Tomato Pie

FOR THE CRUST:

1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
​1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup vegetable shortening, cut into bits and chilled
​3-4 tablespoons ice cold water

Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, cumin, chili powder, paprika and salt in a large bowl.  Work in the shortening with a pastry blender until the mixture is crumbly.  Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of the water over the flour mixture and toss with a fork until the mixture starts to form large clumps that pull in all the dry ingredients.  Squeeze a small pinch of dough; if it is too dry to hold together, stir in more water, 1 teaspoon at a time.  Pour onto a sheet of plastic wrap.  Gather and form into a ball, then flatten into a disk about 3/4 inch thick.  Wrap well and chill at least 30 minutes.  Press the dough over the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch pie plate.  Cover and chill again for 30 minutes.  Meanwhile preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
​Line the pastry shell with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans.  Bake in the upper third of the oven for 12 minutes.  Remove the foil and pie weights and bake an additional 8 minutes, or until the pie shell is dry.  Let cool to room temperature on a wire rack.  Reduce the oven to 350 degrees and prepare the filling.

​FOR THE FILLING:
​2 pounds large ripe tomatoes
​1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
1/2 cup mayonnaise
​2 tablespoons finely chopped scallions
​1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
​1/4 teaspoon celery seed
​1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
​1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese, plus more for the top
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil
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FOR THE TOPPING
​6 saltine crackers, crushed
​1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
​1 tablespoon melted butter
​additional goat cheese

​TO ASSEMBLE;
​Using a serrated knife, slice tomatoes into 1/4" thick rounds.  Cover a wire rack with a double layer of paper towels and set the rack over the sink to catch any drippings.  Arrange the tomato slices in a single layer on the paper towels.  Sprinkle them with the salt and let drain for at least 15 minutes.  Blot the tomatoes dry with more paper towels.  Arrange half the sliced tomatoes in the pie shell.
​Stir together the mayonnaise, scallions, lemon juice, celery seed, pepper and goat cheese in a medium bowl.  Spread over the tomatoes.  Sprinkle with the basil.  Arrange the remaining tomatoes over the basil.  
​Toss together the crushed saltines, parmesan and melted butter and sprinkle over the tomatoes.  Sprinkle goat cheese on top.  Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes or until the top is browned.  Let cool to room temperature on a wire rack and then cover and refrigerate until chilled.

​*I prefer serving it with only a slight chill to room temperature.  
​*Recipe adapted from "The Waitress Pie Book"

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