keeping the plastic from sticking to the dough is to wipe the counter/table with a wet sponge before laying down the first sheet of plastic wrap. (I always use my wooden kitchen table top.) It’s the only way to make fragile oil-based pie doughs or buttery tart doughs. Once rolled out, the dough can then be peeled up with the bottom sheet of plastic and flipped into the waiting pan pretty painlessly. It’s my Midwestern grandma’s trick and I swear by it.
Hi Shelley — Did you try it with this biscuit dough? The biscuit dough is not like a more firm pie or tart dough, and it sounded like many people had trouble with the plastic method.
I make Laurie Colwin’s pie every summer since being first introduced to the recipe. And thanks for the reminder because I have Jersey Corn and Tomatoes at home right now. Guess what I’m making for dinner tonight.
Deelicious! I was concerned about the pie having to much liquid, so I lightly salted the tomato slices and let them sit for about 30 minutes between several layers of paper towel, before lightly pressing on them to squeeze out excess moisture. I also let the chopped corn drain for 30 minutes in a sieve. The biscuit crust is sensational and very easy to work with. This is easily a meal in itself (maybe a green salad on the side) and a keeper for me.
This recipe sounds so good it’s going to get made this weekend using a biscuit dough variation.
I’m a big fan of Gourmet’s Corn and Tomato Gratin (http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Corn-and-Tomato-Gratin-235764), so I had to try this recipe, too. I sprinkled a few tablespoons of bread crumbs (a la Dorie Greenspan’s apple pie recipe) on the crust before adding the filling, which helped reduce sog. I wasn’t a big fan of the biscuit crust, though I love biscuits. Next time I’m in the mood for corn and tomato pie, I think I’ll try a regular crust, filling it with Corn and Tomato Gratin from the Gourmet recipe. But thanks for the inspiration!
What a great combination, tomatoes, corn and cheese. Some foods are my kind of food and this is one of them.
We were all out of tomatoes and I just couldn’t stand the thought of store bought tomatoes, nor could I wait until Sat. for our local market… so, I substituted with a zuchinni and corn pie. I know the whole point is tomato pie, but ours turned out delicious!! My highschool daughter even asked for 2nds and she doesn’t even like zuchinni!! She also raved about the crust!! Thanks for the idea- a keeper for sure!
Mmmmm — love Laurie Colwin & James Beard, so this must be double good. Will have to try it asap. Thanks for sharing!
G
I made this for dinner last night and it was fantastic. The biscuit crust (which I rolled out on a floured counter) was delicious, and it came together very easily. I followed the ATK method of salting and drying my tomato slices, so the pie was moist but not soggy.
Next time I make this pie (no if there), I will probably up the amount of tomatoes and halve the corn because I found it a bit overpowering. But the combo of the lemony mayo, sharp cheddar, and biscuit crust… perfection.
I just made two of these and they were amazing. For those who were wondering, these can be made (mostly) dairy free. I have a friend who’s allergic to milk (he eats butter because “Life without butter isn’t worth living.”) so I made both pies using goats milk Kefir for the crust. You can’t tell the crust was made with goat milk at all. One pie had cheddar and one had a sharp goat cheddar. I added garlic but otherwise left the recipe intact. I think I preferred the tanginess of the goat cheddar to the one made with cow’s milk but they were both amazing. I seeded the tomatoes and spread a layer of cheese on the bottom before adding the tomatoes and I had no problem with sogginess. I’m definitely going to make this again, with more garlic and caramelized onions.
Um, I just used low fat buttermilk in the dough (mixed with a little low fat milk) and OMG it’s delicious. I am eating it now…WOW. (I’m like a poet!)
Delightful! I made a few modifications: omitted basil, swapped raw gouda with jalapeno for the cheddar, and used plain yogurt instead of mayo. And what have my husband and upstairs neighbor had to say: DIVINE! Another homerun!
P.S. I had a little extra biscuit dough, so I cut it into tiny little apple shapes (for the new school year, of course), brushed them with butter, and set them on a cookie sheet while cooking the pie. Perfect results in a tiny, precious little package: http://twitpic.com/g37bh
Made this last night and it was fabulous (despite major oven temp fluctuation issues). Already had a piece for breakfast this morning!
Made this pie on Monday and it is awesome. Didn’t have cheddar cheese so tore up a wheel of brie and dotted it all over the place. My Southern born, meat eatin’ husband said it was wonderful. Big compliment coming from him. thank you!
This recipe was perfectly timed- I had a TON of corn and heirloom tomatoes from my CSA share just begging to be used creatively. I made a savory crust, opted for rosemary in lieu of basil, and omitted (accidentally) the lemon mayonnaise. It turned out delicious. I love dinner that comes in a wedge.
Oh, this looks amazing. There’s a restaurant in Austin, TX, called Kerbey Lane that has become rather famous for its tomato pie. It’s only on their summer menu, and there are days when I crave it. They make a delicious herb crust (bottom only, though I’m sure it would be equally delicious with the crust on top, as well) and then layer in roasted tomatoes with feta, basil, green onions, and garlic; and then they top it with more feta and kalamata olives. I may have to order it for lunch today, since you got me thinking about it!
I will definitely have to try this version, though. Summer tomatoes and summer corn, and cheese, mmmmm.
made it for dinner last night to good response. made as is, but will leave out the mayo next time, sub lemon for lime and add more basil. thanks for the recipe!
I have 8 ears of corn and 5 huge tomatoes from my CSA that I can’t bear to chop up to turn into another salad. This is the first place I looked for a recipe for dinner tonight and can’t believe how unbelievably perfect this will be! Thanks!
Hi! I tried this recipe tonight and it was great. I used frozen corn because it was all I had on hand. Also I used cherry tomatoes, diced small, with skins ( I just have so many from our garden). Everything worked out great though. I made sure to seed the tomatoes carefully and it wasn’t very runny. Fresh, simple flavors. It was perfect! Thanks.
While avoiding my reading for school I spied this recipe. This recipe! It is so delicious and lovely and I’m so glad I avoided my homework for an evening. Everyone at the picnic was glad as well!
I just discovered your blog a couple of weeks ago, and your photographs are scrumptious and your writing delightful…but I have to say, if this is your only experience of tomato pie…oh honey.
I was first exposed to the wonder that is tomato pie just recently, using this recipe. It’s based loosely on Paula Deen’s, but with several very significant tweaks. And, HOLY YUM.
I read this write-up a few days later, and based on your reaction to it, was compelled to try it to see which pie was better. Made this one last night…and it was so, so disappointing. The corn is a poor substitute for sweet Vidalia onions, and the lemon mayo completely overpowered everything else, not letting the tomatoes be the stars. Please, by all means, try the other recipe. This one, after all the work involved, merely left me craving the first one all the more.
(Hate to be negative…nothing personal…your blog is lovely and I just can’t stand to see you naively celebrating such an inferior tomato pie!)
I made this. (Wish those who had made the subject of the post could have a different color–these comment help us out in blogland to decide whether to make it ourselves.) Loved how this pie made the flavor of homegrown beefsteak tomatoes POP. I’ve never tasted so much POP in my life. Excellent. Thank you.
I made this for my parents yesterday rather spontaneously!
We had heaps of home-grown tomatoes which had to be eaten and I wanted to try something different!
This was my first real pie and it turned out absolutely perfect, even though I slightly altered the filling: Just tomatoes, black pepper & salt, fresh basil and mozarella cheese!
It was brilliant and my parents loved it so much, they left no leftovers!
I really loved this dish. Next time I make it (this weekend!) I’ll add substitute some cornmeal (1/2 c or so) for the flour. I also brushed egg whites and put Parmesan cheese on the bottom to prevent soggy crust and found those methods to bring success. I don’t like mayo and would not use it next time. I made this for 3 guys and they were all pretty impressed!!! I didn’t offer leftovers (so rude!) so I can eat the rest myself today!
This was a great recipe — super easy, even for someone like me who is intimidated by crust. My family raved over it and my husband asked me to reserve him another slice for later. I took your advice and got most of the liquid out of the tomatoes, so the filling was firm and beautiful. I could see this being a hit at any potluck.
Oh. My. Good. #%@!*ing. God. I made this last night, and I believe it is quite possibly the best thing I have ever eaten. EVER. Perfection.
Oh, I forgot to add that when I roll out dough, I usually roll it out on one sheet of parchment paper. I did it for this too, and it worked great. The counter doesn’t get as messy, and the dough doesn’t stick to the parchment paper, so you can just flip it into the pie plate.
FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As soon as I saw the recipe, I knew I had to make it. I did not even read the comments. Luckily, I had farm fresh tomatoes and corn that had to be used.
Those who are doubtful about the recipe, don’t waste your time, just go ahead and make it. You will not regret it. Those who are apprehensive about the mayo, don’t be squeamish, it doesn’t taste like mayo after being mixed with lemon and baked; there’s not that much of it anyway for this substantial pie.
The crust is perfect. that’s the only word for it. No trouble rolling it. I used plastic. But I think parchment will work even better, as many people suggested.
I peeled the tomatoes and removed the seeds. The pie turned out moist but not soggy. There was some liquid, but nothing criminal.
The two variations I made:
1. I lined the bottom crust with very thin slices of prosciutto. I had never had a tomato pie before nor even heard of it before coming across this recipe, so maybe I committed a travesty, but all I know is that the flavor combined really well with the rest. Also, it is yet another trick to avoid soggy crust.
2. I added a freshly roasted red bell pepper in the middle, between the layers of tomato and corn. I just happened to have it on hand and it seemed like it wouldn’t hurt, which it didn’t.
I will definitely make this pie again and again.
Thank you, Deb, for another wonderful recipe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I made this tonight, and it was fabulous. To avoid the sogginess issue, I seeded and juiced the tomatoes as suggested and I also baked the pie crust bottom for a few minutes to dry it out. It worked perfectly. I also increased the melted butter to brush on top because 2 teaspoons didn’t seem to go very far. The flavors were great and completely unexpected. I never would have thought to put these ingredients together in a pie. It’s fun to try something new and have it turn out great. Thank you!
I just tried your recipe tonight as well! My boyfriend and I have been getting lots of veggies from a farm here in the Seattle area and made good use of all the corn and tomatoes we just recently received.
It is really delicious. Thank you!
This is definitely one of the best things I have ever made in my life. AMAZING. I hate mayo, but went ahead and did it anyway. It worked out fine. I took the time to seed the tomatoes and am glad I did–no problem with soggy crust. DAMN this pie is awesome. My daughter and I ate 2 pieces each in one night. The basil was the best, and the crust, incomparable to anything other crust.
Lord chile that be so good I made it now with my 4rth tomato pickin….
I made the tomato corn pie last week and it was a raving hit!! I had just finished peeling, slicing, lightly salting and placing in a colander the heirloom tomatoes when our youngest daughter called and asked me to sit with “the boys”. I returned hours later. The tomatoes had drained buckets of tomato liquor. I finished the pie and plan on making another one this week….. My neighbors that were fortunate to have a taste loved it also….. Being from the South, I have made tomato pie for years but none this delicious….. Thanks!
Hi, Deb.
I went with a suggestion you made in the comments about making this cobbler-style with small rounds of biscuit dough (your recipe) on top, no crust on the bottom. The result: the lazy way is delicious!
I didn’t want to go to the trouble of seeding and juicing the tomatoes or risk missing out on the flavor packed in there, so I eliminated the possibility of a soggy bottom crust altogether. I kept an eye on the oven and took the whole thing out a little earlier than the baking time called for in the recipe.
It came out great, and top-only biscuits tasted wonderful. Plus, I’d never made biscuits from scratch before — thanks for giving me a reason to play around with butter and flour!
We made this last night. It was incredible! I only used the top crust. That ended up being the right call as even after seeding the tomatoes there was a ton of liquid. I’ll do it the same way next time but not even bother to seed the tomatoes to keep all that yummy flavor there.
Made this last night and the result was perfect — summer in a pie pan! Removing the tomato skins was much easier than I expected, and I also deseeded them. Did not salt and drain, but the finished pie was not too watery. I didn’t have time to make your crust this time (used two organic pre-made crusts) but will try that next time – as a biscuity top sounds delicious. Also, had no chives but used more basil and some finely diced jalepeno — tasted great. (Next time I would add even more basil!) Thanks — this will be a summer staple for me from here on out!
Made it yesterday for my husband, and will make it again for my dad tomorrow. Like many others, I salted, peeled, seeded, and drained the tomatoes which resulted in minimal gloppiness.
I started rolling out the dough on the floured counter; it stuck and tore apart when I tried to lift it to the pan. I started the rolling process over, rolling the dough on a well floured piece of waxed paper (cheaper than parchment), which made for simple transportation to the pan. Next time, I’d roll both crusts at the same time.
It’s amazing how these simple ingredients can come together to make something so satisfying. It tastes like summer, and was much lighter than I expected. Seriously, I could have eaten half of the pie, but stopped myself at 1/4.
THIS IS AMAZING! THANK YOU!!!! I’ve seen a bunch of tomato pie recipes this summer, and they all just seem like crazy-heavy ways to bury a tomato. This, with only a bit of mayo and all the corn, called out to me.
I can’t eat wheat, but tolerate spelt just fine. So I made this with about 1-1/3 cups whole-grain and 2/3 cup of white spelt. Seeded, but did not peel the tomatoes, and skipped the basil. I also subbed scallions for the chives because it came in my CSA box this week. Oh, and par-baked the crust.
Funny thing was my corn. I didn’t have tomato juice in the bottom of my pie, but corn juice! It’s so good and juicy from the farmer’s market. Next time I’ll save the bowl of tomato juice & seeds (which I salted and drank), pour in the corn juice after I cut the pie, and will have a lovely soup on the side!
Just letting you know i am a frequent lurker, and I finally made one of the recipes!!
This was fabulous!! I didn’t blanche or salt, but did de-seed the tomato. I also subbed green onions for the chives and fat free milk because it was all i had. It still turned out great, my husband loved it, the crust was so flaky… I will make it again!!
Wow. I have been a long-time lurker and admirer of the scrumptiously-delicious-looking things posted on your blog. However (for unknown and completely ridiculous reasons), I had not actually made any of the recipes… until this one. Something about the beauty of this recipe drew me in. And my instincts were completely right: this is FABULOUS. I want to know where this has been every summer of my life until now. It was a hit with my entire family, including my tomato-hating brother. Next time, I think I would follow the suggestions of previous commenters to only use a top crust; the bottom crust was definitely a wee bit soggy even after deseeding/juicing the tomatoes. Overall, however, this is completely beautiful and will be made many times more.
I didn’t read all 200+ posts, but i made the recipe over the weekend and included a sprinkle of panko between the tomato layers and did not have a sog problem. Delicious.
Day 2 was even better?! I baked it in 350 for 20 minutes. It was about 1/3 of the pie left. Bottom and top crusts both got even crispier & flakier.
Now I’m dreaming about doing the slab pie version with a little extra tomato…. Make it the day before and then re-bake.
I made this last night and it was wonderful. I used a regular, store-bought pie crust and it worked fine. Will try the bisquit crust next time. We did have some soggieness, but felt it came from the corn and not the tomatoes. Can’t wait to make it again and try some variations.
Oh YUM! Chocolate pie! That’s for this week, then the Nectarine Gallette. I’m having trouble finding a ‘cake’ recipe that used numerous cookies, just cannot remember what you called it, but I did want to make it for my birthday. I taught my niece to cook and love the whole process, years later, she turned me onto your blog – some great payback in my opinion. Love your blog.
Victoria — You might be looking for the Icebox Cake.
This was a fabulous dish which celebrates the fruits of the season. I used Gruyere and loved the texture and change from the normal cheddar.
OH MY GOD. This was the best thing I’ve eaten all summer. Fresh tomatoes out of the garden make it even better! I am going to dream of this until I have it again. Mushiness in the crust was not a problem for me at all…it was too delicious to matter!
A unique twist: subbing sun-dried tomatoes in for the real thing. Yes, yes, not as “authentic” perhaps–then again, they *are* tomatoes, just a dried version!– but it did keep the crust nice and crispy (no sogginess here) and it imparted a delicious taste nonetheless. The only complaint is the oil that bathed the sun-dried tomatoes, but you can reconstitute the dry ones, and not have to sop up the excessive moisture. This is seriously one of the best recipes I’ve ever made; definitely a keeper!
I just took mine out of the oven and it looks amazing! Can’t wait to dig in.
Well, there really aren’t words! But next time I’ll put half the mayo mixture on the bottom half of the veggies. Taking the seeds out of the tomatoes did give me a very fluffy biscuity crust. Yum and yum!! This will be on my August menus for years to come!
made it and crust was a little soggy but once i let the pie cool completely it was totally fine!! if anyone was wondering this i also skipped the top pie crust because i only had one on hand… it didn’t look as nice but it was still delicious!!!g
Hi Deb,
We had this for dinner, slab style as you suggested. I doubled the recipe since I was serving 10 people. I used plain (homemade) yogurt instead of mayo and thyme instead of basil. I squeezed out the tomatoes just a bit, but couldn’t bear to do a thorough job. I forgot the baking powder– oops. I added a couple eggs and a bit of cornstarch to the yogurt sauce to help thicken up the juice coming from the tomatoes. I also used mozzeralla instead of cheddar.
Anyway, it mostly resembled your recipe and was a HUGE hit with my family–they raved about it, and went back for seconds and thirds– never mind that we’ve been eating tons of corn and tomatoes for a month, due to our huge garden. This was delicious and hearty, and frankly, I can’t wait to make it again.
Thanks so much for the recipe!
Hey Deb
I made this last night for the family and they loved it! I made it slab style, too. It was about 2-1/2 recipes in a 13×9 dish. I was a little worried that the dough on the bottom wouldn’t bake, but I should trust you by now. Thanks for keeping me hungry!
How can something this easy be so good?? I used heirloom tomatoes – one red, one orange – and all else as per the recipe (for a change). Oops, one difference, I seeded the tomatoes and dried them but as a precaution against sog, I sprinkle each layer with some bread crumbs; kept all the flavour in. Rave reviews from the table that night. This will be a new staple recipe.
Thanks.
Deb,
After drooling over this post for more than a week, I spent the afternoon making it and enjoyed it with friends as an accompaniment to grilled steaks at dinner. Although it’s really the main show. I quickly ignored the grilled meat and gave the pie and a tossed salad my full attention. The amount of time I spent nudging seeds and goo from the cavities of the heirloom tomatoes was definitely worth it. Both crusts more than accommodated the filling.
Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Alison
I may be alone here, but I have made this twice, once with sour cream and once with mayo and I definitely felt that the mayo was 1000 times better. The sour cream wasn’t bad, but the pie tasted too “sour” (i know…i know, that’s why they call it sour cream) with the sour cream and a lot sweeter when using the mayo.
I made this over the weekend and my husband and I scarfed down the entire pie in one night! Sooooo amazing! I used pepper jack cheese for some extra kick and used green onions instead of chives. I didn’t want a full crust on top, so I used cookie cutters and put shapes on top. This is a treasure heirloom recipe for sure!
I made this over the weekend as well–it does take some time, what with the tomato peeling and crust making, but it’s definitely worth it. I squeezed the seeds and juice into a bowl, then strained the seeds out and plan to use it in soup later in the week. I know it may be different for mayo haters, but the taste of mayo really wasn’t that strong. The lemon juice tanginess was much more prominent. To combat sogginess, I tossed in a couple of tablespoons of quinoa over each layer of tomato, but there was still a little juice runoff from the bottom, so I don’t know if it helped or not.
One note of (mild) dissent in a sea of love… To me, the cheddar was the wrong cheese. It just didn’t feel quite harmonious with the corn and tomatoes. I think this would be better with a mild white cheese, like Chihuahua or jack. (Though brie or goat cheese sound lovely, too.) And I thought the mayo taste WAS too mayonnaise-y, even though I actually like mayo.
Still, overall I liked the dish…just didn’t love it. I didn’t have any problems with the crust getting soggy (followed the suggestion for seeding), and I diced the tomatoes instead of slicing them. The crust was wonderful and the texture and presentation are great. I want to try this again and sub the cheddar with chihuahua, the mayo with sour cream, and the basil with cilantro.
This was the first recipe from this site that I didn’t like from the get go. Well, except for the crust which was an instant hit, and which I will gladly steal to use for things like chicken pot pie. Other than that, the pie seemed kind of bland and not worth all the effort.
But my husband asked me to try it with some tweaks and we liked it much better. This time I made it with feta cheese (the cheddar was just too boring and really the wrong flavor for the corn and tomato) and I used 1-2 Tbsp Italian seasoning and a couple pinches of dried basil instead of the fresh basil.
I’m going to try tweaking it a bit more the next time I make it as wel (and there WILL be a next time! :-)l. I still think it takes too long to make, so I’m going to try dicing the tomatoes and juicing/seeding them that way. I think it would also be worth it to mix all the filling ingredients in a bowl (including the lemon-mayo sauce which was yummy but didn’t sink and mix with anything else) before filling the pie.
I just made this pie for the 2nd time in two weeks – it’s that good! Thank you. I seeded the tomatoes the first time, but this time I seeded them and put them in a colander to drain for a few hours prior to continuing – this was much better, and reduced the soggy mess issue. Forgot the Mayo mixture both times.
Yummy!
I just made this and I love it! I fretted a bunch while it was in the oven because it didn’t seem like the filling was baking, but everything turned out amazing. I skipped the step of peeling the tomatoes out of sheer laziness but it didn’t do the pie any harm. Its tangy and cheesy and everything good. Will make it again for sure!
Once again, thanks for the culinary inspiration, Deb! I tweaked this a bit – added herbs to the biscuit crust and subbed buttermilk for the whole milk along with a pinch of soda and sugar. For the filling, I subbed Greek yogurt and lemon zest for the mayo and lemon juice and added a layer of Parmesan as extra protection against a soggy bottom. Oh, and I added bacon, because isn’t everything better with bacon? Tomatoes, corn, and bacon – late summer’s finest in one dish! Turned out delicious but my pictures are not as pretty as yours!
I’m one of those who is not a mayo hater but still found the mayo flavor in this recipe to be over-powering. I’d suggest halving the amount of mayo while keeping the amount of lemon. But the tomato was great, and removing the seeds worked exactly as promised: a perfect biscuity pie crust. Will definitely re-make when fresh, local NJ tomato season rolls around again, and will re-use the crust recipe with other fillings.
Oh my! This pie is amazing. My family loved it and can’t wait for me to make it again. Oh and loved the crust so much I used it for chicken pot pie. Yummy!
I made this pie the day you posted the recipe, and then gain the next day, and in the intervening couple weeks, I think I’ve made it four or five more times. UNbelievable. Thank you so much! I hope your enjoying life with the new addition, and thank you for a spectacular blog!
I loved this recipe! I’ve never made homemade crust before and I did have a lot of difficulty rolling it out on my quartz countertop. It kept sticking, and by the time I’d added enough flour to get it not to stick, it was crumbling and falling apart. I almost gave up, but finally tried rolling the dough out on a flexible plastic cutting board (you know, the kind you can roll up?), which worked better. I quickly inverted the cutting board over the pie pan and managed to get the crust to work, although it wasn’t nearly as pretty as your photos! Still, it worked better than I imagine plastic wrap would, and it was totally worth it – the flavor was amazing.
Hi!
I loved your idea. I’ve just finished baking it, and it was really delicious!!!
Thank you for sharing your cullinary knowledge!
Just made this for the 3rd time. I used frozen corn (couldn’t find fresh) and put the tomato slices on paper towels before putting on the crust to absorb excess juice. Took a little longer to heat but was fantastic…as usual.
I also let the crust chill out in fridge before rolling out. MUCH easier!
Corn AND tomatoes AND cheese AND crust? Four of the six greatest edible/potable loves of my life are in this recipe. And to think that my Southern in-laws seem unaware of this dish…
Tried this last weekend, and it was AMAZING! Even my husband who doesn’t like tomatoes loved it!
I do have a few suggestions. First off, super easy peeling with a “soft skin” peeler, like a regular vegetable peeler, but with serrations, My favorite is made by Zyliss.
Second, rolling out the dough was super easy, but I did use a silicone baking mat, so the clean up of the counter was pretty easy, no sticky mess!
Third, I didn’t try this, but as a solution to soggy things (tomatoes, mushrooms etc) in my quiches, I have put down a small layer of bread crumbs, and it has worked well. Plan to try this next time I make this pie!
Oh, and it works well using frozen corn too!
Thanks for all the GREAT recipes!
You should try corn pudding too. Ina Garten makes a killer one with ricotta cheese and basil. It’s kind of a southern thing too. Something else southern: PIMIENTO CHEESE. It is fabulous!
I’ve been wanting to pair this pie crust with a chicken pot pie for a long time, and tonight I finally got the opportunity. Only I didn’t feel like rolling out a sticky dough, so I did this cobbler style. I added just a splash more milk than called for and quite a bit of ground pepper, but other than that, kept to the recipe. Spooned the entire amount on top of hot chicken filling. Delicious, and very little work. Thanks, Deb. Can hardly wait for summer to make the tomato and corn pie again.
Tomato. and. corn. season. is. almost. here.
This pie was super! Everything was so fresh-tasting–I loved that the tomato and corn retained their distinct flavors and that the corn was still crisp. The crust was delicious, tender, and absolutely gorgeous.
About the dough: I wrapped the dough in plastic and chilled it beforehand, so I just lightly floured the top face and rolled it out on the plastic. The dough was well behaved during rolling (didn’t need to apply flour more than once) and I didn’t have any issues with sticking when I inverted onto the pie plate and peeled the plastic off of the dough. When I make it again, I’ll use a bit more than half the dough for the bottom layer (I ended up having to stretch the bottom layer a tiny bit to cover my pie plate, and had some excess in the upper layer).
About the filling: I gently squeezed out the tomatoes, but still discovered 1-2 spoonfuls of juice when I sliced the pie. Next time, I’d try to be more firm about it. I used less cheese since I wanted it to be mainly about the tomatoes and corn. Also, I would probably sub in sour cream (without lemon juice) since I’m not crazy about mayo.
Picked up tomatoes and corn for this at the farmer’s market today! Can’t wait to try it out!
I’ve been dying to make this recipe for awhile. Finally put it together with some great Ontario early-tomatoes (albeit greenhouse, we’ll have to wait a few more months for the real deal). Great combo, but I’m thinking that next time I’ll go for 50% less mayo. It seemed to take over the flavours. Thanks for a great recipe!
Just made this last night and WOOOOOW this was a hiT!
I skipped juicing/peeling the tomatoes and I also left out the mayo (since we didn’t have any), and used white-whole wheat flour in lieu of APF and it was excellent! The dough was a bit sticky and I didn’t roll it out that well, but that didn’t seem to matter after it was baked. A very appropriate 4th of July meal!
While making this on July 4th, I saw the note about the slab pie and decided to go for it. I figured more people could enjoy a piece that way.
1.5 batches of dough was *just* enough and was stretched pretty thin. Next time I’d make two full batches of crust for a slab pie, so the dough could be thick, plush, and biscuity. I’d also double the tomatoes because the filling seemed a bit thin too; it needed some bulking up.
But, overall it was a success and eaten with gusto at our picnic (especially by me)!
Just made this, and it might be in my top 3 meals for this year. Simply laid out the tomato slices on some paper towels and it did the trick (I couldn’t stand to squeeze out those lovely little sacks of pure tomato flavor)! and the pie held up beautifully. Next time I will def. freeze my butter for a bit and perhaps dial back on the milk in the biscuit-pie crust and hopefully that will make the dough easier to handle. Used green onion, the basil is a clever addition and I’ll likely add more in the future. Some of these comments about hating mayonnaise just totally floor me. Mayo is creamy and delicious and makes this pie so… how do you say? (I think the dead silence at the dinner table while everyone was too busy eating explains it all.)
Deb, I just want you to know that my Mom is about to kill me for trying so many new-to-us recipes from your site night after night. I think I’ll have to cool my heels a few days and do some hamburger/taco/pasta and meat sauce/hot dog dinners so I don’t work myself and my sous chef into the ground!
This looks yummy. It reminds me of a recipe I found on epicurious (my former cooking/recipe obsession go-to site, before stumbling on this one) for “Corn-and-Tomato Scramble” (http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Corn-and-Tomato-Scramble-354230), a simple and surprisingly delicious summer salad. It’s super easy to make (I just did in about 10 minutes), if anyone’s looking for a similar taste, but doesn’t have the time or energy for a pie! :)
absolutely delectable. i thought it would be too heavy for a hot, kansas, summer day but no way! it made me little ladies lunch quite a success. thanks!
Made this for dinner tonight. It was really fabulous! Next time, I will chop everything up and grate the cheese before I make the crust. I will also take the advice about spreading the tomato slices on paper towels. I thought the tomatoes were not very juicy, but even so, they made a lot of soupiness at the bottom. The crust was still great. My husband kept coming into the kitchen to check on the progress of the pie. In Ohio this time of year, it’s all about tomatoes and corn. This is a great way showcase for the local fare.
Loved it. The dough is great and was rather easy to make. I barely steamed some zucchini and used that as the bottom layer and only did one layer of tomatoes since I did not want to peel or get rid of the delicious seeds. We loved it even though I forgot the mayo layer (will do with sour cream next time).
I have been waiting to make this all summer and this was the night! Turned out excellent and my husband loved it. I will definitely make this again.
I know what you mean about this recipe barging in continuously! I heard about it first, a few years ago on NPR’s Splendid Table-about cheap, easy summer meals. The second time I heard about it was in Sarah Chase’s Cold Weather Cooking book, talking about a great late summer/early fall recipe. And now YOU!! Sometimes serendipity just says it’s time…so I apologized to my husband for cranking up the heat, popped this baby in (a slab pie rendition) and am waiting for the fantasy to become reality! Thanks Deb!
I added some ground beef and other Italian spices to the corn, and it became deep dish pizza’s cousin! My husband and I finished the whole thing in 3 days. Well done, Deb!
If you don’t want to loose the flavor of the tomatoes by deseeding them I would suggest laying them out on paper towels and lightly salting them, let stand for 30 mins and then layer another sheet of paer towels on top….. this helps get a lot of the moisture out
Made this 3 days ago and it’s gone. Used fresh thyme instead of basil, yum. I peeled and sliced the tomatoes first thing, then set them on a rack with paper towels on top to drain. Pie was not liquidy (except for that first piece we cut when it was still hot).
For even easier peeling, I just pour a kettleful of boiling water directly over the tomatoes in the sink. The skins just slip right off.
This is seriously amazing. I made it last night and my boyfriend and I ate half. I love how the insides basically just get warm, and stay really fresh-tasting. I deseeded the tomatoes and they still had tons of flavor. Personally I enjoyed the mayo, but I like it in general.
This came out gorgeously–rolled the dough on the counter, pulled out the tomato juices, etc. But it just tasted kind of off, and I can’t really tell what it was. I like mayo normally, but I think it was the lemon/mayo combo. It sat on top and sort of overpowered everything else. It just had a kind of weird sour aftertaste. Were my tomatoes and corn maybe not sweet enough? I also had to add more salt after the fact. Maybe it will taste better as cold leftovers tomorrow? But that biscuit crust sure is a keeper!!
I just posted about this recipe a few minutes ago!!! Delicious.
This has become a staple- and is one of the best dishes i’ve ever made. Love the crust- use on everything from savory apple pies to pot pies.
OH MY GOD. This was the recipe that made me realize about a year ago that I needed to follow your blog religiously. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to make it until yesterday because I refused to not use corn and tomatoes that were in season. So I waited patiently, longingly. It was worth it. I made this last night and I’m wishing I was at home rather than work right now because a big slice of it sounds like a nice second breakfast. I took your advice and seeded the tomatoes before putting in but there was still quite a bit of liquid in the bottom. It didn’t matter because it was still absolutely delicious but now I’m wondering if I should’ve patted the corn down with some paper towels before putting in or if it would be worth it to salt and pat dry the tomatoes a little before putting them in and then decreasing the salt sprinkled in while layering. Has anyone tried either of those? Like I said, it doesn’t really matter because I would and will make this again in a heartbeat, extra liquid or not. Also, totally going to use this crust for a million other things. Thank you!
Just found this via “surprise me” and WOW. Amazing. Had it for dinner last night, then breakfast this morning, and now I’m eating it for a late lunch.
I didn’t have fresh basil leaves, but one of those puree tubes, so I tossed it in with the corn and I would have been happy just eating that basil corn out of the bowl! The combination is something I’ve never had before and it is so very good. And the pie crust is phenomenal. Fantastic job!
I had the time to spare so I salted the tomatoes and let them sit for a while, then drained and blotted. I wonder if this would work well with oven-dried tomatoes though. I do this with Romas when it’s off-season — slice, bake on a rack at 375 for about 20 minutes depending on the thickness. Helps to concentrate the flavors and also reduces the moisture. Will try in the deep throes of winter when even Houstonians can’t get those sweet, flavorful tomatoes of summer.
Oh Deb! This is amazing. One of the best (savory) recipes you’ve shared here. The crust is delicious, and perfectly amenable to being made in the food processor. I can’t wait until, um, tomorrow. When I make it again.
I made this and did not have the heart to seed the tomatoes (that’s just downright cruel). I figured I’d drain it like you did. Well I had to drain it about 4 times within the first 45 minutes of cutting the first delicious slice and then a couple more times the next couple days it lasted before being eaten. The crust is superb and I was rather unpleased with the sogginess on the bottom layer.
This pie tastes like summertime on a fork. It is wonderful. How do you suggest de-seeding without destruction to the tomato? I’d like to make it again although my husband could not understand why someone would make such a pie.
… & BTW I also sprinkled a little flour on each layer of tomato hoping that would help absorb some of their juice.
Seeded the tomatoes but to no avail. Soggy bottom mess. BUT a soggy bottom mess that tastes like corn plus cheese plus tomatoes plus amazing top crust so all’s well
Also, to throw my two cents into the grand mayo question- I used plain yogurt instead (i absolutely hate mayo and couldn’t justify buying a whole jar just for this) and it turned out great.)
I have to admit I am one of those who does not like mayonnaise at all. I read all of the comments and was concerned about the mayonnaise but decided to take the plunge seeing that some of the mayonnaise averse thought it was OK. I also like that baked artichoke dip thing with mayo and parmesan, so thought it was do-able. I am sorry to say the mayo totally creeped me out. I could not stand it. So,if you are mayo averse, I would leave it out. The crust was pretty but not my fave. In the future I would use the Pain Quotidien crust mentioned in the cauliflower and caramelized onion tart.
This recipe was absolutely amazing! My sister recommended it and I made it for dinner with friends tonight (paired with a slightly altered version of your Apple Bread Pudding). After a perfectly heavenly slice each we decided to just bring the pie plate out and eat straight from the pan. Unbelievably divine!! and completely irresistible.
I adore cooking seasonally and this was the perfect end of summer meal. I will definitely be making it a few more times before summer is truly over.Taking the seeds out of the tomato definitely helped with reducing the excessive juiciness in the pie.
Thanks for sharing an amazing recipe!!
I made this for a special dinner guest. I did de-seed and flick the extra juice away, and that was enough to make the pie just juicy enough but not at all soggy. Delicious–we all loved it, and just looking at this page is making me eager to get home and attack the leftovers (even though I had a piece for lunch too). We had a simple green salad on the side and vanilla ice cream with homemade sauces for dessert. Great summer menu.
We made this yesterday and it was so great. I used some oven-roasted tomatoes instead and the amount of liquid was perfect
Question about freezing baked pies:
This has been hands-down our favorite summer recipe…I have one that I baked and then froze…do you have suggestions for re-heating? Im wondering if I should have put it in the freezer before baking….hum….
Delicious, though I needed to sprinkle it with a healthy amount of crushed red pepper. Will definitely make again, with fresh chillies from the garden. We baked this in a cast iron skillet, and had a lovely crisp browned bottom.
I made this for some close friends this weekend just in time to grab up some of the last tomatoes as they slowly fade from the Chicago farmer’s markets. Surprisingly, what first attracted me to your recipe was the BISCUIT CRUST and cheese, but what I actually liked best after eating it was how fresh it tasted. I made two pies for four people and we could have eaten more :-)
I, too, had an excess liquid problem even after seeding/juicing the tomatoes (I suspect the corn…), but nobody minded, it was that good.
Finally, this is long overdue, but thank you so much for your amazing site! Every recipe in your collection is exciting and I owe you big time for all of the compliments I’ve received from trying them out!
This was wonderful. However, the dough was a bit “baking powdery”. Is it necessary to put a whole tablespoon in the crust?
Niki — It’s intended to emulate a biscuit, the crust, which is why it is so “puffy”. You might try either an aluminum-free baking powder next, or just swap in a regular pie crust.
I have made this pie sooo many times. I can eat a whole pie.Sometimes I sour cream instead of mayo, and once I used fried green tomatoes! so good.
So I just found this pie recipe yesterday using the “surprise me” button and immediately decided to make it for dinner, crossing my fingers all the way to the market that the tomatoes I’d find would be edible even out of season. After blanching and cutting into them, I quickly realized that was not the case, but I luckily had a can of San Marzano tomatoes that I used instead. I saved the tomato juice for later use in that tomato, butter, and onion marinara recipe you posted, Deb (which has also become a staple recipe). I was slightly worried that the San Marzanos would make the pie mushy/soggy, but keeping the juice out of the equation saved the pie from this fate. I must say that I’ll probably continue making this pie with the San Marzanos as it added a sweet, tangy layer of flavor that really complimented the mayo/lemon mixture. And since they’re already peeled, no blanching necessary!
The boyfriend LOVED this meal (served with a side salad) and insisted we add it to the regular recipe rotation even though he was initially skeptical of its no-meat status. Hurrah!
Dear Deb
My husband bought me a new oven as bday present and was keen on me to “inaugurate” it at the earliest. And Deb, it had to be your recipe to “inaugurate” it and nothing else. so yesterday i made this pie for dinner. do i need to say anything more? It turned out beautifuly golden crusted and rich pie. it tasted heavenly and my hubby and I raised a toast to you!
I went through all the comments beforehand and made following modifications:
1. to reduce “powdery” taste, i added slightly more than 3/4th tsp of baking powder instead of 1 tsp. there was no powdery taste at all, and crust was still crisp and super.
2. I removed seeds and flesh of tomatoes to prevent sogginess. also i lined the crust first with cheese, followed by corns, then tomatoes, and layered with cheese and repeated. the bottom crust remained beautifully crisp.
3. I added cilantro instead of chives and also sprinkled with little of crushed nutmeg for subtle taste.
It was my first pie ever, and gave me so much confidence. So yesterday even my kitchen had little of “smitten kitchen” element as my oven sang to your tunes.
Love you and your blog. Kisses to Jacob.
Pooja
You never disappoint me Deb! This was amazing, thanks you for the inspiration!!!! Instead of chives I added oregano and we called it a pizza pie :)
For those brave enough to read through all the posts (I did not), I’ve been making this pie for years. After slicing the tomatoes, salt them and put them on a cookie rack to drain. After 10 minutes lay them on paper towels and press more towel on top soaking up the extra juice. You will think your slices are almost “dry” but if they are nice thick slices, they will make a beautiful pie without all the sogginess.
I’ve had this bookmarked for like 6 months! Now that it’s summer down here I finally had a chance to make it today with homegrown tomatoes and it was incredible! Thanks so much for introducing me to this awesome pie!
I’ve made this before during tomato and corn season and right now I’m attempting it for the first time out of season. Hopefully it still turns out alright. I had a request to bring it to Easter dinner and I didn’t want to disappoint!
Some feedback on slabbing this — I made it for a picnic for 12 today and doubled the dough as someone above recommended. I think that made it too bready. When cut into squares, it sort of came out like a sandwich with not enough filling. (Which come to think of it gives me an idea for future picnics–layer in some salami and other cold meats and it would have been really fantastic.) As it was, the breadiness overwhelmed the very tasting filling. If I had to do it over I would make two pies instead. Incidentally, I also made the quiche lorraine and it was perfection! Thanks for the great recipes and inspiration!
Just want to add that in make the slab version I used an extra half pound of tomatoes, but dutifully seeded and juiced and had no problem at all with sogginess.
We’ve fallen hard for this pie. The first time, we made it almost exactly as written, though I did use Penzeys’ Parisienne bonnes herbes in place of the other herbs (even put some in the dough) and mozzarella instead of cheddar. Huge hit; the two of us ate it up in two days, raving with each plateful. Tonight, I used up some homemade odds & ends to make it new: a smear of black bean soup on the bottom, then some bits of mozzarella, then tomatoes, then my family’s home-grown sweet corn, then sauteed, minced cubanelle peppers and spinach (laced with cumin, Penzeys’ Arizona Dreaming seasoning, ground ancho pepper, and oregano), repeat. Over the top, we poured a mix of the rest of the black bean soup and tomatillo salsa (and, truth be told, the last of the sweet corn juice), then laid the top crust over all. Gave it an egg white wash before the bake.
“Wow” is a good start. It’s delicious, and I see a pattern for the rest of the summer (and fall, and winter, and spring…).
I would love to have garnished this pie (whether warm or cool) with fresh salsa, sausage gravy, or a runny yolk fried egg. Maybe all three.
Oh, and more people need to make this. Now.
Just made this for a quick dinner for my parents and we LOVED it. So delicious. We healthened it up a lil bit with added spinach, whole wheat flour, and greek yogurt and it was still ridiculously rich and creamy and I couldn’t stop eating it. Thank you thank you for another great recipe!!
I was talking to my bf how economical this recipe is. I had tomatoes chilled in the fridge before peeling, so it was really easy to peel and slice them after immersing in boiling water. I replaced herbes with some sage and thyme. Although I had seeded and removed the juices, seems like the pie came out a lot soupier than I thought it would be, however, the pie was rich in its taste and we both thought that it would be great with fried chicken, if we were in for grease overload!
I am having my third annual “Summer Supper” with close friends on Monday night. This tradition started because of this delectable pie! I have never strayed from the recipe, but this time I am making two changes that I think will be great: I am using half ripe and half green tomatoes because I think the tanginess of the green tomatoes will be lovely. I am also adding some cornmeal to the pastry dough, which I think will work beautifully. I’m so thankful it is tomato season and I can enjoy this again!
this recipe has been a favorite of ours since a few years ago when my wife first made it. i made it again today, but this time i substituted Dufours pastry dough instead of the above dough recipe – it was a little bit sloppier than i remember it, but wowie zowie it was tasty! also substituted scallions for chives which was fine. we always take the seeds and extra tomato juices out – if not this would be way too soupy. awesome recipe, i love your site, keep up the good work, please.
Wow! Just made this last night – absolutely delicious. To avoid soggy crust, I sliced salted and let my tomatoes sit while I assembled the rest of the pie, then gave them a little squeeze before layering them in, so that I did not lose all of the pulp and seeds, but some. I also used a pie bird. I don’t know which step mattered more, but there was barely any juice in my pie. Thanks Deb – can’t wait for the cookbook.
Making this for the first time this summer…have been making it every summer since you’ve posted it and the anticipation is practically killing me!
I made this last summer and my husband liked it with the basil. This summer though, I am going to try it with cilantro instead of basil, jalepenos from the garden and a Mexican cheese. It will be like a salsa pie.
DELICIOUS! It was perfection. I think if people found it to be watery it would be one of 2 things- They didn’t de-seed/juice the tomatoes or they may have been refrigerated. Fresh meaty tomatoes!
I knew this was going to be good, but it was shockingly delicious! tangy, sweet, rich, hardy. We used the freshest tomatoes and corn, and a little added caramelized red onion. YUM!
Made this and loved it. Then I made it again and again! pictures here: http://www.clockworklemon.com/2011/09/corn-tomato-and-cheddar-pie.html
Wow- I have had this on my list of things to make for years and finally did tonight. It is so delicious!! I took a few people’s tips and set the tomatoes on papertowels for half and hour salted before assembling and it seemed to do the trick because the pie was not soggy at all. Thanks for the wonderful recipe, as usual!!
Two years later, I’m still making this! But I’m writing to tell you that your tomato and corn pie turns out to be the BEST pre-fast meal! I make the crust with whole spelt flour, as I can’t eat wheat. The first time, I used half whole-spelt and half white. The second, I forgot and did it all whole-grain, and it’s equally delicious. Amazing, actually. Anyway, 2 years ago ate two big slices before Yom Kippur, and had an easy fast. Decided to try again this year, and it’s not a fluke! This pie’s easy to over-eat :) so 2-1/2 slices and a quick bite of dessert, and all set for the next 25 hours!
You’ve done a Mitzvah!
I made this with sliced pancetta and it came out great. I added a thin layer of slices to each of the two layers of filling in the recipe (just before the cheese). I bet bacon would be good too. If you try adding pancetta, I suggest backing off of the salt called for in the recipe as the pancetta brings enough salty/savory flavor to it by itself.
Sorry if this is a dumb question, but if I were to add diced or minced chicken or turkey to this would I need to cook it first? If so how should I cook it?
Hi Humanus — It’s probably best to cook it first. It’s not that it coudln’t cook in the pie, but it’s a very wet pie and you don’t want to risk that it’s not hot enough in the center for long enough for the chicken to come out at a safe temperature.
this recipe was fantastic. check out my pictured – http://bellyofecuador.com/post/25894839656/tomato-corn-and-cheese-pie-man-this-is-really
made this recipe today, had all the ingredients on hand and it came out FANTASTIC! i’d never heard of this type of pie and it intrigued me mostly because i couldn’t even fathom what it would taste like. we have more tomatoes than we know what to do with so this will definitely be a go to recipe. it is so filling but not heavy, if that makes any sense.
i think i’ll double up on the basil and chives next time :)
I was introduced to this recipe last summer at a friend’s house. I’ve made a down home, deep dished tomato pie for years, but not with corn or the biscuit crust. Typically, I make a traditional butter pastry single pie shell, and fill it with 7 good sized tomatoes (covered in fresh ground black pepper), basil, and mayo. Then I cover it in cheddar cheese and bake until crust is browned and cheese is melty. Always good. Separate from this, I also make a Mexican street corn where you cook corn with lime juice, mayo, pepper, cilantro, and cotija cheese. So yummy, and people always ask for the recipe. This recipe is similar to both of those prior dishes, so I am so pumped about making it. In my variation, I took half of the recommended basil, replaced it with Thai basil (because that’s what I had on hand), and supplemented the remaining quantity with parsley. AWESOME.
As to the issue of soggy tomatoes, I usually just slice them and lay them on paper towels, sprinkled with salt, for 10 minutes or so, then blot them. Takes care of the water portion of the liquid and leaves behind the concentrated juice. This time around, the tomatoes were SO ripe that I just peeled them without blanching (easy to do with a good paring knife), and stuck my fingers in the holes, draining the juice into a bowl. I was then able to tear the tomatoes into slices that were denser. It took 7 heirloom tomatoes (Better Boy, Cherokee Purple, and German Johnson) from my yard to complete the pie. I STILL drained the pieces on a paper towel, though. It just helps.
Thanks for the divine recipe!
Can’t wait to try this recipe! It looks and sounds delish! A suggestion for the soggy tomatoes that does not entail peeling and seeding: Roasting the sliced tomatoes first. You have nothing but concentrated sweetness for your pie :-)
After a quick search of SK, I found this recipe to use my beefsteaks and romas growing in the back yard. (used 3 beefsteaks, 2 romas) Also used leftover grilled corn and made it exactly as written. It was AWESOME! Did my good deed and shared with my neighbors and they also loved it. Outstanding recipe.
Um, hello?! This was SO GOOD. Thank you for bringing this into my life!
I just made this and it’s amazing. I forgot the cheese entirely and it still turned out delicious. It’s like a tomato samwhich in pie form!
Last night, I didn’t futz with the biscuit portion, but I did swap in sauteed onions, red pepper, and spinach for the corn and halloumi cheese for the cheddar. (Also whizzed the fresh basil with the mayo & lemon juice briefly.) This pie never fails to delight my sweetie and I. Thanks, Deb.
I made this on Friday and couldn’t believe how amazing it tastes!
I made this again this year, and boy, howdy, is it summer in a crust! I made it for a potluck with a Southern picnic theme – it was perfect. Photo: https://twitter.com/MeEloise/status/232187236756647938/photo/1
I had two friends over for lunch yesterday and this was really just perfect. I accompanied it with a shaved fennel and zucchini salad. I was a little nervous because I learned that neither friend was crazy about mayo, though they both loved it and asked for the recipe. Thank you for sharing!
Sooo delicious! The crust is a dream to work with- I swapped in buttermilk, came out beautiful & flaky. Thanks for another great dinner!
Holy cats, this pie is sublime; summer on a plate. I was anxious about a soggy bottom crust, so I decided to double the quantities for the filling and make 2 top-crust-only pies. But in the final throes of assembling the thing, shortly before my guests were due to arrive, I realized I’d failed to double the cheddar and didn’t have a remotely acceptable substitute cheese in the house. Aieeee! But there was no time to do anything but steam on ahead and hope for the best, light on the cheese. And (drumroll please) it was still awesome. So if anyone out there contemplating this recipe is not a huge cheese fan or is lactose intolerant or what have you, feel free to cut back on the cheese. I can’t believe I’m making this recommendation, as my personal motto often seems to be, “more cheese!” Oh, and Deb, you have made a biscuit-crust baker out of this amazed yankee! I am going to start slapping that easy and delicious dough on anything and everything.
Even in a short time of using your blog (maybe a year or two?), I’ve discovered when you say to drop everything and make [insert item here], it is absolutely true! I doubled the recipe and made two, one for me, and one for my supervisor. Everyone who tried it LOVED it, and I’m set to make two more today! Thank you!
I’ve been making Laurie Colwin’s tomato pie for years, and we all love it, love it, love it!
Here’s how we get around the soggy crust… I put a layer of cheese on the bottom crust before I start layering in the tomatoes. It’s still juicy, but at least the crust doesn’t get so soggy. Once the pie is cut, of course, juice leaks everywhere. But then you can soak it up with the crust while you’re eating it, before it turns to mush.
I made this for ourweekly Game of Thrones viewing party last night. The pie was DELIGHTFUL, I used slightly hard (not very unripe, but not extremely ripe) and the soggy crust was avoided, and it was delicious! Needless to say, the drama of the episode overshadowed the pie, but when you have a Red Wedding, that is to be expected!
Morgan — It’s been three days and I still have “nice day for a Red Wedding, nice day to Stark agaaaain!” going through my head. ;) Glad you liked the pie.
I made this yesterday and it is terrific. I heeded your advice to seed/juice the tomatoes and while ours wasn’t completely soggy, it was still a bit wetter than I like in a pie. I liked one commenter’s suggestion of roasting the tomatoes first and might try that next time. I also might try squeezing a bit of moisture out of the chopped corn in some cheese cloth. The last thing I might try is coarse chopping the tomatoes and mixing them in a bowl with the corn, mayo, and other seasonings since my mayo didn’t distribute down evenly through the pie. No matter, this one’s a keeper. It just tastes like summer!
I have made this recipe a few times and love it. I substitute about 3/4 cup of corn meal for the flour in the crust. You have inspired me to experiment a bit with my cooking. I really enjoy your blog and love your cookbook. thanks
I added bacon to this and it was awesome. I cooked bacon and replaced 2tbs of butter in the crust with the rendered bacon fat. To combat the soggy bottom I combined the cooked bacon with some soft farmers cheese and spread that on the bottom to insulate the crust from the tomatoes and left out the mayo layer. The crust got a little soggy but not terribly. It tasted AWESOME. That biscuit crust is amazing. Everything should go it in, meaning all meals should be eaten in pie form.
Every year at this time I see the good tomatoes and think “Oh, I should really make the S.K. tomato pie.” And every year at this time as I make the dough, and peel the tomatoes, I say “It’s not a difficult recipe – it just has a lot of steps.” And every year at this time I start cussing you out as I dirty every dish in my kitchen, and swear I’m never making it again. And every year at this time I take a bite and say “I need to make this every day until the tomatoes and corn are gone.”
Thanks so much for my favorite late summer recipe.
[This year, at 7 months pregnant, I will be having a second piece.]
I made this pie for the first time this summer and it is delicious, even though I made quite a mess of my kitchen. But even my picky husband (who turned up his nose when I told him what I was making) loved it. Can this pie be frozen unbaked? If so, could you provide any tips for doing that? I have lots of tomatoes to use up and I keep thinking how wonderful it would be to have this pie after summer is over and I’m craving tomatoes again (right now, I’m about tomato’d out). I wasn’t sure how the crust with baking powder would freeze.
Just made this ! So awesome used heirloom tomatoes from the garden , corn also . So good , I loved the look on my husbands face, He was expecting a dud!
I am southern to the bone and have been making this pie for several years. I blind bake the crust and also drain the tomatoes, with a little salt, in a colander for several hours. Never had a soggy crust with this method. Love this recipe!!!!
I have been waiting for the moment when we had extra corn and extra tomatoes in the house. That moment came today and it was well worth the wait! I did tweak the recipe (I skipped the mayo, added caramelized onions, salted and drained the tomatoes, parbaked the crust, and used mozzarella instead of cheddar), but I found it to be fantastic and I can imagine many other possible additions (chicken or turkey? Garlic? Add the mayo next time?). This recipe, tweaks or not, is definitely a keeper! Thank you for another winner. Also, I just made your turkey meatballs and chickpea salad from the book with whole grain pita chips. Fantastic!
I am making this pie today with all the ingredients as written— and I wanted to check to see if I had commented before, during any of the many many previous times I have enjoyed this recipe of yours. I can’t believe I made so many changes/substitutions the first time!! Totally unnecessary. This is wonderful as written. Thank you, Deb! It just isn’t summer without this delightful pie.
I just made this for friends this weekend, it was a hit! Both friends asked for the recipe, I made the crust healthier with a half white flour and half multi grain mix from Good to the Grain by Kim Boyce, turned out great!
Just save the juice from the tomatoes. You can freeze it and use it in soups! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
My girlfriend hosts a pie contest every year, and I entered this pie into the 13th annual event, a contest that attracts about forty neighbors and friends near and far every year. The pie took 1st place in the savory category and 1st place in best of show. I followed the recipe to the letter, except the following: I used a regular pie crust per the rules and regs of the contest (a pie crust cannot have a leavener, so no biscuit crust), and I used a white cheddar/Gruyere cheese. I brushed an egg white coating on the bottom crust to avoid sogginess, and it worked. I added the chopped basil (sounds like Deb did not). Tomatoes were heirlooms from our garden. And I cut a very small corner out of a ziplock bag to evenly squeeze and distribute the mayo/lemon mix over the top just before attaching my top crust. The pie took both contest categories by a landslide. Thanks for the recipe!
-David
Hi Deb,
I made this recipe and its delicious, but I thought I would post a gentle reminder for adding in the weights of the ingredients. I switched to using a scale and I find it is so much better than fussing with teaspoons, cups, etc. And this conversion wasn’t always straightforward because I wanted to convert Tablespoons of baking powder to grams, and wasn’t sure about density of baking powder, eventually found one website for baking powder in tsp to grams, and then converted again (its 10 gm, by the way for the recipe, i was a bit shocked by the amount actually, but it worked great!). So thanks for a lovely recipe, it was delicous, i used emmentaler instead of cheddar because in Germany, its hard to find cheddar.
Just wanted to say THANK YOU for this recipe! I happened to randomly have fresh garden tomatoes and fresh corn (this is a small miracle with it being the end of October in New England, after all!) on hand and a friend of mine suggested I make pie. I’m so glad I took his advice! This was SO easy to make and it turned out delicious. Thank you for the great idea. :)
I made this last August for a baby shower of pies, and I thought it would be a savory pass-along course before the real event (a strawberry-pie-within-a-chocolate-cream-pie), but you know what? This pie stole the show for me. (Although the pie within a pie was a true coup.) Here it is, not even April, and I’m blaming not-yet-even-spring for not being summer. Thank you for changing my pie world. Canned corn, winter tomatoes, pre-sliced cheese–these may have to do for tonight. Sometimes proximates are totally fine. I have such lingering, positive feelings about this recipe; I thought I’d finally let you know. God bless you and tomato pie.
I love this recipe.m could this be made ahead and frozen, either already or not? Thanks, nt
I asked this question last year, too, but didn’t get an answer so I’m trying again. I love this pie and would really love to make a few and freeze them. If you could offer some tips on doing that, I’d really appreciate it. I assume freezing unbanked would be the way to go?
Stumbled upon this recipe yesterday and made a point of picking up some fresh tomatoes and corn at the farmer’s market this morning. I tried to spread out the work by making the biscuit dough in advance and refrigerating and leaving the tomato slices out to drain. However, I still thought it was a ton of work in my tiny, HOT apartment kitchen. Reading through the reviews, I was sure it would be worth it. Unfortunately, this really didn’t do it for me at all, mainly due to the overwhelming mayo flavor permeating everything. I like mayo, but maybe there’s a difference in brands? I used the organic from TJ’s. LOVED the crust, though. Hoping it will mellow a bit overnight and taste better tomorrow.
What you can do to keep the flavorful bits of the tomatoes is to slice them and sprinkle your remaining teaspoon of salt on the slices. Then let them drain for a while on a wire rack. Water goes out, flavor stays behind.
Well, even though I didn’t get any tips about how to do it or whether or not it would work, I had so many tomatoes to use up and I love this pie so much that I tried freezing a few. My sister is coming to visit next week and she loves the pie, too, so I really wanted to have some for her. I tried the first frozen one about a week ago and it still tasted really good but it was so watery, even though I always remove the seeds and spread the tomatoes out on paper towels to get most of the liquid out. The water made the crust really soggy in places…really disappointing. Unfortunately, I have 3 more in the freezer. :( In hindsight, maybe I should have added some flour somewhere along the process to thicken the juice in the frozen pies. Oh well, nothing ventured, nothing gained I guess. We’ll still eat the pies, but I wouldn’t serve them to company.
Luanne, I just put my umpteenth tomato pie in the oven and noticed your comment here. What were your final thoughts on the frozen, pre-baked pies? You may have figured out that freezing tomatoes, then thawing them, means that they just don’t yield the same results as a ripe tomato (as with many vegetables and fruits). I might have approached it with the eggplant treatment: lightly sprinkle tomato slices with salt and let them drain for a while, then proceed. Like a lot of good SK-related ideas, that one turned up in the comments. Hope you found what you sought in the end.
I have made tomato pie several times- but this is my new favorite recipe! Someone’s tip previously about putting the cheese layer on the bottom took care of any soggy crust problems I might’ve otherwise had. Thanks for the great recipe!
Third year in a row that Tomato and Corn Pie for Kol Nidre meal = easy fast (as they go…). Thank you, thank you, thank you!
This is a very finicky, obnoxious question, so I apologize in advance! So, in terms of making it ahead, I know you mention that you can bake it, chill it, and reheat, but do you think it “just works” or will it taste just as good? If not, do you think doing this crust the day before and storing the fridge would be ok? I do this with regular pie crusts but never with biscuits!
Thank you and, again, so sorry for such a picky question – hosting my boyfriend’s parents for the first time and am getting panicky about making a good first impression!
Katie — Reheating it will have zero effect on the flavor (which might even be better on the second day), it might have softened the crust a bit more, as will happen with wet ingredients and a dry crust.
I was going to ask a similar question to Katie about making, then freezing. We have an abundance of corn and tomatoes right now. But lots of other stuff too and limited eating capacity. Seems like a great thing to make ahead, freeze, and thaw for a busy mid week/school night dinner. I’m going to go for it!
I think I will make this for a picnic, but will make it cobbler-style, with only a crust on top. That way there can’t be any soggy crust on the bottom. (I will salt ahead of time, drain tomato slices & deseed anyway-tastes better that way.)
Have you ever tried green tomato pie? It is a sweet confection made in the style of an apple pie. I always include cardamon, nutmeg, lemon juice (though some use vinegar!), and cinnamon. It is my favorite summer pie. The sweet strange flavor of the green tomatoes is undesirable. Thanks for being you!
I’ve made this recipe 6 times since you posted it, sometimes exactly as written, sometimes with minor tweaks. When all goes well, it’s absolutely fantastic, and it’s always at least good. Early on, I considered the tradeoff you noted between sogginess and flavor loss. I decided to seed and juice the tomatoes (or salt and press them as Karen advised way back in Comment 12), but I capture that liquid and gently reduce it (with the skins, which I then take back out), and add it back into the mix. I definitely notice the more intense flavor in the finished product.
But what’s making me finally write in is that, this time, I went in the opposite direction, simplifying it instead. I always put off making this pie until I’m up for a real project, which means I have it much less often than I’d like. So this time, I just chopped everything straight into a 9×13 glass pan – no peeling, juicing, seeding, or layering; no bottom crust. I kept the cheese in the upper half of the mix so that it wouldn’t stick to the pan, since I didn’t grease or line it. I pressed it all down, dropped loose balls of dough on top, then spread them with fingers dipped in the melted butter, not quite sealing it all up. It was ready in a snap, and I’d say 90% as good. Side-by-side, the more labor-intensive one would win, but the easy one is really good, too. So, since the real choice in my house is usually the easy one or no pie, I’ll happily be eating the easy one more often from now on. I still might make the original if I’m up for a rewarding project or out to impress. I’d never had anything like it before you posted it, so thank you for introducing it so temptingly!
This was AMAZING! Thank you so much for the recipe. I’m going to work on getting a little less liquid in the pie for next time.
I know I’m late to the party, but I just made this last night and it was perfect! Heeding the warnings about the soggy bottom crust, I sprinkled half the cheese on the bottom crust first, then layered the corn and seeded tomato slices with shallots (because I didn’t have chives and yum!) poured on the mayo dressing and sprinkled the rest of the cheese on top just before I added the top crust. Then I baked it on a cookie sheet on the bottom rack of my oven and it came out perfect. I can’t wait for leftovers tonight! Thanks again for another home run recipe. =)
I seeded the tomatoes, but scraped them into a bowl. I mixed two tablespoons of these juices with the mayo instead of lemon juice, and I’ll save the rest of the seeds and juice for soup.
The whole thing was delicious.
A little late to the comment game, but seeing as how you just tweeted it today…I’m surprised that you, being (AFAIK) from central NJ, did not mention the central NJ tomato pie. DeLorenzo’s in Robbinsville (RIP the Trenton location) is the best known example of what is officially called tomato pie, but most others would just call pizza. Thin crust, then cheese, then chunky tomato sauce spooned on in little dollops all over the pizza, followed by a drizzled stream of olive oil. I’ve tried the best pizza that New York, Boston, Philly, Chicago, etc. have to offer, and DeLorenzo’s is still the champion.
This is a familiar recipe as we do this with green tomatoes at the end of the season with the mayo and cheese. It is yummy but your recipe looks delicious with the addition of fresh corn and basil. I am going to add it to my collection.
I made this as a vegetarian main and it was a great success. I peeled and seeded the tomatoes (my mother always did and I still think it works better for most dishes) but saved all the seeds and juice and used them to soak bulgar wheat for tabbouleh; a useful tip I got from Sally Clarke’s first book which seems worth passing on.
Great idea!
I made this last night and was wowed, I had another piece for lunch and was equally, well, smitten! Thanks so much and congratulations on your new web presence.
I have been making this since it first appeared in Gourmet in 1992. The way to solve the liquid problem is to go back to the original recipe and use well drained, canned tomatoes. Laurie Colwin’s recipe is perfect!
This was AMAZING. I followed all the steps of peeling, seeding and dejuicing the tomatoes and it was still pretty runny so I definitely recommend doing those steps. It was a lot of work/mess (I think I used every kitchen tool I own!) but I felt like every part was essential to the finished product. Already planning when I can make it again. 10/10.
Can I use canned crushed tomatoes in this recipe?
I have not but I understand (see earlier comment) that the original used just that. If drained well, I think you’ll be fine. Maybe diced instead of crushed.
Thank you for your quick reply!
I made this last night and it was absolutely amazing!! It did take quite some time to put together (I should have probably saved it for a weekend meal instead of weeknight), but it was well worth it. I used some awesome juicy heirloom tomatoes from my garden and, even though I removed what seeds and juice that I could, there was still some liquid in the bottom when I cut out the first piece. But I just scooped out the majority of it and ate it with the first piece (it was really delicious juice!). After that, there wasn’t too much liquid. I didn’t bother chopping up the corn at all, just cut it from the cob. Everything about this dish was amazing. Crust was SO delicious! This one is definitely a keeper.
This is beyond delicious. I highly recommend following the suggestions to peel and deseed the tomatoes. Using fresh corn off the cob also creates liquid. I have made this using grilled corn and there is less liquid run off, but I prefer the fresher taste of uncooked corn. I have never included the basil, and am happy with the taste as is. Serve warm, not hot.
I’ve made this pie to wild acclaim before. It’s a lot of prep work, but worth every minute. When I made it the other night I made a few very successful changes:
1. Used ww flour for the crust which made it nutty and extra delicious.
2. Sprinkled parmesan on the bottom crust before layering the de-seeded and drained tomato slices.
3. Had no chives, but did have society garlic shoots so chopped them with the basil.
4. Took the advice of another post and reduced the saved seeds and liquid, then mixed with the mayo instead of lemon juice. Oh, boy, what a great idea.
This is truly excellent reheated in the toaster oven for breakfast. Almost worth making another pie to hold back!
I have made this several time as-is…amazing!! Worth all the effort!
However, tonight I was trying to simplify things and turned it into a galette. I used the galette dough recipe from Deb’s zucchini ricotta galette, then just dialed back all the ingredients since I knew it would hold less. Perfect!
I also didn’t want to heat up the house, so I cooked it on the grill. No preheat, super low setting, half hour, worked like a charm!
Thanks for the galette idea! I had only one store-bought crust and didn’t want the potential for a crust failure (spent my pandemic time learning to bake bread, not pastry ;)). It turned out to be perfect. Next time, I might skip the cheese. Sounds crazy, I know, but I thought it competed with the fresh vegetables.
Thank you SO MUCH for sharing this recipe. I made this tonight and was blown away. I never have whole milk handy so I substituted with buttermilk (3/4 cup 2% milk + 1 TBSP vinegar) and the crust was sooooo flaky and amazing.
I ended up with WAY too much extra corn but I think that the corn this year are just monster-sized anyway. No biggie, I’ll just make corn pudding with the leftovers tomorrow.
I also did not have any problems at all with a soggy bottom crust, but I salted my tomatoes after deseeding them and set them out to drain for an hour. Then I gave them an extra squeeze to get rid of more juice and then gave them a spin the salad spinner. Bottom crust turned out just as flaky as the top.
Seriously, if everyone ate this pie, no one would ever need Ativan or Xanax again.
I made this pie for the first time yesterday and won a pie contest! This pie won the “yummy mess” category even though I didn’t find it very messy at all. Thanks!
I made this recipe last summer and it was just delightful…my brother’s girlfriend has requested it for this week’s dinner date and I was curious…have you ever made mini pies in a cupcake pan using the same crust and filling?
This could have done without the mayonnaise and lemon juice, it added a tangy-ness that I think was overpowering and took away from the fresh flavors of the corn and tomatoes. 1/3 cup of milk is too much, I would start with 1/4 cup next time and add a tablespoon at a time if it looks like it needs more.
Yummy! Such a perfect time for a dish like this, because the tomatoes actually taste good. During the winter I try to convince myself they do, but it’s really the dressing and the splashes of color they add to the salad that are the honest ‘liking’ points.
Re seeding, juicing tomatoes: save the liquid, add to chiffonade basil as a dressing for the pie! Best of both worlds. You rock, Deb. You make me think that Laurie Collin is perched on your shoulder, and James Beard is at your table.
Xxoo. KT Foust
If you are going to the trouble of peeling and seeding tomatoes, why not use a flavorful cooking tomato, like a San Marzano? So much more meaty and won’t make the mushy mess a beefsteak will. Beefsteaks are made to be eaten raw, imo.
Deb! Interrupting your idyllic vaca to ask if you think these would work in hand/slab pie form. Thoughts??
Hi Laura,
I noticed Deb includes instructions for making this as a slab pie. She recommends a single layer of ingredients which I think may make for easier serving and such a great idea for larger groups.
“An idea: Want to slab pie this and serve it to a crowd? I agree, it would be brilliant. This is how I’d approach it: Make 1 1/2 batches of the crust (slab pies require more crust for the same amount of filling) and arrange the filling in one layer instead of two in a parchment-lined 15x10x1-inch pan. Increase the amount of butter you brush the top with to a tablespoon or two and the baking time to about 45 minutes (this is an estimate, you should take it out when it is golden and the filling is bubbling). Be sure to remove the tomato seeds; that extra wetness could make for a slab pie mess.”
I think it could work! You’ll need a lot more dough; can’t hurt to double it.
Thank you for helping this southern girl master the ultimate tomato pie. I am in love!!!
I followed the directions (this is a first) and the pie was scrumptious. The crust was thick enough to absorb any excess liquid and the flavors were fresh and clean. The tomato season in NC has been incredible, and I love that the pie allows the fresh flavors of the tomatoes to shine and be the star of the pie. MANY, MANY THANKS!!
Could you de-glop your tomatoes first, then use the tomato water in place of the milk in the crust? (possibly adding milk powder to the dry ingredients?)
I just made this pie and it’s INSANE! My tastebuds are doing the Macarena! I went a little heavier on the basil and chives, but, man oh man…what a fresh, delightful dish. THANK YOU!
Just attempted the slab pie version of this and popped it in the oven. Definitely double the crust! 1.5 is not quite enough to get it up the sides of the sheet pan and ALSO cover the top adequately! Ooops!
Crave this every summer. To solve sogginess issue, bake biscuits on the side and eliminate crust completely (try to find White Lily biscuit flour). Keep them separate ’til right before dinner-time, then spoon on top like summertime biscuits n’ gravy. Sneak some gorgonzola into your filling or crumble on top :).
This was delicious! I loved it!
However, If I would make this again, I would make a few changes just to try. For example, I wouldn’t do a bottom crust because it was very very soggy but instead use all the dough for the top. Also, I would chop the tomatoes smaller and instead of the whole 2 tablespoons of lemon in the mayo I would use the leftover tomato juice to thin it out and just lemon zest.
This is one of my all time favorite recipes of yours – thanks for the reminder in your email! This summer, I’m going to swap the mayo for Vivian Howard’s smoked corn mayo (the recipe is in her cookbook and online and it is life changingly good) – I cannot wait.
Where does the 3/4 cup of whole milk get used in this recipe?
Did I miss a step? I always worry about proceeding with a recipe like this that is not complete or extra ingredients!
The recipe is complete – the second sentence tells you what to do with the milk (add it to the crust).
I felt the same way about tomato pie (seconds…thirds…yes, please!) when I had it for the first time this summer. I hadn’t seen your recipe and I made the Cook’s Illustrated recipe which has you drain the tomatoes on paper towels for 30 minutes and let the baked pie rest for 3 hours before cutting into it. Both of those suggestions help with the juiciness of the tomatoes. Now, I’m going to have to try this recipe!
Just coming back to this old favorite to say thanks a million. I can’t bear to toss the best parts of the tomatoes just to avoid sogginess, so I skip a bottom crust altogether and just put drop biscuits on top. Tomato cobbler? Whatever. My grandma used to do the same for her chicken pot pie and no one complained. Anyway, this is delicious.
This was fantastic. I used a tablespoon of the tomato water with the lemon juice mayo sauce. Also spread a very thin layer of mayo on bottom crust. No sogginess at all.
I made this pie today with excellent results. I read the comments first about soggy crust so I spread about 1/4 cup of cornmeal on the bottom crust. I also used a mix of sour cream and mayo instead of just mayo, and replaced half the milk with a milk/heavy cream mixture. instead of just cheddar I mixed it 50/50 with smoked provolone and then added a bit of mozzarella. It was delicious!
I love this recipe! Never failed the last seven? times I’ve made it over the years. But it’s just too hot today to roll out a crust- would you consider making a cobblerized version of this?
See my comment. It works as a cobbler with cornbread on top.
Cornbread works! I made the mistake of buying a funky pre-made crust that I couldn’t use, so I improvised by pouring all the insides into a pie dish and topping with corn bread batter (Jiffy). It turned out super tasty!
I made this last night to rave reviews from my family! I didn’t have chives so I sauted an onion and added that to the mix. Worth the extra effort to take out the tomato seeds – I hardly had any excess liquid. I used the tomato water in place of the lemon juice, recommended in another comment, and it gave a lovely flavor – just enough acid. Worth the effort and I’m not usually one to deal with pastry or a rolling pin!
Omg, just made this. Absolutely yumm. Yes, peel the tomatoes. And seed them. Perfect. Followed everything to a tee, even no basil, because I am basil-ed our this summer😄
I made this last night with tomatoes from a coworker’s garden and corn from a farm stand. The flavors – incredible! The biscuit crust – amazing! I wanted to eat and eat and eat. However, SO much liquid came out of the corn and tomatoes even though I seeded the tomatoes. The bottom crust got soggy (and maybe helped thicken the filling a bit) but I ultimately had to set the remainder of the pain on an uneven surface to drain. I realize where I may have gone wrong: I used a quiche pan so it was deeper and I used one additional tomato (not a huge beefsteak) so perhaps I just overdid it on the filling.
Ok, I’ve never officially lived in the south, but my parents are from Alabama, but somehow I’ve never had this, nor had I heard of it til this appeared in my feed! Just made it for the first time – following all recommendations like peeling and seeding/juicing the tomatoes- and am experiencing the same difficulty in resisting thirds! Thanks for the recipe! Love it!
I loved this! It tasted like summer and the crust was wonderful! I did as you suggested and squeezed the juice and seeds out of the tomatoes and it really helped. I will definitely make it again!!
You can peel the tomatoes with a regular vegetable peeler! You just need to get the peeler going but once it does you can peel off the skin in one go. Saves the hassle of blanching them.
I have made this pie every year for the past 4 years, when tomatoes are very ripe. I actually make it vegan by substituting the cheddar for a vegan alternative shredded cheese, vegan margarine, and vegan mayo. I have found that if you don’t cook the tomatoes, just slice them raw, and layer them in the pie it is not soggy. The peels don’t get in the way at all. I have also made the crust with a whole wheat sprouted flour, and it is excellent. This is also my go to crust recipe for pot-pie. Thanks for the great recipe.
I wonder what this would be like baked in a pie dish, just topped with crumpled filo pastry…? I’m not good at making my own…
The filling sounds fab.u.lous!
ATK just had a tomato tart recipe where they sliced the tomatoes and put them on a paper towel lined sheet pan. Salted them and patted them dry before using. I haven’t tried it yet but I’m holding out for Jersey’s best heirlooms. Your recipe too of course.
Id think about salting the sliced tomatoes and letting them drain for a bit, like I would with bikes or zucchini.
Love your stuff!!
In addition to seeding and draining the tomatoes, I think it was Cook’s Country blueberry pie that suggested putting 3 Tbsp. dry, plain breadcrumbs in bottom of crust to help prevent the dreaded soggy bottom. It seems to work–sometimes I use cornflake crumbs. Might that be a useful addition to this recipe? I’m anxious to try this!
My daughter, granddaughter and I made this exactly as written down to blanching the tomatoes for 10 seconds and it was a beautiful thing. We had it with grilled scallops on the side and we ate and ate until we could eat no more!
While I am sure that the homemade crust is way better, I made this tonight with a store-bought pie crust and it was still delicious. I will definitely make this again.
Been looking at this pic and recipe for years…finally took it on! Made it almost exactly as written but didn’t have enough chive so added a little finely chopped onion. The crust was easy to handle and tasty. I poked all the seeds out of the tomato slices and it wasn’t soggy even the next day. The onslaught of August tomatoes is around the corner so I’ll be making this bad boy again!
Delicious
This pie is amazing! Tomato pie, where have you been all my life.
I made the following simplifications that worked: grated the tomatoes (same as the raw tomato sauce), mixed everything together (no layers), and I added a tsp of cornstarch to thicken it. I did top with cheese and the mayo mix.
After you’ve seeded the tomatoes, use the seeds, juice and “gel” to replace some or all of the vinegar in the salad that you will want to eat with your Tomato & Corn Pie. You can strain the seeds out if you want, but I don’t and I’ve had no complaints.
I just wanted to say thank you for this recipe. My wife and I have been making this several times every summer for 5+ years, and every single summer I forgot how freaking good it is until we make it. We just did the slab format for the first time and it worked brilliantly for quarantine lunch prep.
Thank you for bringing a smile to my face (and contentment to my belly) every summer.
Could you make this without the mayonnaise? What would you substitute?
Doralece
Being “Southern” my entire life and eating tomato pie for over 60 years, I will suggest one “tip” to making pie not soggy with those juicy ripe tomatoes that make this so wonderful. My Grandmother sprinkled a very thin coating of corn meal on bottom crust before assembling the pie. Also she taught me to salt the peeled tomatoes and lay them in a colander until they drained well. We never remove the seeds. This enables the tomatoes to dry a little before you bake the pie, which makes them juicy like any cooked tomatoes becomes. I have never had corn in tomato pie and can not wait to make your recipe. Thank you!
Roma tomatoes will be more meatly and less juicy in this .
If you slice tomatoes, place on paper towel lined baking sheet, sprinkle with 1 tsp salt and let sit for :10 minutes, then blot dry, you won’t have that puddle! Don’t even peel them.
I don’t know why I always forget just how good this is. My corn wasn’t even optimal (I’m in IA, we have high standards for corn) but it was still amazing. And, as a bonus, a way I can still eat corn (while I’m in the throes of adult braces, meaning “on the cob” is off the table). I did peel my tomatoes, but I sliced and let drain on paper towels while I was doing all the other prep, and took someone’s suggestion above and sprinkled a couple Tbls of bread crumbs in the bottom. It had a little weepage, but not much. Served with grilled kielbasa and an additional (frozen) veg medley. So looking forward to slices of this for my lunch all this week!
so here is my take on this utterly delicious idea of a corn and tomato pie. First i solved the problem of the over-wet tomatoes: as it is pandemic summer, even in frozen Minnesota, i simply made thick slices and slow-roasted them (180 degrees for three hours). I made flaky pastry instead of the biscuit dough, Pre-baked it, then did everything the same/ No top crust (as my hub is a diabetic and the corn provides plenty of carbs), Crispy buttery crust filled with all that summer deliciousness. No sog. Thanks , as usual!! BTW 10 years ago a friend directed me to your site as a place with plenty of instruction on how to make a wedding cake. I did exactly as you said and made a gorgeous cake for 125 people! perfect instructions! They got divorced but the cake is legendary.Be well, all!
Deb, I’ve been on a tomato pie bend, and this sounds like another hit. Rater than Mayo I used half creme fraiche & boursin cheese hanging out in the fridge. Really incredible!
Would corn I froze from fresh cobs work???
IF I COULD ONLY PRODUCE A PIE CRUST LIKE YOURS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is so delicious. I peeled and did a quick de-seed of each tomato slice and had no liquid issues (also did not chop the corn); no soggy bottom in sight. This is definitely a pie you do not want to be alone with. It is too good. To me, the flavors are of that perfect summer tomato sandwich. I love it. A midsummer staple in our house.
This was such a hit with everyone here. My father in law who grew up in a farm said it was one of the best things he’s ever eaten and paid me the ultimate compliment saying his own mother would have loved it. It tastes like summer in each bite—- magic and comforting.
Some notes: i peeled and then seeded the tomatoes ahead of them and pressed them between towels for a bit. I also added like a teaspoon of flour to the corn mixture and between those two steps had absolutely no extra liquid. Time consuming but oh so worth it.
I just made this and it was out-of-this world good. I blind-baked the crust and while I didn’t core the tomatoes, I strained them in a paper-towel-lined colander after slicing, and mine didn’t come out soupy at all. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
I made this without the top crust. I used frozen sweet corn and substituted cheddar for Quattro Formaggio blend. It was heavenly. My 3 year old ate two slices ! Thank you
This is a summer favorite in our house! This time, I made the crust with half butter and half bacon fat. It was a *splendid* idea.
I didn’t think anything could come close to your butternut squash galette, the perfect food—it’s both dinner and dessert. But this perfectly summery tomato corn pie sure comes close. I halved the recipe so I wouldn’t overindulge and I’m glad I did or I would’ve eaten twice as much! It disappeared quickly. I made it exactly as written, just halved amounts. I can’t wait to make it again!
I want to try this but also have to admit that as a southerner, this is the fussiest and most time consuming tomato pie recipe I’ve ever seen!!! Also have never really used a recipe… Pie crust (often premade), cut up tomatoes, basil, cover with mayo-cheddar or ricotta-Italian cheese blend. Bake according to pie dough used.
I made this last night using chives, basil and tomatoes from my garden. While my pie crust skills need some work, the pie itself was FANTASTIC! A delicious combination of all of summer’s best produce!
I removed the seeds from the tomatoes as suggested. Prior to assembly, I laid the tomato slices on several layers of paper towels to help remove excess moisture. It helped tremendously.
Thanks for a keeper of a recipe!
This is SO GOOD. One of the most delicious things I’ve ever made. I suggest chilling the dough before rolling, it’s so sticky otherwise. I also suggest peeling and slicing the tomatoes the day before, and then sprinkling them with salt and putting them in the fridge overnight. You can then strain out the liquid and reserve it for a salad dressing or tomato martini (!) and the resulting tomato slices are intact, seeds and all, but not too wet. I did this and the pie was perfect, not watery at all.
I love this pie! I’ve made it twice in a week. My suggestions:
– Salt the sliced tomatoes and leave them in a wire mesh strainer over a bowl for an hour, stirring occasionally. Use 1 Tbsp. of the tomato water in the lemon mayo in place of 1 Tbsp. of the lemon juice, and save the rest in the freezer to use later in soups or braises, or as cooking liquid for rice or pasta.
– Double the amount of basil and chives.
– Sprinkle cornmeal on the bottom crust before filling it, to absorb excess moisture.
– Bake the pie on a baking sheet, just in case there are any drips.
I didn’t bother further chopping the corn after I hacked it off the cobs. I experimented a bit with my second pie, adding sliced red onion (meh) and using half beefsteak and half sliced grape tomatoes (success!). Great recipe!
P.S. I didn’t peel my tomatoes.
Wonderful. Taking the advice of others, I rested cut tomatoes in a strainer. Perfect slices, no mess. Used heirlooms from the garden. Started recipe with tomatoes instructions. Drained tomatoes for about 30 minutes while I prepared the crust and corn – used tomato juice in place of lemon. Did not have sharp cheddar – used mexican shredded cheese and substituted chopped green onions for chive. Still remarkably wonderful. Summer in each bite. It was very hot while I was making this so I rolled out both crusts and rested them in the fridge while prepared everything else.
Golly, this is good. All its parts are wonderful on their own (tomatoes, corn, herbs from the garden; local milk, butter, cheese), yet indeed the whole is somehow greater than the sum of the parts. And leftovers were great for breakfast the following morning, setting us up for a big day.
Deb, I admit I value your writing even more than your cooking (I just have a different palate). I used to wonder if you’d make a shift to fiction writing (Laurie Colwyn). Your recent op-ed in the NYT was terrific (I was several paragraphs in and thought: this is really good; who wrote it? before I saw your byline). Now I hope you’ll stay right here. You elevate blog writing. ~~ Plus pie!
The flavor of this was AMAZING, but we definitely ended up with a soggy bottom crust despite doing our best to de-juice the tomatoes. It was still fantastic! I think we’d probably just stick with the top crust next time. Definitely would make again for the flavor!
Another fun one! I think I would have liked a little less cheese (shocking) and a little more lemon/mayo sauce. But yummy and a big hit.
This was amazing. Hands down my favorite tomato pie I’ve had. I tweaked it based on others’ comments. I only did the top crust, not wanting to risk a soggy bottom, and I thought the ratio of veggies to crust was perfect. I went heavy on the fresh herbs, and used a tablespoon of tomato water in place of one of the tablespoons of lemon juice. I also did half sour cream, half mayo. Oh and three ears of corn made 2.5 cups of kernels for me, so I just used them all. I had halved the dough recipe but accidentally put in all the milk, and so I had to pat the biscuit dough into place. It still came out great.
If you ever make that mistake again, you could make the full recipe of biscuit dough, and freeze the excess (shaped?). It works for scones, that are basically sweet biscuits…
Took your advice and drained the tomatoes VERY well…in fact, I peeled and seeded them yesterday, then left them in a bowl in the fridge overnight pouring off the liquor every few hours (saved it to use for something else!) before I made the pie. Having done all the peeling work the day before made it come together very easily. Also used frozen corn rather than fresh (which I always do) and it was great. Love this pastry for a savory pie!
Love this recipe! I was out of regular mayonnaise and used chipotle mayo and WOW! Amazing!
Ok, I made this a second time and it was even better. I recommend peeling And seeding your tomatoes the night before and letting them drain overnight. If you do that, things actually come together really quickly (especially if you do the dough in the food processor). I’m going to experiment using that dough recipe for other kinds of savory pies too!
Hand pie version, please! It’s picnic and excursion season, don’tchaknow! I would try it myself but your are the pie crust master and I, your humble de fumbling, follower!
My favorite version yet: Romas, orange bell pepper, cheese odds & ends (habanero cheddar, mozzarella, extra-sharp cheddar), fresh parsley, eyeballed mayo-lemon mix, a little Penzeys green herb mix in the crust, and a giant fistful of diced salami. Hot damn, it’s a party in my mouth!
When it comes to peeling fresh tomatoes, I find the OXO serrated peeler does the easiest job. It was available from Amazon but appraently not any more=> too bad, it is my favorite peeler the last several years. It peels tomatoes, peaches and other softer fruits better then any other peeler I have ever tried.
As for seeding fresh tomatoes, I use a grapefruit spoon. It makes seperating the seed and goop (actually called the locular cavity=> who knew) from the meat. I often freeze them just this way, much easier then canning them if I do not have a lot to do. The juice can be cooked and reduced, then frozen with the firm flesh. No good for salads but great cooked dishes.
OMG!! Made this for dinner tonight. Amazing! I understand what you mean when you said you couldn’t stop eating it! Can’t wait for leftovers for breakfast and lunch. I too left out the basil. The crust is amazing and much easier that pie crust. I’m stealing that crust for potpies!
This has long been my favorite summer recipe, but the thing that recently kicked it up a notch was completely accidental. I was visiting my grandma (not the kind that cooks!) and wouldn’t find a pie pan in her house. I used an 8×8 pan instead (because even non-cooking grandmas make brownies) and it was a revelation. The ingredients fit perfectly and the filling to crust ratio is just right. I’m never going back to a regular pan!
I love this recipe! I make it every summer. It does involve a lot of preparation, but it is well worth it. I always peel and see the tomatoes and then dry them in a single layer on a couple of layers of paper towels, lightly salted and covered with another two layers of paper towels. I would also recommend using cooked corn which prevents the release of more juice. That way, the pie isn’t watery and tastes amazing. P.S. the crust is easy and delicious
Unfortunately this didn’t do it for me:-( I’m pretty sure the basil ruined it even though I only used half of what the recipe calls for. Basil and lemon is the only thing that could be tasted and together it’s not a tasty combination. The whole pie got tossed I wouldn’t even let my husband try it as it was that awful. I honestly believe this is the first tomato dish that I didn’t like as I’m a tomato lover and ohh to throw out all those fresh home grown tomatoes about killed me!
Hello. If I can only do the top or bottom crust, not both, which would you recommend?
My vote would be for top crust, if you can only do one. You’ll get that delicious browning and crunch.
wow wow wow. After having this at the back of my brain every summer for over a decade, I finally found the perfect opportunity to make it. I was enlisted to help feed my mother’s book club, and this seemed like the perfect summery main dish! To feed 14 people, I tripled the crust, doubled the filling and turned it into two slab pies following the guidelines at the end of the recipe.
First of all, the crust. My god, the crust. So soft and flexible! So easy to work with! So tender and tasty! I am absolutely going to utilize this crust for future savoury pies. It truly does evoke memories of the best buttery biscuits.
The filling is labour intensive, but I carefully pulled the goopy guts out of every tomato slice and our pies did not have any problems with stray puddles of liquid. The combination of the tomato with the fresh sweetness of the corn and the sharp richness of the cheese is such a perfect summer flavour. I can’t wait to make this again.
I have a frozen pie crust in the freezer that I want to use, and was thinking of putting that and the bottom and 1/2 the recipe for the rest of the crust on top. Do you think I would need to defrost or pre-bake the bottom crust first?
We make this every year for the last 10 years when the Wisconsin tomatoes, corn, basil are fresh from the garden. Also cannot go wrong with the cheese in this dairy state. Family favorite for our seasonal dish.
I have been making this for five years now and it is my very favorite thing to do on a warm summer night – absentmindedly rolling butter between my fingers into dough, carefully peeling and slicing thick, sweet summer tomatoes, delicately assembling the masterpiece. Thank you for this recipe!
I’ve made this as the recipe dictates several times and loved it. This time I went ahead and did cobbler-style using the SK buttermilk biscuit recipe and it worked splendidly! Bake time was the same, no bottom crust sogginess to worry about, and the craggy edges of the biscuits made a great contrast to the soft tomato and crunchy corn.
I make tomato pies frequently. First slice and place your slices on paper towels . Sprinkle both sides with salt and walk away. You can lightly cover with paper towels. Let sit for a minimum of half hour but an hour is better. Salt lets some of the fluid go.
Secondly, put the tomato slices on sprayed parchment paper and roast them for a little bit. They will dry out more and intensify and flavor. Leave enough of the unroasted to put on your top layer. I don’t use the top crust at all layer, your tomatoes and mayo cheese mixture with the corn, we also add bacon and caramelized onions. until you get to the top and then top with the unroasted tomato slices. This will take it to a whole other level.
Well this was freaking delicious. I needed a vegetarian side dish for a crab feast, and it was perfect! Everyone loved it, even my “you’re making a what?” husband! I didn’t see this in any other comments, but the dough was VERY VERY wet and sticky for me. I had to chill it for at least an hour before it was rollable – I couldn’t even divide it cleanly until it was chilled. But, it came out perfectly, so I guess that’s just how it’s supposed to be!
I also took the other suggestions of using the tomato juice in place of lemon juice, and laid out the tomatoes with paper towels for an hour to get out more liquid. We had minimal puddling in the pie!
If you’re considering it, DO IT. Get the freshest tomatoes you can find at a local farmers market and lose yourself in the zen of making this pie. It’s worth it.
Someone mentioned they used this dough and made this as a galette. Any tips on doing that? Or more specific instructions on doing it as a slab pie? We’re going to make this for a group of 12. I want to to try to make it easier on us.
i’ve made this so many times and it’s aways mind-blowingly amazing. deb, do you think it could be frozen (for mid winter joy)?
Would this be ok to freeze for later? If so, would you prepare it and freeze before cooking, or after?