Hanover tomatoes: Local baker's choice for savory Southern tomato pie, a family favorite

Have you ever tried tomato pie? Recently, I received a slice from a friend. Having never tried it before, I wasn't sure what to expect.

I did not like the first bite, however, I gave the pie another go the next day and loved it. My taste buds flipped on a dime! The taste was unlike anything I had ever consumed, and the texture reminded me of an eggless quiche. It was savory, not sweet.

Despite botanically being fruit, tomatoes are generally eaten and prepared like a vegetable. They come in a variety of shapes and colors including red, purple, yellow, orange and green. My favorite is the Cherokee purple. The heirloom tomato dusky rose in color with a deep, rich-red interior usually has a greenish hue near its stem.

My friend Karen Cox received a tomato pie recipe from a former coworker over 15 years ago, and it has been a family favorite ever since. Over the years, she has tweaked it a bit to her liking.

"I always use Hanover tomatoes, but others are just as good," Karen of Chesterfield said. "My sister made the one I gave you."

Karen's hand-written recipe has stains, and, in the upper, right-hand corner, "Hanover local vine-ripe" stickers stacked on top of each other.

WTVR CBS 6: 'Virginia This Morning' guest Robin Crouch

To see if she is a tomato pie fan, I reached out to my friend Robin Crouch who loves to bake, can, cook and garden. She shares her baking skills and recipes on "Virginia This Morning," Central Virginia’s live talk and entertainment show. Her cooking segments are great!

"I always think of this dish as being a southern dish. I only make one pie at a time, because I want to savor every bite. Oh, the flavor! It’s so unique and delicious; it’s different," Robin, an award-winning baker and recipe developer, said. "I use it as a side dish to whatever entrée I’m serving."

Robin and her husband Joseph "Joe" Crouch live on their Montpelier farm in Hanover County. They harvest tomatoes with imperfections from their garden for Robin's pie.

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"It's a great way to use up tomatoes that have bruises or bad spots on them," Robin said. "Just cut that off and slice them up."

As one would expect from our local celebrity, Robin always uses a homemade pie crust with her tomato pie. She likes to combine different types of cheeses and usually uses whatever she has on hand. Her two favorites are cheddar and mozzarella. She mixes the shredded cheeses with mayo and a handful of fresh chopped basil which is usually abundant in late July, per Robin.

"This is a wonderful dish to make for potlucks too. I love seeing folks taste it for the first time," Robin said. "You just can’t go wrong with melted cheese and fresh tomatoes in pastry. I want to make one right now."

Robin's tomatoes are slow coming this year due to a cool spring, but she says they're worth the wait. "If you have never tried a tomato pie, do. It’s worth the time and effort," Robin said. "You’ll be happy you made it."

Tomato Pie: Savory, Southern classic

Not knowing the source of Karen's former coworker's recipe, I could not share it. Tomato pie recipes differ online, but most fillings I researched were made with the following ingredients: tomatoes, chopped basil, green onions, grated mozzarella and cheddar cheeses, mayonnaise, salt and pepper.

The recipe Karen uses calls for a pre-made, frozen, deep-dish pie crust. It suggests deseeded, sliced Big Boy tomatoes, and bakers have the choice of using regular or 2% mozzarella and cheddar shredded cheeses, dried or fresh basil, and regular or light mayo. Karen bakes her pie at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

This Iowa native is quite impressed with the Southern dish. It's the perfect summer comfort food. I hope to make one myself soon.

After I cut the tomato tops off, I'm going to squeeze the living daylights out of them to get the seeds out. Next, I'll slice them, and I might even roast them before layering them into the crust. This extra step may prevent the crust from becoming soggy. I also plan to use my go-to mayo Duke's, Thai basil and top my creation with crumbled bacon and blue cheese.

If you try a slice of tomato pie, I bet you end up asking for the recipe. If you don't like to bake, Robin highly recommends the tomato pie at Homemades by Suzanne in Ashland. Founder and owner Suzanne Wolstenholme and her team bake hundreds of deep dish tomato pies during the Hanover tomato season. At 102 N. Railroad Ave., they are sold whole and by the slice. Visit Homemades by Suzanne on Facebook for more information.

Read this story at Progress-Index.com to watch Rachel Farnsworth, the culinary powerhouse and founder of The Stay At Home Chef, make and bake her Savory Southern Tomato Pie.

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This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Hanover tomatoes baked in savory Southern tomato pie: Family favorite