Apple and Green Tomato Pie

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Now that the rainy season has arrived, I know the tomatoes in our garden are living on borrowed time. :/  Every year we have stragglers out there that we lose to the soggy weather.  I knew that would especially be the case this year since we got our stuff planted so late. I was determined to make use of them!  I knew they would be tart, so I thought pairing them with apples would work well, along with the sweetness of some golden raisins.  It’s definitely going to be a fall favorite in the Pounds household from here on out!

Let’s get our pie on!

The first time I tried making this pie, I forgot to account for how wet tomatoes are.  The next attempt I tried letting the tomatoes sit and drained the juices, but the pie was still too wet soupy.  I think an ideal pie is one where the filling doesn’t run into the dish too much when you cut it.  I finally got it right on the third try!  The key was cooking the tomatoes a bit to get the juices out.  This also intensifies the flavor and softens them a bit. So that’s where you’ll start!  Cut your tomatoes into about a half inch dice and put them, along with 1 tablespoon of sugar in a nonstick pan. Cook them over medium heat about 10 minutes, or until their juices have evaporated and they’ve softened. Let them cool to room temperature.

While that’s cooling, you’ll make the pie crust.  This crust recipe is the same one I used in my nectarine hand pie recipe.  I’ve used it for several years now and I love it!  It’s buttery and flaky just how a crust should be!  Start by mixing together the flour, salt and sugar in a bowl.  I recommend a bowl that’s not too deep so you can really get in there when you cut in the butter.  This will be enough dough for a top and bottom crust with a little extra. Cut in the butter and shortening until it’s in pea-sized pieces.  Now pour in the water (make sure it’s really cold) and mix.  Add more water until the dough just comes together. Chill in the fridge until you’re ready to put the pie together.

Once the tomatoes have cooled, preheat the oven and move a rack to the lower third of the oven. This will help to minimize a “soggy bottom” because the bottom crust will be closer to the heat.  Mix chopped apples, cooled tomatoes, lemon juice, flour, sugar and cardamom until the fruit is completely coated in the dry ingredients.  I chose cardamom as the spice in this pie because it adds a warmth that is different than cinnamon, more smooth and round (if that makes sense).  This is not our average apple pie, so I wanted to veer away from cinnamon. Gently mix in the golden raisins.

Now take your pie dough out of the fridge and divide it in half.  Roll the first half for the bottom crust, until it is about 1/4″ thick.  I actually picked up these rolling pin bands a few weeks ago and like using them to ensure I have an even crust. Gently press the dough into your dish and leave the edge hanging over. With a slotted spoon, scoop the fruit out of the bowl into your pie dish, leaving any remaining juices in the bowl.  This is just another measure to prevent a soggy pie.

Roll out the second half of your dough also to about 1/4″ thick.  You can make this as fancy or simple as you’d like.  I chose to do a shingled crust and then cut leaf shapes out with a cookie cutter and lined the edge with those. Cut the dough in both layers hanging over the edge and crimp with your fingers or the tines of a fork.

Brush the top with milk and sprinkle with sugar.  I used turbinado sugar because it’s large granules, but regular white sugar will work.

Put the pie in the oven on a cookie sheet, to catch any liquid that bubbles over. Bake 45-55 minutes or until the crust is golden and the juices are bubbling.  This may take longer if you do a lattice crust on the top (because there’s less insulation to keep the heat in).

Let the pie cool at least 2 hours before serving.  It is certainly great as is, but would also be tasty topped with vanilla whipped cream.

Enjoy!

Do you have any unique uses for green tomatoes?  What’s an unlikely ingredient you like to add to pies?

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