AUG 6, 2019
Hi Everyone!
We are in full summer abundance mode! Everything looks and tastes delicious and is bursting with summer goodness.
And who is the star of this show? The tomato, of course! So, today’s recipe is for what may seem like an unconventional dish, but is actually traditional, especially in the South. It’s tomato pie, which is not a sweet item. It’s a delicious savory treat. Try it!
TOMATO PIE
INGREDIENTS
1 9-inch pie shell (available in any grocery or supermarket refrigerated case)
1/2 cup chopped onion (about 1/3 onion, diced)
3-4 tomatoes, cut in half horizontally, excess juice squeezed out, roughly chopped, to yield approximately 3 cups of chopped tomatoes
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup sliced basil (about 8 large leaves) chiffonade*
2 cups of grated cheese (combination of sharp cheddar and Monterrey Jack, or Gruyere or Mozzarella or, really, almost any cheese)
1/2 cup mayonnaise – yes, mayonnaise!
1 tsp (or more to taste) of hot sauce (Tabasco is my favorite, although Sriracha and Frank’s are good too)
Freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Follow the directions on the package for pre-baking the pie crust or pre-bake it in the oven for about 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned.
2. Lightly salt the chopped tomatoes and set them in a colander over a bowl to drain while you are pre-baking the crust. Squeeze as much moisture as you can out of the chopped tomatoes, using either paper towels, a clean dish towel, or a potato ricer.
3. Sprinkle a layer of chopped onion over the bottom of your pre-baked pie crust shell. Spread the drained chopped tomatoes over the onions. Sprinkle the basil over the tomatoes.
4. In a medium bowl, mix together the grated cheese, mayonnaise, hot sauce and a sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper. Spread the cheese mixture over the tomatoes.
5. Bake at 350 degrees, until browned and bubbly, anywhere from 25 to 45 minutes.
Serve hot, warm, at room temperature or cold. It’s all good!
HELPFUL HINT: If some onions are too sharp for your taste, put the diced onions in a bowl of ice water for fifteen minutes before you use them. They’ll be milder.
*To chiffonade basil, stack the leaves and then cut the stack into thin ribbons.
I hope you enjoy the tomato pie.
Have a delicious week!
Best,
Judi