Monday, November 16, 2009

Tomato and Corn Pie


I would have no reservations going as far as to say that this pie is one of the best things I've ever eaten in my life. Maybe a tomato and corn pie doesn't sound that good but oh it really really is. My boyfriend and I were fighting over who got to eat the leftovers and who was eating bigger pieces. And instead of the traditional pie crust, it's made with a biscuit style crust. So very delicious.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Squash & Aged White Cheddar Tart with Sage and Roasted Garlic Custard
Chayote and Corn Enchiladas
Feta and Ricotta Cheese Pie

Tomato and Corn Pie
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen who adapted from Gourmet, August 2009

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 3/4 teaspoons salt, divided
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus 2 teaspoons melted
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 3/4 pounds tomatoes
1 1/2 cups frozen corn (thawed), coarsely chopped by hand or lightly puréed in a food processor, divided
2 tablespoons finely chopped basil, divided
1 green onion, finely chopped, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
7 ounces (1 3/4 cups) coarsely grated sharp Cheddar, 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 into a 12-inch round (1/8 inch thick). Transfer the dough into a 9" pie plate carefully (you can wrap it around a rolling pin or fold it gently into quarters.) Pat the dough in with your fingers trim any overhang. Put the second half of the dough in the fridge until you're ready to use it.

Preheat oven to 400F with rack in middle. 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, gently remove seeds and extra juices. Arrange half of tomatoes in crust, overlapping, and sprinkle with half of corn, one tablespoon basil, 1/2 of the green onions, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper and one cup of grated cheese. Repeat layering with remaining tomatoes, corn, basil, green onions, 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.

32 comments:

Karly said...

Ooh, that sounds amazing. I might have to make that for Thanksgiving dinner!

katherine said...

Mmmm anything from Smitten Kitchen gets an A+ in my book and your rendition looks lovely!

La Cuisine d'Helene said...

I am so tempted to make it. Your pastry look good.

Johanna GGG said...

great endorsement - I can't say it would appeal esp as the mayonnaise seems a weird addition but I am willing to take your recommendation - I do love pies after all!

Xiaolu said...

Mmm! I've resisted this recipe thus far due to my unluckiness with pastry but I think I just caved when it popped up here... Are the beefsteak tomatoes necessary (I don't see them at this time of year) and will frozen corn work, ya think?

veggievixen said...

wowie zowie, where on earth did you get delicious tomatoes and corn this time of year? in any case this looks like a great recipe.

grace said...

i don't doubt for a second that this is one of the tastiest pies ever--it definitely appeals to me, especially the whole biscuity crust part. lovely dish!

fresh365 said...

My cousin had made something very similar and it was so good we made it all summer long! This version looks amazing!

eatme_delicious said...

Xiaolu & veggievixen: I used frozen corn and field tomatoes! =)

Lu said...

Yummy. What a great vegetarian dish. Sometimes a pie like this just hits the spot. I'll be making this one as soon as I can.

Chronicles à la Cuisine said...

Two of my favorite things mixed into a pie shell...heck yeah! And to top it all off, it's vegetarian. Beautiful pictures and lovely website.

Beth @ DiningAndDishing said...

Now that looks just fantastic! Paired with a bit of salad that is quite the fancy yet hearty meal :O)

Chef Fresco said...

I thought tomato pie was a strange concept until my fiance's mom made it - man is that stuff delicious!

CookiePie said...

YUM - that pie sounds so delicious!!

To answer the question you asked on my blog - old-fashioned oats are the least refined of the rolled oats, so they're very hearty and chewy. Next is quick-cooking, which are rolled thinner, so they're less chewy. Instant are the most refined and don't work well in most recipes. You can usually swap old-fashioned and quick-cooking in most recipes -- just be aware that cookies, breads and such will have a chewier, oatier texture with old-fashioned. Hope that helps!

kickpleat said...

I've made this several times and it's always amazing. I'll have to wait until next summer to make it, but I like it's a limited time kind of pie!

Steph said...

The crust looks flaky. I'm glad you enjoyed this. It's always a good thing if you have to fight for food!

Ricki said...

When I first saw the photo, I thought, "Ooh, pie crust, too much work." But biscuit-style? That's just up my alley! Now I've got to bookmark this. :)

Vaala ◪ said...

That pie sounds seriously amazing! Actually the idea of corn and tomato together seems very appetising. I will perhaps have to try and veganise this for myself.

Deborah said...

I love the sound of that crust!!

saveur said...

I made the same pie and thought it was delish.. It looks like you also had the same problem with a soupy bottom?

Dana said...

I've seen that gorgeous pie around the blog world and I have to admit that I am intrigued! I'm glad to hear you thought it lived up to the hype!

eatme_delicious said...

saveur: Yea my bottom was soupy but I didn't let the pie rest at all before cutting it so that might've contributed to it? Or maybe the tomatoes were too wet..

kimberleyblue said...

Oh, I remember when I saw this on Smitten Kitchen. It went straight to my bookmarks.

I'm happy to hear it's as tasty as it sounds.

test it comm said...

This savoury corn pie with cheese sounds so good!

nandini.p said...

Wow this pie looks gorgeous!!!Corn and cheese fabulous combination for a pie! Cant wait to try it.

Christine said...

I missed this one the first go-round. But now, holy crap, I cannot wait for good tomatoes!

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for posting this recipe! You're right, this is definitely one of the best things I've ever eaten. I've made this pie three times since you posted the recipe and it is amazing! I can only imagine how wonderful it will be once summer hits and I can use in-season tomatoes and fresh corn!

tanis said...

we tried this tonight! amazingly delicious!
one of the best things Ive eaten in a very long while; Im already looking forward to lunch tomorrow- leftovers!! :)

Stephanie said...

This is best thing I've ever eaten in my whole life. I scooped the juice and the seeds from the tomatoes and had no trouble with too much juiciness. This was an incredibly delicious dish. I will make it a bunch more.

eatme_delicious said...

Stephanie: Haha I totally agree with you - I am completely in love with this pie! It's been way too long since I've made it. I'm glad you enjoyed it so much. :)

MrsSpock said...

This was, so, so, so good!

eatme_delicious said...

MrsSpock: So glad you enjoyed it. :)