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Smoked Tomato Pie with Smoked Almond Crust
2 cups crumbs, about 5 ounces (any good cracker or bread)
1/2 cup smoked almonds
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded
1 cup cherry or other fragrant wood chips
4 large tomatoes, cut into ½” thick slices (about 24 ounces) cherry tomatoes work well also
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large shallots, diced
½ cup light mayonnaise (olive oil variety)
3 green onions, chopped
large handful of chopped fresh basil
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
Preheat oven to 350°. In a food processor, combine crumbs with the almonds and salt and pulse until fine. Add the melted butter and pulse until evenly moistened. Press into the bottom and 1/2″ up the sides of a 9″ springform pan. Place on a sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes, until crust is set. Remove from oven and sprinkle ¼ cup Parmesan over bottom of crust. Keep oven on and set pie crust to the side.
Pierce 10 holes on one side of the bottom of a 13×9″ disposable foil pan. Place the pan, with the side with the holes on top of your cooking element or a grill preheated to medium high. Place wood chips over holes. Arrange tomato slices in opposite side of pan. You may have to do this in batches or find a larger foil pan. Let wood chips begin to smoke, about 1-2 minutes. Cover the pan with another pan or foil. Reduce heat to low and smoke tomatoes for 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and lightly salt.
In a small sauté pan, drizzle the 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add shallots and cook over medium high heat for about 5 minutes or until softened. Stir together mayonnaise, green onions and basil and ¾ cup of the Parmesan.
Arrange smoked tomato slices over Parmesan cheese in crust; spread mayonnaise mixture over tomatoes. Bake for 35-38 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.