Story and recipe by Chef John D. Folse and Michaela D. York
Photography by John O’Hagan
Food styling by Kathleen Kanen
Styling by Maghan Armstrong
My daddy always grew delicious tomatoes on the acreage behind our house. The secret to his success was growing certain varieties: beefsteak, Celebrity, and Better Boy. Of course, the Creole tomatoes that he planted from St. Bernard and Plaquemines Parishes generally stole the show.
When Christopher Columbus arrived upon the shores of South America, the tomato became distinguished as one of the 15 most valuable crops that originated in Peru and Ecuador. Tomatoes had become a cultivated crop in Mexico with many varieties by the time Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés arrived in 1519.
While the Folse family could not lay claim to the Columbian Exchange, we certainly claimed the distinction of the “St. James Exchange” right there on River Road. Not to be outdone by Columbus’ discovery, the Folse boys bartered valuable foods such as Mississippi River shrimp, boiled crawfish, crawfish bisque, Lake Des Allemands collarbone catfish, Pontchartrain blue crabs, Gulf oysters and bluefin tuna, venison, raccoon, opossum, white boudin, red boudin, cracklin’s, hog’s head cheese, poule d’eau, and, of course, homegrown tomatoes.
Tomatoes became the most valuable players of the Columbian Exchange, infiltrating Spain, France, Poland, and particularly Italy, as the Italians embraced tomatoes with gusto. Yet, North Americans were skeptical of this member of the nightshade family. Tomatoes were small, perishable, and not easily cultivated for storage. They were a further menace to Puritan society when rumors circulated that the tomato was an aphrodisiac! It wasn’t until 1840 that Colonel Robert Gibbon had the temerity to eat a raw tomato on the courthouse steps of Salem, New Jersey. To onlookers, death was imminent; yet Colonel Gibbon lived!
There was also the issue of classifying the tomato. An 1893 US Supreme Court decision made the tomato legally a vegetable. The dispute arose because of a tariff imposed at the Port of New York. A U.S. Customs agent deemed tomatoes to be vegetables despite the importer’s claim that the West Indian tomatoes were fruits. Because vegetables were subject to a 10% tariff and fruits were duty-free, U.S. Customs determined that tomatoes are legally vegetables but fruits botanically.
- 4 to 5 medium Creole tomatoes
- 1 (9-inch) Classic Piecrust pre-baked pie shell (recipe on page 95)
- 1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup torn basil leaves
- ½ cup chopped andouille sausage
- 1 cup cooked crawfish tails
- ½ cup grated Cheddar cheese
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese Salt and cracked black pepper to taste
- 1 small Bermuda onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- Garnish: fresh basil
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with paper towels.
- Core tomatoes and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices. Let drain for about 1 hour on paper towels to remove excess liquid (otherwise pie will be soggy).
- In the bottom of prepared pie shell, layer ¼ cup Monterey Jack cheese and then top with sliced tomatoes. Brush tomatoes with olive oil and then sprinkle with one-third each of basil, andouille, crawfish tails, Cheddar, and Parmesan along with ¼ cup Monterey Jack. Season to taste with salt and pepper and then add 2 to 3 slices of Bermuda onion. Continue with tomato slices and repeat layers 2 to 3 times or until pie is filled. Sprinkle top generously with bread crumbs along with any remaining cheeses and basil.
- Bake for 1 to 1½ hours or until cheese is melted and bread crumbs are well browned. Shield edge of crust with foil during last 10 to 15 minutes, if needed. Remove from oven. Allow pie to cool for 30 minutes on a wire rack before serving. If desired, place finished pie in refrigerator and serve cold, or freeze until ready to use.
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ pound cold unsalted butter, cut in ½-inch pieces
- ¼ cup cold vegetable shortening, cut in ½-inch pieces
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 6 tablespoons cold water
- Preheat oven to 425°.
- In a food processor, briefly blend flour, sugar, and salt. Add butter and shortening. Pulse 30 seconds or until coarse crumbs form. Add lemon juice and water; pulse until moist crumbs form. Gently shape into 2 equal circles 4 to 5 inches in diameter. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight. Place 1 circle of dough between 2 large pieces of lightly floured parchment. Roll until ⅛ inch thick and 12 inches in diameter. Remove top sheet of parchment. Gently roll dough around pin and position pin over a 9-inch pie pan. Ease dough into pan; gently but firmly press it against sides and bottom. Do not pull or stretch dough. With scissors, trim edge of dough, allowing it to hang over outer edge of pan. Tuck this dough under to rest on top of rim, and pinch-crimp edges. Freeze crust for at least 30 minutes. Line frozen crust with large piece of foil, fill with pie weights, and bake for 12 minutes. Remove foil and weights. Continue baking for approximately 8 minutes or until shell is golden brown. Reserve remaining pie dough for another use.
