I’m nearing the end of my beloved tomato stash from our trip to Underwood Farms. We recently went for a day of fruit and vegetable picking out in the fresh air and fields of one of our favorite annual pumpkin picking spots. Tomatoes were the star of the day and even my two little non-tomato-eating-no-way-I-won’t-go-near-that-thing munchkins had a wonderful time picking so many colors and varieties of one of summer’s best fruits. (Of course, they wouldn’t try one though.) But K and I have been happily enjoying them, (me semi-hoarding them) and having such a great time creating recipes with the colorful little (and big) gems.
Our day out to the farm was only our second adventure out of the house since arriving back in Los Angeles from Istanbul. Needless to say it was much needed and so enjoyed, despite the blazing summer morning sun out in Moorpark. It was my first time at the farm, however, for something other than fall pumpkin picking or their autumn harvest festival. I was so pleasantly surprised with all of their gorgeous produce and also all the measures they were taking to keep everyone safe during the pandemic. So it’s safe to say, while we’ll be limited as to what we do out of the house for the unforeseeable future, we will definitely be making regular trips to stretch our legs and breathe in mother nature’s bounty over at this jewel of a spot.
As far as the recipes I mentioned earlier, some of my favs that truly let the delicious flavors of the tomatoes shine have been this Grilled Steak Caprese Salad and my Grilled Peach, Chicken & Basil Summer Salad. But the one that might take the cake as far as pure tomato bliss is this Late Summer Tomato Pie. I had seen a picture of this fabulous looking pie in Bon Appetit a few years back and it has been stored in my mind ever since. I think maybe waiting for this trip. Because upon returning home with the gorgeously colored, oddly shaped heirlooms, this recipe was first on my list.
I altered the recipe a bit to suit our cheese preferences, and more importantly, what we had on hand or could easily source. And also, the kind of filling I thought would taste best with the main ingredient, the tomatoes. I went with a combo of ricotta for creamy, gouda for a little bite but still mellow and Parmesan of course for some nutty saltiness. Instead of using all mayo as in the original recipe, I did half mayo and half Greek yogurt. I promise it still feels ultra decadent. Then for the fun that holds it all together so well, the cracker crust. This is REALLY tasty. And the crackers are whole wheat so there’s that. This is truly a bubbly cheesy, sweet tomatoe-y, crisp cracker masterpiece.
All in all, I’d say we’re talking nothing but good stuff here. A wonderful place to visit and come home with some great finds. And a true winner of a savory pie. Brunch, lunch, dinner, it all works.
If you’re in the Los Angeles area, do check out Underwood Farms if you haven’t already. These kinds of spots are priceless these days. And if you’re anywhere with yummy in-season tomatoes still available, make this. Asap. Before they’re all gone. And do please let me know how it goes. Have a great finish to the week!
*Here’s the website with location information and more details for Underwood Farms.
Late Summer Tomato Pie
Ingredients
For the Roasted Tomatoes:
- 2 1/2 lbs mixed heirloom tomatoes, cored & sliced about 1/4-1/2" thick
- 2 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
For the Crust:
- 9 oz whole wheat crackers
- 7 tbsps (98g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 lg eggs
- pinch of kosher salt
For the Filling:
- 6 oz ricotta cheese
- 4 oz gouda, shredded
- 2 oz shredded Parmesan
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tbsps chopped fresh basil leaves
- kosher salt & pepper
To Garnish:
- fresh basil leaves
Instructions
For the Roasted Tomatoes:
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Preheat the oven to 425F/ 220C.
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Drizzle 1 tbsp of the olive oil on a large rimmed baking sheet and layer the tomatoes over the pan. It's ok if they overlap a bit. Then drizzle them with the other tbsp of olive oil and sprinkle the salt and pepper all over. Roast the tomatoes for about 25 minutes until they are wrinkly and the color has concentrated a bit. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
For the Crust:
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Once you remove the tomatoes from the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 375F/ 190C.
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Add the crackers and a pinch of salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until they are fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and eggs and pulse until everything is the consistency of wet sand. Then pour it into the springform pan and press the mixture firmly onto the bottom and up the sides (about 1 1/2-2' up) using either your hands or the bottom of a glass. Chill in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
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Once the crust has chilled, bake it in the pre-heated oven until it is turning golden brown, about 12 minutes. Set on a wire rack to cool.
For the filling:
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To make the filling, add all of the filling ingredients to a large bowl and stir well to combine. Season with a little salt and pepper to taste.
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Once the crust is cool to the touch, carefully spoon half of the filling into the bottom and spread in an even layer with the back of a spoon or offset spatula. (Be careful not to break the crust.) Layer half of the tomato slices over the filling. Repeat with the remaining filling and tomatoes, arranging the tomatoes so they look pretty on top. You should have two layers of filling and two layers of tomatoes.
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Bake in the 375 degree oven for about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes until the filling is bubbling and the crust is browned at the edges. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes to an hour then enjoy! (If you choose to serve it right away, it will still be delicious but you'll have a tougher time getting nice slices.)
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This can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. (It's possible maybe longer, but ours never makes it that long to find out.) Reheat or serve cold.
Recipe Notes
*For the crackers, I used these.
*Adapted from Bon Appetit
