Photo by Belinda Smith-Sullivan
SERVE 6–8
ONION-TOMATO JAM (yields 3 cups)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 Vidalia onions, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 garlic clove, minced
2½ pounds roma (plum) tomatoes, cored, seeded and chopped
½ cup molasses
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup cider vinegar
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon chipotle powder or red pepper flakes
PIE
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed (or use store-bought flatbread or pizza crust)
Flour, for dusting work surface
1 cup onion-tomato jam
3 roma tomatoes, sliced ¼-inch thick
1 eggplant, sliced ¼-inch thick
1 yellow squash, sliced ¼-inch thick
1 zucchini, sliced ¼-inch thick
2 roasted red bell peppers, cut into long, thin strips
2–3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano, divided
½ cup crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese
Prepare jam as the bottom layer for the pie filling. In a saute pan with a lid, over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons oil. Add onion, season with salt, cover and cook until wilted and soft, about 10 minutes. Remove the lid, and cook until golden and caramelized, stirring often, about 20 minutes more. Stir in the garlic, and saute 1 minute. Add tomatoes, and cook an additional 10 minutes. Add remaining jam ingredients, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Stirring constantly, cook until tomatoes break down and jam becomes thick, about 20 minutes.
For crust, preheat oven to 400 F. If using store-bought crust, place it on baking sheet. If using puff pastry, unfold dough gently on a work surface that has been dusted with flour. Repair any tears or holes using your fingers (and a little water, if needed) to gently squeeze the pastry back together. Place pastry on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. On all four sides of the pastry, create a 1-inch border, which will puff up and form the edge of the pie crust: Lay a clean ruler along the edge, and carefully trace a line 1 inch from the edge with a paring knife, being careful not to cut all the way through the dough. Repeat on each side. Use a fork to poke small holes in the center of the pastry but not in the border. This will prevent the center of the pastry dough from rising as it cooks.
Spread 1 cup of onion-tomato jam evenly over the pie or pizza crust on baking sheet, leaving the 1-inch border of crust exposed. Layer tomatoes, eggplant, squash and zucchini in overlapping rows or any pattern you like. Sprinkle roasted red bell pepper strips on top. Drizzle the top with a little olive oil, and brush a little oil on the 1-inch border. Season with salt and pepper, and top with half of the oregano.
Bake until the crust is golden brown, 20–25 minutes. Remove from oven, and sprinkle with cheese and remaining oregano. Leftover onion-tomato jam can be used on bruschetta or crostini hors d’oeuvres, topped with goat cheese.
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Recipe tip
Docking pastry dough
Docking is the process of pricking an unbaked pie crust, pizza crust or pastry dough with a fork before baking. The holes let steam escape, so the crust or dough does not puff up while baking, leaving a flat, evenly browned bottom for your crust. Most often, this is done when pre-baking a pie crust before adding a filling.
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