Culinary Guides

A savory late summer pie on a crisp almond flour crust, layered with tomatoes, zucchini, and sweet corn. It is naturally gluten free and works just as well for brunch as for a light dinner. If you grow your own heirloom tomatoes and zucchini, this is one of the best ways to put a heavy August harvest to work.

Ingredients

For the almond crust

• 2 cups almond meal or flour
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon water

For the filling

• 1 large heirloom tomato, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• A small handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1 ear of corn, kernels cut off (about 1/2 cup)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup shredded Manchego cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons almond flour
• A small handful of chopped fresh basil
• A small handful of chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Make the crust

1. Heat the oven to 400F (200C) and grease a 9 inch pie plate with olive oil.
2. Mix the almond flour, garlic, basil, salt, and pepper. Stir in the olive oil and water until it forms a cohesive dough.
3. Press the dough evenly across the bottom and up the sides of the plate. Bake about 18 minutes, until lightly golden and firm, then set aside to cool.

Make the filling and assemble

1. While the crust bakes, salt the heirloom tomato slices and lay them between paper towels for about 15 minutes to draw out water. This keeps the crust from going soggy.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet and cook the onion until golden, about 8 minutes. Let it cool slightly.
3. In a bowl, combine the Manchego, mozzarella, mayonnaise, almond flour, half the basil and parsley, and the onion. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Spread the cheese mixture over the crust. Arrange the drained tomato, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, and corn on top, then drizzle with the remaining olive oil.
5. Bake at 400F for 40 to 45 minutes, until the vegetables are lightly browned. If the crust edges darken too fast, cover them with foil.
6. Scatter the remaining herbs over the top, let the pie rest 20 minutes so it sets, then slice and serve.

Grower's tip: slicing tomatoes carry a lot of water, which is the enemy of a crisp crust. Salt and drain them well, and if you are deciding what to plant, a meaty paste tomato like Roma or San Marzano bakes up far less soggy than a juicy beefsteak.

You can make it ahead. The pie keeps in the fridge for two days and reheats well in a warm oven, and the almond crust keeps it naturally gluten free.

Everything on top of this pie is easy to grow at home. Start a few plants from our tomato seeds, zucchini seeds, corn seeds, and basil seeds for a steady summer harvest.