You say tomatoes, and some Southerners say tuh-may-dahs. My kids say toe-mah-toes, but that’s because Peppa Pig still reigns as the queen of the screen in this house. The taste of a fresh, ripe tomato is synonymous with the best of summer’s harvest . With the first full week of September underway, it’s that awkward time of year where you’re still melting like a snow cone in Phoenix while researching pumpkin pie recipes. It is time to savor the last of this year’s tomato season. I recommend you grab a boat load of butter and some cheese because today’s post is all about tomato pie. 

In the summertime, recipes for tomato pie are sure to grace the covers of Southern food and lifestyle magazines. Typically, Southern tomato pies are made with a hefty helping of mayonnaise and cheddar cheese. While I am in love with mayonnaise, tomatoes, and cheddar cheese individually, I don’t quite love them in this state of matrimony. 

What I do crave is a buttery, flaky pie crust oozing with layers of shredded mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and heirloom tomatoes. If you’re salivating like I am, than this tomato pie recipe is for you. It’s easy to assemble, smells amazing in the oven, and tastes delicious. Now that we’ve checked off all of the boxes for what makes a great recipe, let’s talk tomatoes and pie crust.

Pie Crust

For the crust, I made Erin Jeanne McDowell’s “All buttah pie dough” recipe. Erin is a New York Times contributing baker and food stylist who literally wrote The Book on Pie. Furthermore, the recipe's name has buttah in it, which is all I needed to know that this was the pie crust for me. I adapted the recipe below for how I mixed the dough by hand, but you can also see the full recipe on  Erin’s website. This will be your go-to pie crust: tender, flaky, melts in your mouth (thank you buttah), and there is no soggy-bottom!   

Heirloom Tomatoes

I use two different heirloom tomatoes in this tart that are available at our farmers’ market in North Carolina: Cherokee Purple and German Johnson. Interestingly enough, the Cherokee Purple tomato was introduced by a retired chemist from Raleigh, NC, named Craig LeHoullier. I love the Cherokee Purple’s uneven shape and unexpected blend of green, brown, and purple tones. But the taste alone is what sets this tomato apart from the others. Cherokee Purples are a trifecta of sweet, savory, and acidic. In it’s own right, the German Johnson tomato is a beautiful shade of pink with an old-fashioned tomato taste. These two varieties together are a great combination.

You can certainly use what’s available to you. In general, vine-ripened tomatoes, roma tomatoes, or beef steak tomatoes will work well. Mixing in a few yellow tomatoes (generally more sweet) with red tomatoes (generally more acidic) would be a nice combination as well. 

Serving the Tomato Pie

This tomato pie makes a nice meal for a small family or approximately four adults. Serve it alongside a fresh salad, a bottle of wine, and dinner is served! It also makes for a good appetizer during the cocktail hour, or keep the pie in the refrigerator for up to a week and enjoy it for lunch. 

Heirloom Tomato Tart Recipe

Ingredients

For the pie crust
(Makes one 10 inch pie crust; adapted from Erin Jeanne McDowell’s Recipe):

1 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

3 tablespoons ice cold water, plus more if needed

For the pie filling

One 10 inch pie crust (see above)

8 ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese

3 tablespoons basil, chopped

2-3 medium sized heirloom tomatoes, slided 1 inch thick

Olive oil

Parmesan cheese, to grate on top of the tomatoes

Salt and pepper

Instructions

For the pie crust (mixing by hand)

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and pinch of salt. Add the cubes of butter and toss them into the flour to coat them. To cut the butter into the flour by hand, press the butter cubes between your fingers to flatten them into shards. Work quickly to keep the butter cold, and continue to toss them through the flour as you work them into smaller pieces - about the size of walnut halves.

2 . Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add the 3 tablespoons of ice water in the center of the well. Use your hands to incorporate the flour and water and mix just until the dough comes together. You can knead it a few times to make sure it’s fully incorporated. If the dough is too dry (not fully coming together), add a few drops of water. I just get my finger tips wet and use that to knead the dough once or twice. If the dough is too sticky, there’s too much water in it. To solve for this, add a pinch or two of flour at a time to the dough until it becomes almost dry to the touch.

3. Form the dough into an even disk (about an inch thick) and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

4. Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out into a 10 inch circle. Transfer the dough into your your pie plate and cut off any excess dough spilling over the edges.

For the pie filling:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.

2. Put the pie crust into the pie plate and prick well (both bottom and sides).

3. Bake pie crust for 5 minutes and remove from the oven.

4. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese evenly over the crust.

5. Sprinkle two tablespoons basil over the cheese.

6. Arrange sliced tomatoes on top of the cheese in a single layer.

7. Brush tomatoes with olive oil.

8. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

9. Grate parmesan cheese on top.

10. Bake tart for about 30 minutes, or until the crust is a nice golden brown and the cheese is baked and bubbling.

11. Remove tart from the oven and set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Garnish with the remaining tablespoon of basil.