Polenta and Tomato pie

A friend of mine is putting together a cookbook and asked me to test a recipe or two. Here's a good one.

A few shortcuts: I halved it, but added extra water to the polenta and I think it was a bit too wet. Also, I didn't create fresh marinated s-d tomatoes but just drained some jarred ones and added basil and garlic. I think the cast iron skillet would have made a big difference with the crust. Need LOTS of extra salt--in addition to the water for polenta, I salted the polenta once in the dish, as well as the tomatoes on top (also salted as per recipe) and it still needed more. Also didn't have fresh basil so hydrated some dried and flavors came through fine. I also did not blanche or skin the tomatoes.

Note: Roma tomatoes are best for this pie because their meatier flesh is denser and drier than most other varieties. Cooking the pie in a cast-iron skillet produces a lovely golden crust.

Serves 6 to 8

2 pounds tomatoes, preferably Roma, skinned, seeded, and sliced
Kosher salt
2 cups polenta
1/2 cup Marinated Sun-dried Tomatoes (recipe follows), puréed
1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, if needed
8 ounces chèvre, divided
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Freshly ground black pepper

Lightly grease a 10- to 12-inch cast-iron skillet, pie plate, or other baking dish.
Carefully set the tomato slices in a sieve or colander, salt lightly, and leave to drain over a bowl for 30 minutes to 1 hour, giving a gentle toss every now and then to shake off the water they release.
Meanwhile, make the polenta: Bring 6 cups salted water to a boil in a heavy saucepan. Slowly whisk in the polenta. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently, uncovered, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until quite thick, about 20 to 30 minutes. When done, the grains will take on a pearly quality and be tender and not gritty to the bite. Remove from the heat and stir in puréed sun-dried tomatoes. Add olive oil if the mixture seems too stiff. Fold in 1/2 cup of the chèvre.
Spread the hot polenta across the bottom and up the sides of the pan (it should be about 1" thick).
Leave at room temperature until cooled and set, about 15 minutes. (Or you can cover and chill the polenta until you are ready to assemble and bake the pie, up to 24 hours)
Preheat the oven to 375°.
Spread the remaining goat cheese evenly across the bottom of the pie. Layer on half of the tomato slices, sprinkle on half of the basil, and grind on a little black pepper. Follow with the remaining tomatoes and basil and a bit more pepper.
Bake at 375° for 35 to 45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown at the edges. Cool slightly, cut into wedges, and serve.


Marinated Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Note: When summer tomatoes are a distant memory, try some fresh mozzarella with this heady sun-dried concoction—in a sandwich, on bruschetta, or straight up. You can also puree the marinated tomatoes for use as a condiment and base for marinades, salad dressings, and so on.

Makes about 11/2 cups marinated tomatoes (about 2 cups puréed)

6 ounces sun-dried tomatoes (not jarred), sliced into thin strips
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (1 small clove)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Put the sliced tomatoes in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit until tender, 5 to 10 minutes (more if your tomatoes are especially tough).
Drain the reconstituted tomatoes and return them to the bowl. Add the olive oil, basil garlic, and salt and pepper. Stir to combine, then leave to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Adjust seasoning to taste. Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.