Tomato Pie

Using roasted tomatoes: a savory pie, southern style.

Step 1: Pre-bake Pie Crust

You can make your own pie crust, but since this is a low-effort endeavor I recommend just pulling one out of the freezer.

Bake the pie crust at 350F until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.

Step 2: Layer Ingredients

Now you're ready to layer the ingredients in your tomato pie.

First a layer of roasted tomatoes, then a layer of sliced onions, and finally a handful of coarsely-chopped fresh basil leaves. Repeat these layers a second time, or as necessary to fill your pie crust.

You can use fresh-sliced tomatoes, but the roasted tomatoes deliver a better flavor. Next tie I'll pre-cook the onions as well, since they'd be exceedingly tasty if carmelized. This is a simple enough recipe that you can easily modify it to your taste.

Step 3: Topping

3/4c mayonnaise (Duke's if live in the Carolinas and can get it)
1c shredded sharp cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Combine topping ingredients, and spread over the top of the pie. Sprinkle the top with freshly-ground pepper and a decorative pinch of paprika if you like. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, then allow it to cool before slicing and serving. Sorry no finished picture, but it got eaten a bit too quickly.

My taste runs to less cheesy stuff, so next time I'll probably scale down to 1/2c mayo and 2/3c cheddar. Your mileage may vary; it certainly melts into a nice tasty goo as it mingles with the veggie layers.

This is modified a bit from Puttin' on the Grits, an old cookbook from the Junior League of Columbia, South Carolina. If you're good maybe I'll tell you about shrimp grits.