Tomato & Corn Biscuit Pie
I’m all about pie these days. It’s the fall food, isn’t it? Although it’s time for stone fruit pies, like peach and plum and apricot and cherry and rhubarb (still) and yes, it’s almost time for apple, but while it’s still late summer, with all the ripe tomatoes and the last of the corn, this pie is it. It comes somewhat indirectly from one of my favourite food writers, and it’s really a pie unlike any other – layers of ripe tomatoes, corn, aged cheddar, fresh basil and chives, doused in lemony, garlicky mayo, wrapped up in a buttery biscuit crust, which is brilliant in itself.
You roll the biscuit dough as thin as you would pastry, but it bakes up like a biscuit, only thinner. It’s all crunchy top and craggly edges – the more rustic and haphazardly you throw it together, the better. I don’t bother crimping, just tuck and fold the edge over any old way. There are no eggs or anything else to “set” the pie, but it slices beautifully. It occurs to me that you could add sausage or ham or some such, but it doesn’t need it – truly.
And then you layer – roughly chopped tomatoes (let them sit in a colander in the sink for a few minutes if they’re overly juicy), corn scraped from the cob, torn basil, chives, cheddar.
I think the rule with all pie should be: no need to strive for perfection.
The bit of lemony, garlicky mayo is pure brilliance. This pie is divine – it tastes like summer, the best of it, wrapped in dough and baked, which is something you’d more likely do once the days turned chilly, so it’s more a transition food, easing you into fall with crusty dough. And how brilliant would a biscuit peach pie be? Like cobbler meets pie. The peaches are fab this year, too.
But. Try the tomatoes and corn, while they’re here.
Directions
1Preheat the oven to 400?F.
2In a large bowl, blend the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the butter and blend with a fork or pastry cutter (or rub with your fingers) until well blended, with pieces no bigger than a pea. Add the milk and stir by hand just until you have a soft dough.
3Divide the dough in half (with one half just slightly larger than the other) and roll the larger piece on a lightly floured countertop to about an 11-inch round; transfer to a pie plate and gently fit it inside without stretching.
4In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice and garlic. Roughly chop the tomatoes (I cut them in half, then each half in 6 or 8) and put them in a colander on a plate or in the sink; let drain, swishing the tomatoes around with your hand to loosen any seeds and release more liquid, for 10 minutes or so.
5Arrange half of the tomatoes in the crust and sprinkle with half the corn, half the basil and chives, a sprinkle of salt and pepper and half the grated cheese. Repeat with remaining tomatoes, corn, basil, chives, salt and pepper. Pour the lemony mayonnaise overtop and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
6Roll out the other piece of dough into a 10-inch circle and fit it over the filling, folding the overhang under edge of bottom crust (or vice versa) and pinching/crimping roughly to seal—it doesn’t have to be perfect. Cut a couple vents in the top crust to help let some steam escape and if you like, brush crust with a bit of milk or cream.
7Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the pie is deep golden. Serve warm, or cool to room temperature. Serves 8.
You are such a good writer too!
Plus this is excellent. (Though I was forced to confront the fact that since we moved in 2005 I have not seen or looked for my rolling pin. Embarrassing. I used a small pizza roller and also a wine bottle.).
I just tried this recipe and it was delicious! I would never have thought to try it but you made it sound so good and it did not disappoint. Thanks!