Cake or pie? It’s said that most of us fall squarely into one or the other category in terms of dessert favorites. I’m team cake. Layered or glazed, chocolate or lemon, warm-out-of-the oven or right-from-the-freezer, I’ll choose cake every time. BUT, when it comes to the savory end of the spectrum, I do love pie. Since I already have a savory winter pie, which has proven to be an Instagram darling with over a million views, I figured savory summer pastry was in order. Enter my Tomato, Corn, and Summer Squash Pie.
An Easy, Wholesome Crust
Since nobody wants to be laboring over pie dough on a summer day, I came up with an unfussy crust that you whiz up in the food processor (it can be made by hand if need be). It’s done with equal parts whole-wheat and all-purpose flour and has a combination of olive oil and butter. The upshot of all of this is a crust that’s a bit healthier than most. Plus, I find the dough easier to work with than an all-butter crust.
Summer Vegetable Dream Team
I love the notion of “what grows together, goes together”. Here that means the tomatoes, corn, and zucchini that are so abundant during the summer marry beautifully in this pie. For an herbaceous boost, I like to add a generous handful of fresh basil as well.
A Creamy Filling (without any cream)
Like my Winter Vegetable Pie, the filling in this summer version is a combination of cottage cheese, eggs, and milk. You whirl that up until smooth and pour it over the vegetables. Finish things up by sprinkling the top with grated Parmesan cheese. It’s protein-rich and creamy, just without the cream.
Tips and Substitutions
- You can make the pie dough ahead of time and refrigerate it for several days before assembling the pie. You can also cook the vegetables ahead and refrigerate overnight.
- If you’re not up for making the crust yourself, pick one up from the freezer section of the market.
- Swap sharp Cheddar for the Parmesan for a slightly different flavor.
- The pie will be tasty served warm, cold, or room temperature for up to about three days.
- Consider making two pies. Let one cool, wrap well, and freeze for up to one month.
How to Serve this Summer Vegetable Pie
I consider this pie fair game for any meal of the day. You can enjoy it warm, room temp, or even cold. Serve it for breakfast or brunch and call it quiche. For a light supper, it would be excellent with a salad of hearts of romaine or little gems and my Lighter Green Goddess dressing (this would be a great salad as well).
If you like Tomato, Corn, and Summer Squash Pie, you might want to check out:
Tomato, Corn, and Summer Squash Pie
This savory pie is a terrific way to bring together the best of summer produce. You can make it ahead and chill until ready to serve. Feel free to reheat in a 300 degree oven just until warm. Enjoy for brunch, lunch or supper with a green salad on the side.
Ingredients
Pie crust
- ¾ cup whole-wheat pastry flour, spooned into the measuring cup and leveled
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour, spooned into the measuring cup can leveled
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter, cut into 12 tiny cubes
- 1/4 cup icy cold water
Vegetables and filling
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup thinly sliced shallots (2 large shallots should do)
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes (if large, in half)
- 2 ears corn, shucked and sheared off the cobs (2 cups of kernels)
- 1 ½ cups 1/4-inch diced zucchini (about 1 medium zucchini)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup roughly chopped, loosely packed fresh basil
- 3 eggs
- 2/3 cup milk
- 3/4 cup cottage cheese
- 2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (1 cup coarsely grated)
Instructions
Make the pie crust
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Put the whole-wheat and all-purpose flours and salt into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse several times to blend. (See Notes below to make this without a food processor).
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Add the olive oil and pulse several times to blend. Scatter the butter over the flour and pulse until it breaks up into little pebbles, about 30 to 40 pulses.
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With the food processor running, slowly add the water and run just until blended.
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Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat it into a tidy disk. It should be just moist enough to hold together (add a dribble more water, if needed). Roll out the dough to fit a 10-inch pie pan. Transfer to the pie pan and pinch the edges. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes(or up to overnight).
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Poke the bottom and sides of the dough with a fork a number of times. Lightly drape a piece of foil over the crust and bake on the bottom rack until it just begins to color, about 20 minutes. Let cool for at least 20 minutes.
Prepare the filling
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Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Add the shallots and tomatoes and sauté until the tomatoes begin to wrinkle and soften, 6-7 minutes. Add the corn, zucchini, salt, and several cracks of black pepper and continue to sauté until the zucchini is just tender, another few minutes. Stir in the basil and remove from heat.
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In a food processor or blender, blend the cottage cheese, milk, and eggs until smooth. You can also do this by hand with a whisk.
Assemble the pie
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Spoon the vegetable onto the pie crust, making sure everything is evenly distributed. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables and sprinkle Parmesan on top.
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Bake until the crust is nicely browned and the center is just set, 30 to 40 minutes.
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Leave the pie to rest for 15 minutes before cutting into wedges.
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Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Recipe Notes
To make the pie dough by hand, in a large bowl use a fork to stir together the two flours and salt. Drizzle the olive oil over the flour and stir again. Scatter the butter cubes over the flour and toss to coat. Use a pastry cutter or your hands to work the butter and flour together until it looks like little pebbles. Drizzle in the ice water and stir with a fork until it’s all one even consistency and the dough holds together when you pinch it between your fingers. Proceed according to the recipe.
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