Heirloom Tomato Pie

For the filling of his gorgeous heirloom tomato pie, Chef Jeremy Ashby (Azur Restaurant and Patio, Lexington) likes to use artisan cheese from Lexington’s Boone Creek Creamery.  The cheeses are handmade (no mechanical equipment used!) using all-natural milk from Logan County.

Ingredients:

For the crust

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into pieces

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces 

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

3 to 4 tablespoons ice-cold water 

For the filling

2 pounds assorted heirloom tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick 

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt  (Chef Ashby prefers Diamond Krystal kosher salt or Bourbon Barrel Foods’ smoked sea salt)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup chopped fresh sage

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 cups grated Boone Creek Creamery Fontana cheese

Preparation:

  1. Prepare pie crust: Process first 4 ingredients in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse meal. With processor running, gradually add 3 tablespoons ice-cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and process until dough forms a ball and leaves sides of bowl, adding up to 1 tablespoon more water, if necessary. Shape dough into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill 30 minutes.
  2. Unwrap dough, and place on a lightly floured surface; sprinkle lightly with flour. Roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness.
  3. Preheat oven to 425°.
  4. Press dough into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim dough 1 inch larger than diameter of pie plate; fold overhanging dough under itself along rim of pie plate. Chill 30 minutes or until firm.
  5. Line piecrust with aluminum foil; top crust and foil with pie weights or dried beans. (This will keep the crust from bubbling up.) Place on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet.
  6. Bake at 425° for 20 minutes. Remove weights and foil. Bake uncovered crust 5 minutes or until browned. Cool completely on baking sheet on a wire rack (about 30 minutes).
  7. Reduce oven temperature to 350°.
  8. Place sliced tomatoes in a colander and sprinkle with kosher salt. Let stand 10 minutes.
  9. Pat tomatoes dry with a paper towel. Spread 3/4 of the cheese into the pie crust and then layer tomatoes, and herbs, seasoning each layer. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the pie.
  10. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until lightly browned, shielding edges with foil to prevent excessive browning.  Let the pie cool to room temperature before serving.