Pie Week - Tomato Pie

A trip to the farmer's market this past Saturday provided me with a bunch of delicious hydroponic tomatoes. Originally my thought was to do the same old thing - a fresh tomato basil salad with a balsamic vinaigrette. Delicious, but I've done it many times.

I vaguely remembered watching Paula Deen make Tomato Pie. I remember it had mayo, and although that made me cringe, I decided that I needed to try it in the interest of furthering my southern education.

Plus, it's Pie Week, as declared by A Muffin Story who has a blog in LiveJournal. Yesterday I made a sweet banana cream pie, and I wanted to try a few savory pies this week as well.



This recipe is from foodnetwork.com, but I'll go ahead and copy and paste it since it's fairly short.

Tomato Pie

4 tomatoes, peeled and sliced
10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 (9-inch) prebaked deep dish pie shell
1 cup grated mozzarella
1 cup grated cheddar
1 cup mayonnaise
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the tomatoes in a colander in the sink in 1 layer. Sprinkle with salt and allow to drain for 10 minutes.

Layer the tomato slices, basil, and onion in pie shell. Season with salt and pepper. Combine the grated cheeses and mayonnaise together. Spread mixture on top of the tomatoes and bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

To serve, cut into slices and serve warm.

I had to cook this about 15 minutes longer, but I think that's because I used light mayo. It would really work best with full-fat mayo (that's what browns!). Even with lowfat ingredients, this is not the healthiest recipe in the world. And to be honest, since I knew what was in it, I had a hard time eating it. It is very rich, but the amazing thing is that the freshness of the tomatoes and basil really come through.

I'd like to try making this in little tarts, maybe with a cornmeal crust instead of a regular one. When I worked at the Limestone Grille, we used to make an open faced sandwich with asparagus and ham, topped with parmesan mayo that was broiled. I wonder if broiling might be more appropriate for this dish, in a shallower format. Something to try, anyway!

Categories: Basil, Onion, Tomato, South, Pie