Make piecrust, that is. For as long as I can remember my mother has been making pies - and for only slightly less time than that, I've been "helping." You see, while she cuts the butter into the flour and rolls out the pie dough, I wash, peel, and slice and apples, peaches, or whatever other filling we've decided upon. This is because the two times I attempted to make pie crust it either came out so flaky it wouldn't hold together to be rolled out, or so heavy that it was difficult to cut and impossible to chew once baked.
Now, years later, I have been forced into making a new attempt at pie crust. At first I didn't believe my luck, so I made it a second time before posting it here - not a fluke - I CAN do it! The other day my neighbor dropped off some fresh heirloom tomatoes from his friend's greenhouse and they were so flavorful there was only one thing to do with them - make a fresh tomato tart. There were several problems from the outset. For instance:
- I have a horrible track record with pie crust
- All recipes called for fresh mozzarella, which is a little $$$ and not in my fridge
- I did not have fresh basil, which many recipes also call for
Despite these shortcomings I have successfully made a "Poor mans fresh tomato tart" and it is delicious - taste tested by my husband and neighbor.
Poor Man's Fresh Tomato TartDough1 C white flour $.10
1/4 C whole wheat flour (you can sub white)$.04
1 stick of butter at refrigerator temp $.50
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp chopped garlic OR 1 garlic clove, chopped
1 tsp each oregano and basil
generous amount fresh ground pepper
4-5 T ice water
Filling3 medium sized very ripe tomatoes* $2 (assuming $.99/lb price)
1 C (approximately) shredded cheese $.73
Spices to garnish
Total Cost: $3.37
Number of Servings: 4
Cost per Serving: $.84
To Make: - Mix together flour, salt, and spices in a bowl. Then use a knife to cut the stick of butter into 10 or so pieces, and dump them in the bowl. Toss to coat with the flour, then use a pastry cutter or two sharp knives (my approach, I know, it's so "Little House on the Prairie") to cut the butter chunks into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Measure 4 T of very cold water into the bowl, and squish it in roughly with a spatula. You must measure because it will NOT look like "enough" water when you first put it in. This is because the butter needs to melt slightly before it acts as a liquid component of your dough.
- Wash your hands well and begin to knead the dough, squishing the more moist parts into a ball and pushing them down into the crumbly mixture. Within a few minutes (use a timer if you're doubtful)the dough will begin to come together as the butter softens from the warmth of your hands. If after 5 minutes of kneading the dough still isn't forming a coherent ball, add the additional 1 T of ice water and knead for another minute. The dough should not be flaky (thats too dry) or sticky (too wet).
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 15 minutes - this will make it easier to roll out and get it off your counter while you make the filling. Incidentally, the filling is laughably easy. Just wash your tomatoes and slice them into thin rounds. If necessary, shred the cheese. If you have an electric oven with a long preheat time, you may want to begin heating to 375 degrees F at this time.
- Use soap and water to clean a section of counter/tabletop and wipe it dry. Then sprinkle flour over the surface and turn the dough out onto it. Dust the dough lightly with flour and use a rolling pin (or wine/beer bottle) to roll it out into a somewhat circular shape. I keep my pie plate right there for perspective - you want the dough circle to be larger than the pie plate by about 2"
- Transfer the dough circle to the pie plate and press it down so it lines the plate snugly. Now, using a clean pair of scissors, trim the excess dough that hangs over the edge. If you want, you can roll that dough out again and cut it into fun shapes to decorate the top of the tart (stars, hearts, letters, etc).
- If you would like the edges of your tart to look more fancy, try some of these tips: http://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t--813/decorative-pie-crust-edges.asp
- Build your tart! Place a layer of tomato slices on the bottom, then cover them with about 1/2 the cheese. Layer again, and this time make the tomatoes look nice - you can do a pinwheel shape, lines, etc. Top with the rest of the cheese, then some fresh ground pepper and spices to make it attractive. If you have Parmesan cheese, you can also put a few shakes on top to add another flavor.
- Bake at 375 degrees F for about 30 min, or until the edges of the pie crust are beginning to brown and the cheese is bubbly. Beware - it smells SO good you will want to tear it apart while its still hot, but it will cut much better after sitting to cool for an hour or so.
Frugal Tips: > I calculated the cost of this recipe based on tomatoes that cost $.99/lb, but so many people are up to their ears in tomatoes this time of year, you may be able to get some at a friend's house (or your own back yard!)for free or a farmer's market for a cheaper price. ALWAYS use fresh, ripe tomatoes that SMELL like tomatoes for this recipe, or it will come out bland.
> Whenever I run the oven I try to make two things at once to save on energy. Last week when I made pizza I popped some healthy brownies in there too - I'll try to dig up that recipe sometime soon.
> This pie will keep for several days in the fridge, but I do not recommend freezing it - the tomatoes will lose their texture.
Good luck - its worth it! Although this post makes it seem like a big ordeal, by the second time I made it I think it took 10 mins to make the dough, about 20 min to make the filling/fill the tart, and 30 min to bake it. 1 hour of time, but 30 min was not active. You CAN do it!
