Tomato Pie

One of my favorite things about summer produce is all of the fresh tomatoes. A homegrown tomato is much tastier than its grocery store counterpart. Much to my dismay, tomato season is winding down so I decided to make a tomato pie for one last hurrah. This popular southern dish would be a great addition to any Labor Day cookout this weekend.

I chose to put the basil in the pie crust instead of the pie. This crust recipe makes two pie crusts, which you can refrigerate for up to a week or freeze for 3 months. While I usually make traditional pie crust by hand, I used a mixer for this one to mix the basil more thoroughly. If you don’t want to take the time to make the crust, a store-bought one should be fine. I also added roasted red peppers for additional flavor. It was a big hit at our house and I know I will be craving it until next summer!

Inspired by Southern Living, August 2011

Pie Crust

·         2 ¼ cups all purpose flour

·         ¾ teaspoon salt

·         2/3 cup shortening

·         ¼ cup chopped basil

·         8-10 tablespoons ice cold water

Place the flour, salt and basil in the mixing bowl and stir together until combined. Add the shortening to the bowl and mix until the shortening is pea sized.  Add the tablespoons of water one at a time until your dough is moistened. Be careful not to over mix. Divide dough in half and form into round discs. Refrigerate at least one disc for this pie recipe.

Tomato Pie Recipe

·         4 Medium Tomatoes, peeled and cut into ½ inch thick slices

·         Salt, for sprinkling

·         ½ cup Mayonnaise (I use the Olive Oil-based kind)

·         3 Green Onions, chopped

·         ½ Yellow Onion, diced

·         2 Roasted Red Peppers,  chopped

·         1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place tomatoes on paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Let stand 30 minutes.

Roll pie crust into pie dish. Prick the sides and bottom of the crust with a fork to keep the dough from puffing up. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly brown.

Meanwhile, mix the mayonnaise, green onions, yellow onions, and ¾ cup cheese.

Remove pie crust from oven. Sprinkle bottom of crust with remaining ¼ cup cheese. Layer the chopped red peppers, then arrange the tomato slices evenly. Spread cheese mixture over tomatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for 34 minutes or until brown. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Tomato Pie