Summer Tomato Cobbler is a new take on an already fabulous Tomato Pie! Last year, I shared with you how to make my sister’s tomato pie which has been declared by me and many others as the very best recipe for this unique delicious savory pie which is probably specific to Alabama! So why make a Summer Tomato Cobbler? Well…a classic tomato pie is juicy, oozing with cheese and the sour cream filling is amazing; so I wanted to see if making the same recipe into Cobbler form would make it easier to cut, hold it’s shape and also be served to a crowd. The result was the same flavors, yet with a taste all its own and I’ll admit- I want y’all to try both of these delicious pies! The Summer Tomato Cobbler is a bit easier to assemble and rustic- my sister’s Tomato Pie is a more refined and luscious one crust pie, yet both are sure to please especially when summer tomatoes are available! Actually, I’d never make either pie without vine ripe tomatoes!
Here’s how you make Summer Tomato Cobbler- You will need:
- 3 Summer Tomatoes- I used a mix of one ripe Chandler Mountain* Tomato, one under ripe tomato (even a green tomato would work) and one Roma Tomato. Cut these into at least 1/2” slices.
- One single crust pie crust dough (I used prepared dough for test purposes which was flat and round to fit a regular 9” pie.)
- 8 ounces of sour cream
- 1/4 to 1/3 cup of a good mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup of green onion tops
- 8-10 fresh Basil leaves
- 2 cups of finely shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- 1/2- 3/4 cup of finely shredded Pepper Jack Cheese
- Fresh cracked pepper and sea salt
To prepare Summer Tomato Cobbler-
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- You will need a 9×9 square glass baking pan.
- Combine sour cream, mayonnaise and green onion tops, for the filling. Set aside.
- Blend together the finely shredded cheeses. Set aside.
- On a lightly floured surface or marble surface- roll out prepared pie crust very thin- approximately 1/4 inch- into a flat round approximately 12” in diameter. Cut center of dough into an 8×8 inch square. Save scrap dough to layer the Cobbler.
- In the bottom of the baking dish, place half of the tomato slices to cover the bottom. * In a bottom crust tomato pie, the difference is that the tomatoes are peeled and drained- there’s no need to do this with the Cobbler.
- Evenly place half of the Basil leaves over the tomatoes, lightly sprinkle tomatoes with cracked black pepper ( do not salt the tomatoes, the cheeses and filling add enough seasoning)
- Dollop tomatoes evenly with half of the sour cream filling and 1/2 of the blended cheeses.
- Top this layer with all of the scraps of pie dough.
- Next, repeat second layer of tomatoes, following the same order as the first layer- yet topping with the 8 inch square crust carefully placing the dough right on top of the cheeses.
- Press this square dough topper slightly to make contact with the cheese. *This is an important step! The cheese and dough bake together to make a wonderful top crust!
- Lightly spread top crust with butter. Cut slits in the top of crust, then lightly sprinkle the dough with sea salt.
- Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 45 minutes or until top crust is a beautiful golden brown and cheese is bubbly. May take up to one hour.
- Allow Summer Tomato Cobbler to cool slightly before serving in squares. * Makes 9 generous squares.
Take a look at that upper crust! It’s flaky yet dense with cheese flavor! And the tomatoes took on a roasted flavor! I’ll admit, I couldn’t stop at just one serving!
So, what did I serve with this Summer Tomato Cobbler? Fresh field peas, slices of mild sweet onions and jalapeño cheddar corn muffins! It was a take on the south’s famous vegetable plates! If you must have meat- this Summer Tomato Cobbler would go well with grilled fish, baked pork chops, stuffed peppers, meatloaf or a cool slice of ham! Other sides which would be a wonderful wilted spinach salad, a mixed green salad lightly dressed, even stuffed eggs would be delicious too!
Summer Tomato Cobbler would be at home for Sunday dinner, a ladies luncheon or on a summer buffet table! It’s also wonderful at room temperature! If you want to have a variation- Feel free to add crumbled bacon or finely chopped ham to your tomato cobbler! The main thing is to enjoy summer’s best bounty- the fresh tomato! And never forget- the closer you live to a Tomato Vine the better your Life will be!
Love y’all, Camellia
* I used prepared dough for testing purposes and because not everyone has the time or inclination to make pie crust from scratch- can I make my own pie dough? You bet I can! And I do feel it would be wonderful! I also think this cobbler might be absolutely fabulous made with green tomatoes too! * Chandler Mountain Tomatoes are highly prized- grown specifically in a mountainous region of northeast Alabama- right here in our own county!
‘Summertime… and the livin’ is easy…’ except when you need to show up with something in your hand for a picnic or a gathering. Or maybe it’s too hot to cook! Or you’re having unexpected company… or you just want to add a dessert to a simple meal and really who wants to miss out on the summer fun slaving away in the kitchen? A lot of folks say- no matter how wonderful the meal is- what guests remember most is the dessert!
Assemble Trifle by layering pound cake, fresh cut strawberries, pink strawberry cream; repeating until the Trifle bowl is full. Spread the remaining whipped cream over the Trifle and chill until ready to serve! Beautiful, delicious and easy!
Maybe it’s the to and fro of the tide that pull us south to the Beaches of Alabama… Our hearts yearn for it. Perhaps Southern Saltwater flows in our veins; we need the Gulf’s infusion every now and then. To stand in the sea casting a line or in solitude as the ever patient Egret watching the horizon…
Lemonade was so common in the South that finding a recipe for it is almost impossible! We just knew how to make it- and when we did …it was usually for a picnic or a special occasion. Believe it or not even Orangeade was first made from real oranges. And then…it was mass produced. Local milkmen delivered small glass bottled orangeade and lemonade with a paper tab, that children drank at school and vacation Bible School alongside cookies which I still recall as a delicious combination! Only a few years later, mass produced lemonade and orangeade in wax paper cartons large and small were available. With the space age came mass produced citrus drinks and powdered versions of fruit flavored drinks like Tang or Koolaid; we loved those drinks too… anything to quench thirst in hot humid climates. Still. There’s nothing really to compare with homemade southern lemonade.
These days, I find myself craving the real thing, real southern lemonade- I’ve conjured it up from memory and honestly, it’s worth the effort- and really? There’s very little effort to it, and believe me a pitcher of homemade lemonade will make anyday feel like a special occasion! Here’s how you make Camellia’s Southern Lemonade:
Mimi’s Potato Salad is, of course my favorite- though I have to admit that any Southern cook worth her salt generally has a recipe that is her family’s favorite too! And, it’s crazy, yet many southerners add potato salad to their meals almost all year round! Mimi didn’t. She considered it a Spring and Summer side dish or even put a scoop on a plate and with a few extras like tomatoes and crackers, she considered potato salad to be a light lunch or a cool supper. Here’s the thing. Mimi was particular about her food and the way it was prepared and for what reason and why. She instilled things like this into my brain- I can still hear her now…
While the potatoes are cooking, grate the onion and mix up the dressing of good mayonnaise, yellow mustard and spices. Now, Mimi’s rule for the celery was to either do a fine dice or thinly sliced. You might not want to bite down on a big chunk of onion, yet the celery gave her potato salad a subtle flavor with just the right amount of crunch and a pretty color. Again, I followed orders. My mother did too! Mimi boiled her eggs along with the potatoes- claimed the calcium from the egg shells made potato salad healthier. Who knows? I do it too. Gently mix the potatoes into the dressing and chill. This made the potatoes firm up and gave the flavors time to develop. Here’s how you make Mimi’s Classic Potato Salad:
Camellia's Cottage 