Harvest Pie
Submitted by Felicetta
Harvest pie made with Granny Smith apples and green tomatoes, spiced with cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, finished with a lattice crust. A rustic fall deep-dish pie with optional rum.
YIELD
1 piePREP
25 minCOOK
50 minREADY
2 hrsThis is the kind of pie that catches people off guard: green tomatoes baked right alongside Granny Smith apples, and nobody can tell the difference until you spill the secret.
Green tomatoes have a firm, tart bite that mimics apple texture once baked. Mixed with actual apples, brown sugar, and warm spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, they melt into a filling that tastes like fall in a deep-dish crust. Dried currants scattered throughout add tiny bursts of concentrated sweetness.
Rubbing the brown sugar and flour together with your hands before tossing with the fruit ensures even coating with no clumps. That flour thickens the juices as the pie bakes, giving you sliceable filling instead of a soupy mess. A splash of rum or brandy over the top before baking adds a subtle warmth that makes the spices sing louder.
Kitchen Tips
- Let the pie cool for at least an hour before slicing. The filling needs time to set, and cutting too early means runny pie.
- Start at a higher temperature then drop the heat as directed. That initial blast gets the crust going before the filling releases too much liquid.
- Use a deep-dish pie plate. Three quarts of filling won’t fit in a standard 9-inch pan.
- A windowpane lattice looks stunning, but a full top crust with steam vents works just as well if you’re short on time.
Variations
- All-apple version: Replace the green tomatoes with more Granny Smiths if you can’t find good green tomatoes.
- Bourbon pecan: Swap the rum for bourbon and add chopped pecans to the filling for a Southern spin.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 400℉ (200℃).
Cut up enough apples and tomatoes to make 3 quarts of chunks.
Add currants.
Combine brown sugar, flour, spices and salt in a bowl and rub together with your hands to blend evenly.
Toss with fruit.
Divide pie dough in unequal halves.
Roll the bigger half to be ⅛ inch thick.
Fit it into the bottom of a 10 inch deep-dish pie plate.
Trim edges. Roll excess dough with remaining dough into a rough rectangle about ⅛ inch thick.
Cut in strips as wide as you prefer.
Fill the bottom crust with apple mixture.
Sprinkle rum or brandy, if desired, over the top, then dot with butter.
Cover crust with pastry strips in a windowpane pattern.
Sprinkle with a little sugar, if desired.
The pie also can be covered with cut-out pastry, with a full pastry crust or a crust of some other design.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Lower heat to 350℉ (180℃) and cook 40 minutes or so, until the topis light brown and the filling is bubbly.
Letting it cool an hour or so will make it easier to slice.
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