Ruth Reichl’s emotion-filled cookbook My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes That Saved My Life 
includes a recipe inspired by James Beard’s Tomato Pie. She developed it and many others in the farm-to-table communities of The Berkshires and The Hudson Valley, havens for markets, farmstands and neighbors who drop by to share the riches of their gardens. Tomato Pie includes elements of a BLT: fat, juicy tomatoes, mayo, bacon if you’d like, and greens. I bet you sneak some cheddar onto your best BLT ‘s- and if you haven’t yet, it’s time. This is where the joy of savory pie meets the retro-comfort food of bygone casserole days. My Tomato Pie (below-inspired by Ruth’s, James Beard’s & Jackie’s mom’s) is baked in a biscuit crust and laced with local cheeses and enough greens to make almost all the guilt fade away. This version includes shallots, kale, country onions, spinach, and a plethora of local cheeses designed to melt over, accent, and praise a seasonal bounty of heirloom tomatoes. My dear friend Jackie and I made it after a hike on a late summer day and here’s how it all turned out.
the beginning – a ripe 1 pounder
Heirlooms
spellcheck
My Berkshire path
ready
Jack & Susie on the trail
TOMATO PIE
INSPIRED BY RR INSPIRED BY JB
The Biscuit Crust:
2 cups all purpose Flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 heaping teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons butter (preferably European and/or local; cubed)
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup shallots (sauteed in butter until soft)
3 Tablspooons mixed herbs (chive, parsley, thyme, and/or cilantro – use 1 Tablespoon in the crust and save the other two for the filling)
1 egg yolk mixed with 1 splash of milk (egg wash) (optional)
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and put them in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (No mixer? It’s fine to work with a big bowl and a big whisk.) Add the butter and mix on low until it is barely blended and the butter chunks are about the size of peas, each one coated with the flour mixture on all sides. Add the buttermilk, shallots & 1 Tablespoon of chopped herbs.) Mix only until the dough comes together, and scoop it out onto a piece of parchment paper and flatten it with your hands, another piece of parchment paper or a rolling pin. Allow it to rest in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling. Once the filling is ready, flatten out the biscuit dough some more with a rolling pin, and place the crust in a 9″ pie pan. Press the dough in so that it is thin (1/2″ at the most) and flute the edges and brush with egg wash if desired (it will make your crust brown better). You can use extra dough as decoration on top.
Local tomatoes, grilled shallots and Monterey Chevre from Rawson Brook Farm in Monterey, MA
Tomato, Greens & Cheese Filling:
4-6 large tomatoes (heirlooms; or 6-7 Romas), lightly chopped & drained of most of the juice – approx. 2 pounds
1/2 cup chopped kale
1/2 cup chopped Spinach
1 onion, sauteed
2 Tablespoons goat cheese (such as Monterey Chevre from Rawson Brook Farm)
1 cup sharp cheddar (save 1/4 cup to place on top)
2 Tablespoons plain yogurt
1 Tablespoon sour cream
2 Tablespoons Mayo
Salt
hot sauce (optional, to taste)
bacon (optional, 1/2 cup cooked bacon pieces or lardons)
cherry tomatoes for decoration (optional)
Place all the ingredients in a medium bowl and mix together. Place the mixture into the prepared pie pan over the crust and decorate the top with cherry tomatoes or extra biscuit dough. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes, until the crust is medium brown on the bottom and the edges.
going in
late summer hydrangea
2
still warm
Susie on Mt. Allender; Hudson Valley below.
jackie & a bear in a bar
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September 12, 2016
I had heard about this tomato pie but the idea of the mayonnaise put me off, especially since I seem to remember an earlier version of the recipe given to me by a friend that had much more mayo in it–as much as 3/4 cup. This one IS much healthier. And the crust recipe would work for a lot of savory pies, so thanks for that too, Gypsy!!
September 12, 2016
You are so right, Susan! 3/4 cup mayo is a thing of the past.
September 12, 2016
Oh sooz. I can’t wait to try your version!
Love all the pics.
September 12, 2016
That Tomato Pie sounds so delicious!