Pondering Life's Blessings and Green Tomato Pie
Vish Bhatt's take on a delicious southern pie speaks volumes about the global South
We're reminded to feel gratitude every day but it's this time of the year when many people ponder their blessings as it relates to the Thanksgiving holidays. It's not all about roast turkey and dressing for folks out there, especially those who struggle to get by.
Last week, we had an impromptu parking lot conversation with a smart, young woman who works at a local Whole Foods. She shared that she's pregnant and working hard to make ends meet with her $21 per hour job. Health care costs dig into her ability to save and her take home pay, after a health savings contribution, taxes and other items, is about $1,000. To ensure she can cover all upcoming health costs, she applied for MediCal. She wasn't complaining but was simply telling us her financial situation. Everyday we interact with people who provide services to us but rarely do we get a chance to pause and learn their story. This young woman likes her job and does it exceptionally well, but wishes it paid better. She is looking for other opportunities and hears that Costco is great but getting a job there is difficult.
There are many people working hard but having a hard time establishing stable, sustainable livelihoods. The next time we saw her at the grocery store, we exchanged smiles, waves, and hellos. I hope she gets to move on to something better but I'll miss her.
Green Tomato Pie plus Bonus Tips
Now, as for that green tomato pie recipe, I've had a big crush on the pie since I ate it at Snackbar restaurant in Oxford, Mississippi. We had to share a slice with friends and I really wanted more of the pie. The crust was tender flaky and the filling was tangy sweet. I'd never had green tomato in a sweet before. I hunted around and found the recipe in a book by the restaurant's Gujarat-born chef, Vishwesh Bhatt, who has called Oxford his home for decades. Bhatt recently wrote a cookbook titled I Am from Here to underscore his experience in the global American South.
This past week, I made Vish’s pie and shared the recipe on the site for you to use. But, I wanted to add some extra tips for you that I didn't include in the green tomato pie recipe post on Viet World Kitchen because there wasn't a natural space to put it. It's not my recipe, after all!
First, I use wax paper to place the dough in the pie pan. When I do, I use my hand in this sort of gesture (see the photo below) to press the dough into the pan. After peeling off the wax paper, I use a fork to lightly poke holes all over the crust, not piercing the holes all the way through. I also crumpled a piece of foil to further ensure that the crust didn't puff up during the partial baking.
The second tip is to bake the pie on a baking sheet. The green tomato pie is juicy and the baking sheet caught the juices. You can tell how thick the juices were because during cooling, they solidified into icicles of sorts. Do let the pie cool to room temperature before serving.
Thirdly, what I didn't expect was how much the pie pan would STICK to the baking sheet. It was literally glued to it. I poured hot (just boiled) water onto the baking sheet but the pie pan still would not lift off. So then I ran a thin metal spatula under the pan to finally release the pan. I lifted the pan and placed it on a damp towel and then wiped off the excess goo from the bottom. Phew.
I don't bake pies often and must say that this green tomato pie recipe taught me lots about southern baking and an unexpected way to spotlight the season's bounty. If you have lingering tomatoes on the vine, the pie recipe is a great option. Another way to use up unripe green tomatoes is to to pickle them. My Viet-ish green tomato recipe includes lemongrass. It’s fantastic as a side and in banh mi.