Sweet, tart and nearly identical in flavor to apple pie, Green Tomato Pie is a delicious way to use a common bumper crop after fall temperatures set in and your tomato plants have had their first frost. This dessert pie is the perfect addition to a picnic or harvest celebration and, when topped with whipped cream or ice cream, is sure to be enjoyed by even the pickiest of palates.
Note: Traditionally, Green Tomato Pie uses a top crust. While my recipe for this pie uses a crumble topping (I am emphatically pro crumble topping for pies), feel free to reduce the crumble recipe and finish your pie with a top crust instead. Baking times and temperatures should remain the same.
Pairing recommendation from EmpireWine.com: The original hard cider from 1911 is refreshing and crisp. The citrus flavors will pair well with the tartness of the green tomatoes.
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups white flour
- Pinch of salt
- 8 tablespoons cold butter
- ½ cup ice water
- 3 pounds green tomatoes (about 6 large tomatoes)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ cup white sugar
- Pinch of salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1½ cups white flour
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Pinch of salt
- 12 tablespoons cold butter
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with a metal cookie sheet on a lower-middle oven rack.
For the crust, mix fl our and salt in a bowl. Cut the cold butter into small chunks and work into the fl our mixture until the butter is in pea-size pieces. Add in ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing with a fork until you have a shaggy mixture thatjust holds together. Roll out dough onto a floured surface and lay in a 9-inch pie pan.
For the filling, cut the tomatoes in half and slice into 1/2-inch-thick half-moon slices. Heat tomatoes, lemon juice, zest, white sugar, cinnamon and salt in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring periodically, until the tomatoes soften.
For the crumble, mix flour, white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and salt in a bowl. Work in cold butter until it is evenly distributed in pea-size pieces or smaller. Do not overwork the butter, since it will melt and your end result will not be crumbly.
To assemble, place half the tomato mixture in the pie pan on top of the bottom crust. Top the tomato mixture with half of the crumble topping. Layer the second half of the tomato mixture into the pie pan, and top with the remaining crumble topping. Lightly dust the top with a small amount of cinnamon. Place onto the metal cookie sheet in the oven (the hot metal will help crisp up the bottom of the pie crust, and catch drippings) and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Lower the oven to 350 degees. Bake 35 to 50 minutes longer, checking periodically after 30 minutes. The pie is done when the juices bubbling out of the edges have thickened and are beginning to gel.
Serve with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
