All Blog Posts

Sassafras Tomato Pie

Tomato Pie

**Note: This post was originally published on August 8th, 2008.

Here in the Pacific Northwest, we love tomatoes.

Unfortunately, our season is much shorter and later than other places in the country, so while the peak of the season is here for most, we are still waiting for our little backyard patches of green to turn to red.

However, you can find some wonderful heirloom tomatoes now (that have been grown in greenhouses) in specialty grocery stores everywhere.

I am really looking forward to Thursday’s virtual Tomato Fest with Deb over at Dinner Tonight and Margaret at A Way to Garden. I have just stumbled upon these sites and could not be more excited about it!

One idea for those tomatoes: make a pie. Pie, you say? Yes. Tomato Pies are a Southern specialty, as far as I can tell, the recipe originated from the Lowcountry, or coastal region, of South Carolina—and they are amazing. I have only been able to find a recipe for this delicacy in a few cookbooks – and both of them were from the Lowcountry area.

Being from South Carolina myself, I have my own variation on this recipe (see below). Two of my sisters and my stepmother have their own variations, too, and they are all to die for.

We recently started selling Tomato Pies at the Montavilla Farmer’s Market in our neighborhood (see photo), and the response has been incredible. Most people that walk by our booth and ask, “What’s a Tomato Pie?”

Our answer: Tomato pie is made with a traditional pie crust filled with tomatoes and basil, then topped with a mixture of cheese and mayonnaise, topped with caramelized onions.

Using the local ingredients of the season is not only satisfying, but cheaper and healthier, too. What a great way to use up all those extra tomatoes!

Tomato Pie Recipe
-5 large tomatoes, peeled, cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick
-1 10-inch pie crust
-1/4 Teaspoon dried basil
-1 Cup medium cheddar cheese, shredded
-1/4 Cup mayonnaise
-2 Tablespoons butter
-1 1/2 Large sweet onions, sliced in 1/4 inch rings (Vidalia or Walla Walla sweets work best)
-1 Teaspoon sugar
-1 Tablespoon spice mix (Italian herbs or other favorite seasoning)
-1/2 Teaspoon cracked pepper
-Salt to taste

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) Melt butter in a saute pan and add onions. Cook at medium low for about 30 minutes until carmelized, stirring every few minutes to avoid burning.
3) Lightly salt tomatoes and drain in colander for 20 minutes.
4) Mix cheddar with mayonnaise and 1/4 Teaspoon of the cracked pepper and set aside.
5) Pre-bake pie shell for 10 minutes in 350 degree oven with pie weights to avoid bubbles.
6) Add one layer of tomatoes to pie shell and cover with dash of salt, pepper, sugar and basil. Add the rest of the tomato slices and seasonings in layers.
7) Spread cheese mixture evenly on top of tomatoes.
8) Sprinkle dressing mix on top of cheese.
9) Add carmelized onions to the top of the pie in an even layer.
10) Bake pie at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cover with foil if the crust begins to burn.
Makes 6-8 servings.

© 2010 Sassafras Catering, Portland, Oregon.
Please contact us at 503.985.6450