bittman's kitchen

This Tomato Crumble Is the Perfect Summer Side Dish

The topping on this cobblerlike pie is a savory streusel that miraculously holds up in the fridge for a day or two without getting soggy. When you’re shopping for cherry tomatoes, make sure they’re all relatively the same size, so they cook evenly. You can serve this as a main dish, or use it with grilled meat and some slaw.

Tomato Crumble
Makes: 4 servings
Time: 4 hours, largely unattended

2 pints assorted cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes (preferably heirloom varieties), cored and cut into thick wedges
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup fine cornmeal
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks, plus more for greasing
1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
1/3 cup milk, plus more as needed
Flaky salt, for garnish

1. Heat the oven to 225 degrees. Set 2 wire racks on 2 rimmed baking sheets. Toss the cherry tomatoes with the olive oil and vinegar, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put the tomatoes on the racks, cut side down. Bake, undisturbed, for 2 hours. Rotate the baking sheets and continue until shriveled and mostly dried, another 30 minutes to 1 hour. (You can make these up to a few days ahead of time; cover tightly and refrigerate them.)

2. Grease a deep 9-inch pie plate with some butter. Turn the oven to 375 degrees. Put the fresh tomato wedges in a large bowl with the oven-dried tomatoes and cornstarch, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine.

3. Combine the flours, rosemary, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor and pulse once or twice. Add the butter and turn on the machine; process until the butter and flour are blended and the mixture looks like cornmeal, about 10 seconds; transfer the mixture to a bowl. Add the cheese and milk and stir with a fork. The topping should be loose, but should hold together when pinched. (You can refrigerate the dough for a few days, tightly wrapped.)

4. Gently toss the tomato mixture again and spread it in the bottom of the prepared pie dish. Crumble the topping over the tomatoes, and press down to avoid big clumps that might easily burn.

5. Bake until golden on top and bubbly underneath, 40 to 50 minutes. Garnish with the flaky salt and cool for at least 15 minutes, so the tomatoes set but the crumble is still warm. Scoop servings out with a large spoon.

Recipe: Tomato Crumble That’s Perfect for Summer