Summer Tomato Pie

There’s a spectrum to Tomato Pies.  There are the Tomato Pies that think themselves Apple Pies:  double crusted, savory but spiced, and very very wet….  

There are the Tomato Pies that should really be called Cheese Pie and the good Lord knows there’s not a thing wrong with those pies and the grace and joy they bring to the world.  

Then there’s this:  part tomato pie, part quiche, heavy on the ricotta, very fine indeed.    

We’re letting tomatoes (are you growing your own?  That’s my daydream for you), have their time to shine, bound in creamy egg and herbed cheese.  

It’s breakfast, lunch and definitely dinner. Perfect weekend vibes, so let’s!  

xo Joy

Here’s what you’ll need for this tomato endeavour.  Grab yourself an onion and a few big ol’ cloves of garlic.  Fresh parsley and fresh thyme.  Milk, eggs, and ricotta are our dairy.  

And tomatoes.  Lots of tomatoes.  I used about 2 pints of cherry tomatoes:  small red cherry tomatoes and bigger heirloom cherry tomatoes.  Use whatcha got and whatcha like! 

I happened to have a pie crust in my refrigerator from last Tuesday’s Facebook Live pie baking class.  That sounds like a humble-brag.  I just have pie on the brain.  

I’m not going to be shy about enthusiasm for cheese.  Ricotta with a handful of fresh parsley and plenty of salt and pepper will sit nestled into the tomatoes.  If you’re thinking this is reminiscent of lasagna… you’re exactly right.  

Whole eggs meet whole milk, fresh thyme, salt and pepper. 

If you notice, we’re salting and seasoning just about every element of our pie.  Seasoning the cheese.  Seasoning the eggs.  Lightly seasoning every element ensures that out tart is going to be balanced.  

Onions are cooked slowly over low heat until they just begin to caramelize.  I like to leave garlic cloves whole and smashed, adding them to the onions to cook slowly.  

Big garlic bites!  

I used a tart shell for this pie.  They tend to be slightly more shallow than a traditional pie pan, so we’ll adjust the recipe below.  

Since we’re adding so many moist elements to our pie, it’s best to pre-bake the crust.  Trust me, every lazy bone in my body  (and there are quite a few of them) rages against pre-baking the crust… but it’s important.  

To pre-bake a crust, first make sure it’s chilled in the pie or tart pan.  Line the pan with foil, and layer dried beans or pie weights on top and up the sides of the foil.  The weight will help keep the crust from rising on the bottom and sinking on the sides.  Remove the foil after about 12 minutes and bake a bit longer until the crust firms a bit.  Effort well spent, I promise. 

The pre-baked pie shell won’t take on a tremendous amount of color but it will stand up to all the tomatoes and cheese.

Onions and garlic are layered across the bottom of the crust.  

Tomatoes.  It’s time to add em.  

With the larger  tomatoes, I slice them in half and scoop out some of their seeds.  Pro-tip to avoid sogginess.  

Sliced and not.  Large and small.  Add a lot.  

Generous spoonfuls of herby ricotta are nestled into the tomatoes.  

Work them in there.  More is more.  Thank you, cheese.  

The egg mixture is poured over the tomatoes and ricotta in the pie.  I find it easiest to do this close to the heated oven, reducing the likelihood of spillage from counter to oven.  

Roasted tomatoes, baked cheese, roasted garlic bites in there too.  It’s delicious and creamy.  Super satisfying just warm or at room temperature.  Celebrating summer.  I hope it brings happiness to your heart.