When I finally admit that even a heater won’t keep freezing temperatures from killing the greenhouse’s tomato plants, I pluck everything from the vines. These late-picked tomatoes are mostly green and firm, so I wrap them individually in paper and set them in boxes in my house. With luck, we’ll be eating red, ripe, homegrown tomatoes until December.
These tomatoes lack the intensity of their summertime, sun-kissed counterparts, but they have as much or more flavor than out-of-season tomatoes from the supermarket. This makes them ideal for cooked uses like sauces, where aromatics and herbs draw out their tastiness.
When a couple of pounds of tomatoes ripen at once, I turn them into this savory pie. The slowly cooked tomatoes develop a richer flavor, infused with onion, garlic and rosemary. For even deeper notes, caramelize the onion, roast the garlic, use sourdough breadcrumbs and smoke the cheese.
All tomato varieties can be used in pie, but the juicier the tomatoes, the more liquid the salt will draw from the slices and the toasted breadcrumbs will have to soak up as the pie bakes. Don’t skip the salting and toasting steps; they’re crucial to minimizing crust sogginess. If you use cherry tomatoes, cut them in half.
Any pie crust works as a base, from the one I use for Cinnamon-and-Sugar Pie Crust to a scratch-made or store-bought gluten-free one. Next week, I’ll share a herb-speckled crust recipe that tastes delicious beneath this pie, quiche and other savory fillings.
Late-Season Tomato Pie
Serves 4-8
2 pounds ripe tomatoes, sliced
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced, or 2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crumbled
Single 9-inch pie crust
1/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Start preheating the oven to 400°F. Place the tomato and onion slices in a medium bowl, toss gently with the salt and pepper and let sit for at least 10 minutes.
In a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Stir in the garlic, breadcrumbs and rosemary and cook for about four minutes, until the garlic is golden.
When the oven is ready, fit the crust into a 9-inch pie plate and prick it all over with a fork. Bake for about 10 minutes, until slightly firm. Remove the crust from the oven but leave the oven on.
In layers, fill the prebaked pie crust with the tomato and onion slices, mozzarella and breadcrumb mixture, using your fingers or a slotted spoon to let excess liquid drain from the tomatoes back into the bowl. Top the final layer of breadcrumbs with the Parmesan.
Bake at 400°F for 25 to 30 minutes, until hot and lightly brown. Let sit for at least five minutes before serving; it is also delicious at room temperature. Serves four as a main dish and eight as a side.
Julie Laing is a Bigfork-based cookbook author and food blogger. Learn more about this month’s canning workshops at TwiceAsTasty.com.