It’s pouring down rain and I do not want to go to the grocery store. That means a bit of creativity plus a visit to the very damp garden. It’s loaded with tomatoes, which is a marvel because for the past two years the squirrels (nasty varmints) have eaten every single tomato that turned even a vague shade of anything beyond green. Looks like a good night for tomato pie. I did not grow up eating tomato pie, but it’s been easy to fall in love with. Apparently in northern states tomato pie means a sort of pizza but here in the south it’s really a pie crust with tomatoes and cheese and of course, mayonnaise because it’s the south. Yum.
There are a bunch of recipes out there, but I believe in is a fairly flexible combination of what’s in the fridge. Tomato Pie must have mayonnaise and cheese plus tomatoes, and a little onion. After that, the sky is the limit! Many recipes are quite specific as to the cheese that goes in tomato pie, but what goes in mine is totally dependant on what we have on hand. The ugly truth is that I’m not so flexible about pre-grated cheese. I’m manic about grating cheese right before you use it. The pre-grated stuff in a bag tastes rubbery to me, but many folk swear by it, so do your own thing, just don’t say you weren’t warned. Bottom line - have you ever met a bad tomato pie?
My tomato pie also gets a homemade piecrust because it tastes so good and it’s ridiculously easy to make. Recently I was having cocktails with a couple of my Mary friends who fessed up that they never made piecrusts and were actually afraid to try. I promised them my super simple recipe so here it is. You’ll never buy piecrust again, well, unless you are in a huge hurry and don’t have a minute to spare. I say this because the second I even think about making a piecrust I put a cut up stick of butter in the freezer. It doesn’t have to be there for hours, but 30 minutes sure does make a difference.
The tomatoes get a light salt treatment to remove a little moisture. Who wants a soggy crust? I’m adding fresh basil to this tomato pie and that’s about it. In the past I’ve included bacon, shrimp and even scallops, but remember I’m using what’s on hand and feeling like this purest version will just hit the spot on a rainy September night. Also I’m cooking up one of our favorite soups - lentil – also a breeze, but I’ll save that recipe for another day. The thing is - I’m just hoping for leftover tomato pie, the very best news on a rainy Tuesday morning!
Crust
1 stick butter, cut in pieces and put in the freezer for 30 minutes (or more)
1¼ cups flour
¼ tsp salt
4 Tbsp very cold water
Directions
Put flour, butter, and salt in a food processor and pulse to blend.
Add water 2 Tbsp at a time until dough just comes together.
Pat the dough into a circle and wrap in plastic wrap.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
Roll out to about ½ inch thick circle.
Filling
5 to 6 tomatoes cut in 1/3 inch slices (mine were all different sizes, so about enough for a double layer)
Salt for tomatoes
¼ onion cut in thin slices or ¼ cup sliced green onion
8 to 10 basil leaves, torn in small pieces
¾ cup mayonnaise (I used the Hellmann’s made with olive oil, it’s a little lighter.)
2 generous cups grated cheese; some good choices are Cheddar, Mozzarella, Fontina, Swiss, Asagio, and Gouda – a combination of 2 or 3 works well
½ tsp each salt and pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Put tomato slices on a double layer of paper towels and sprinkle with a little salt. Let stand for 10 minutes. Pat tomato slices dry with another paper towel.
Place piecrust in a pie pan.
Line piecrust with tomatoes and onion. Top with basil.
Mix mayonnaise, cheese, salt and pepper together. Spread over tomatoes.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until top starts to brown.
Serve warm or at room temperature. It cuts better slightly cooled, but it tastes great any way you serve it!
