Fresh tomatoes layered with cheddar make a pie that has become a family summer tradition. Karen Schneider / For The Forecaster
This morning I sat on the deck with my coffee as I enjoyed my close-up view of an especially extravagant hummingbird show. I got to thinking about this column and what I would share with you this week.
Karen Schneider cooks and writes in the village of Cundy’s Harbor. You can reach her at iwrite33@comcast.net.
When I started writing about food many years ago, I wanted to keep these recipes simple and to the point. Fancy has its place in the world, but let’s face it, most of us don’t make every day a party. Much of the time we’re just looking for something tasty that’s easy and economical to prepare.
It’s fun to try all those new-fangled cooking techniques on social media, but there’s something comforting and familiar about rifling through our beat-up cookbooks and stained, handwritten recipe cards. When we do that, I believe we’re looking for more than a recipe. We’re searching for a memory. And as we melt the butter, slice the tomatoes and fry the bacon, we’re thinking of the first time we ate that delicious thing; who made it for us; whose kitchen we were in. Perhaps we remember the conversation, the laughter and the warmth.
It was my cousin Donna who shared her Tomato Pie recipe during one of her annual summer visits. Her advice: use the best, ripest tomatoes you can find and slice them thinly. Allow them to relax on paper towel layers for a good spell before layering them with your favorite cheddar for the pie. It’s also important that this is best served after a cooling time of 30 minutes so it sets up. Leftovers can be gently heated in a 300-degree oven.
Bacon, Corn, and Potato Hash is a family favorite that readers have asked to be repeated. The delicious three-ingredient summer combination is festooned with bits of scallions and is especially appealing made with fresh corn cut from the cob and those cunning little new potatoes with the skins left on. Slip an over-easy or poached egg on top of each serving and you’ll be incredibly pleased with yourself.
The “BCP” Hash is an excellent side dish for tomato pie and can also be spooned onto buttered toast, shrouded in melted cheese, or used as a frittata or omelet filling.
Add some fresh in-season fruit to the meal and you’ll have it going on. You be the boss of your kitchen. I know you’ll make it good.
Cousin Donna’s Tomato Pie
4-6 large ripe tomatoes
12-ounce block cheddar cheese, grated
2 teaspoons dried herb of choice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter
Unbaked pastry for 1 deep-dish pie plate
Cream or egg white
An hour or two before you’re ready to make the pie, slice tomatoes as thinly as possible and place on layers of paper towels to drain. Cover with more paper towels and press gently.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place pastry in a deep-dish pie plate. Layer tomato slices, grated cheese, and seasonings in the pastry-lined dish. Sprinkle top with more cheese and bread crumbs and dot with butter. Brush pastry edges with cream or egg white.
Bake for 40-60 minutes, until tomatoes are very soft and the pie is bubbling with most juices cooked away and the crust and top are golden. The time will vary depending on how thick your pie is. Allow to cool before serving. Yield: 8 servings
Bacon, Potato & Corn Hash
1/2 pound thick-cut bacon, diced
1 pound (3 cups) potatoes, scrubbed and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4-6 ears (2½-3 cups) of fresh corn kernels cut from the cob, liquid reserved
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
Fry bacon in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat until golden and crisp, for about 10 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, leaving drippings in the pan. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain.
Heat bacon fat over medium/medium-high heat then add potatoes in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Let potatoes cook without disturbing until they are golden underneath. Turn and repeat this process until the potatoes are browned on all sides, about 20 minutes.
Push aside potatoes and carefully spoon off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat.
With the heat on medium-high, add the corn niblets and their liquid to the skillet. Sauté potatoes and corn together until the corn gets a bit caramelized, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add bacon and stir mixture until heated through.
Remove skillet from heat and sprinkle scallions over the hash. Season with more salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Yield: 4 servings
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