Sometimes things don’t work out the way you planned – and if you are lucky, that’s ok.
That was the “theme” of my week last week, utter frustration met by periods of utter relief. So it is no surprise that this “cobbler” was the same – utter frustration followed by relief. Frustration that it did not come out exactly the way I had envisioned it but relief that the end product was not only edible but actually good!
This “cobbler” was actually supposed to be pie – or as I had envisioned it more of a tart.
It all started when the August issue of Bon Appetit arrived. I saw this recipe for “Tomato and Cheese Pie” and thought it might be fun to make – I’d been toying with the idea and when I saw it I thought “ha, finally time to make this”! So, after reading the recipe I had my doubts but went ahead with it anyway.
Needless to say, it did not turn out the way I had expected – not even close. The “dough” for this pie is actually a biscuit dough which you roll out and then line the pie dish with. Mine was far too wet for that (which was probably due to operator error). So, at this point I was a bit frustrated so I went with plan B. I pulled out my quiche dish, greased it, sprinkled some cornmeal on the bottom, layered in my tomatoes, mayo filling and cheese, dolloped on the biscuit topping and threw it in the oven.
After 30 minutes of baking I pulled it out.
Relief.
It looked good – but even better it tasted really good – and all in all, was pretty close to what I had envisioned. I was lucky… which was totally ok with me.
Tomato Cobbler - Liberally adapted from Bon Appetit
(Serves 4 – 6)
Biscuit Topping
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup buttermilk
Filling:
4 – 5 large, ripe tomatoes sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 Tbsp. coarse cornmeal
1 1/4 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (I used white cheddar)
2 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
1 scallion, minced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. herbs de provence
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. white pepper
Directions:
- Pre heat oven to 400 degrees.
- Slice tomatoes 1/4 inch thick and place on paper towels to drain. Cover with additional layer of paper towels and let sit for 30 minutes.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the buttermilk and knead until a soft dough forms. Cover and chill.
- In a small bowl combine the mayonnaise, scallion, white wine vinegar, herbs de provence, garlic and salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Spray 10 inch quiche dish with cooking spray. Sprinkle cornmeal on the bottom.
- Arrange 1/2 of the tomato slices on bottom of the quiche dish. Season with salt and pepper. Dollop mayonnaise mixture on top of tomatoes and spread evenly. (This doesn’t have to be perfect). Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and 1 Tbsp. parmesan.
- Arrange remaining tomato slices on top. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and remaining Tbsp. of parmesan cheese.
- Dollop biscuit dough on top, leaving about 1/2 inch space between dollops. Sprinkle top of biscuit dough with remaining cheddar cheese.
- Bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until tomatoes are bubbling and biscuit topping is nicely browned.
- Remove from oven and cool – can be served warm or at room temperature. You can also bake this earlier in the day and re warm in a 350 degree oven.
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{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
I saw this recipe and admit a lot of interest. Thank you for testing first my friend. Now want even more to make it with some fresh homegrown tomatoes.
I did this in the food processor and that was probably part of the reason it was so wet. The only issue I think would be a problem with making it as a pie is that the biscuit layer on the bottom would be soggy despite draining the tomatoes and using the cornmeal and cheese on the bottom. Can’t wait to hear your experience with it!
Life is more fun when things don’t turn out as planned. And I actually think I’d prefer your “biscuit” version.
Well done!
[K]
Thanks Kim!
I agree, life is more fun when things don’t always go as planned!! I think I like my version better just because I think the other would be too rich for me!!
Nice save! Looks totally delicious
Thanks! I totally lucked out on this one!
Good work on turning ‘lemons into lemonade.’ I want this, as pictured!!!
Good save, it looks beautiful. Nice quick thinking using it as a topping rather than a crust!
I just read that recipe this week and I tore it out. However, I was going to make a cornmeal crust, omit the mayo and add a few egg yolks instead. I was also going to add some gruyere! Regardless of your mishaps – it looks yummy. And your photo is yummy as well!
Thanks! Can’t wait to hear how your cobbler turns out!!
This looks delicious Nancy. Good thinking turning it into a cobbler! I’m just realizing that I’ve never seen a recipe for a savory cobbler. My gears are turning
I tried making a tomato tart tatin a while ago and also encountered many frustrations. Throughout the process I learned that I wasn’t deseeding tomatoes properly. The finished product was still tasty but looked like hell!
Hi Brandon! I really am loving savory cobblers and my gears have been turning as well – definitely think I’ll be having fun with these in the fall!
I know just what you mean about the tomatoes – I’ve found romas to be the best to use since they are firmer although I’ve done mini ones with cherry tomatoes and those work well too!