2025 Tomato Harvest Prediction

I have wonderful news. I’m predicting a fantastic tomato harvest this year! The NYC Zone 7 tomatoes are going to be spectacular due to all this rain we’ve been schlepping through. It is a juicy, divine blessing for our tomatoes. Let us be grateful.

NYC Zone 7 tomato harvest is gonna be spectacular this year due to the consistent rain this summer, and when your tomatoes are ripe and ready, make my decadent tomato pie.

One of the biggest problems for heirloom tomatoes is inconsistent watering — we get busy, we forget, the soil dries up, and next thing you know, our precious fruits have those little black bottoms (blossom end rot). No glory there. Consistent moisture means the plants can really stretch out — leaves lush, flowers bright and deep, expansive roots. We’ll see more vigorous growth, fewer weird cracks from sudden gulps of water, and bigger clusters of juicy red tomatoes.

With this news, I’d like to share again with you my Glorified Tomato Pie Recipe. Make this “wow factor” dish with your lush, homegrown Rockaway Beach tomatoes!

The Glorified Tomato Pie

Ingredients:
For the rustic crust:
1 2/3 cups flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoon salt
1 cup salted butter
7 to 8 tablespoons ice-cold heavy cream or milk

For the pie:
3 large tomatoes
7 oz gruyere cheese (shredded)
8 oz mozzarella cheese  (shredded)
About 16 basil leaves (whole)
One small white onion
3-4 tablespoons mayo (vegan works great too)
3 eggs
½ tablespoon red pepper flakes
½ tablespoon fresh ground pepper
½ tablespoon salt
Additional salt for tomato roasting

Directions:

For the rustic crust: 

1. Mix together flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Slice tablespoon-sized pieces of room-temperature butter into the dry mixture using a fork or pastry blender until it resembles small balls. Gradually add the heavy cream to the mixture, 2 tablespoons at a time. Use your hands to combine and form a ball.
2. If the dough is warm, refrigerate it for 15 minutes or until it is no longer sticky and is suitable for rolling.
3. Flour your surface (I use wax paper) and roll out the dough. Trim the edges with a butter knife for a clean look. Flip the wax paper over the pie dish and shape the dough. I discovered that curling the crust edge over in a rolling way looks nice and prevents the crust from breaking off at the edge. Refrigerate and cover with plastic wrap for at least a half hour. Will keep uncooked up to 3 days in the fridge.

For the pie:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice the tomatoes .25 inches thick and lay them on a salted baking sheet. Salt both the top and bottom of the slices. Cook for 20 minutes on the bottom rack to remove excess liquid.
2. In the meantime, chop the onions and combine in a medium-sized bowl with the shredded mozzarella and Gruyère cheese. Add the red pepper, salt, and black pepper. Drop in 2 eggs and mix well.
3. Layer the pie crust with the following: a layer of tomato, a layer of the cheese mixture, and then a layer of basil leaves. Repeat this two more times.
4. Crack and scramble the last egg. Using a pastry brush, coat the crust edge with the egg for a golden finish.
5. Cook the pie uncovered at 375°F for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let the pie cool for at least 45 minutes. This is important as it needs time to firm up. Eat and Enjoy!

What do tomatoes have to do with the 4th of July? Absolutely nothing — but I’ll wish everyone a wonderful Independence Day weekend anyway!