Sarah
Happy Valley, NC
Sarah's Tomato Pie
Picked this up last summer down in Southport, where a woman made one for a porch supper and told me how the way people tell you a recipe they've made a thousand times, which is to say not precisely at all. This is the version for people who do measure. The secret isn't in the list. It's in draining the tomatoes and letting it rest before you cut it.
From the kitchen
Makes one 9-inch pie · Serves 6, or 4 if it's been a long week
You'll need
- 1 pie crust, 9-inch, blind-baked and cooled
- 3 to 4 ripe tomatoes (about 2 lbs), sliced 1/4-inch thick
- 1 teaspoon salt, for drawing the water out
- 1/2 cup good mayonnaise (Duke's, if we're being honest)
- 1 cup sharp cheddar, grated
- 1/4 cup parmesan, grated
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- A handful of fresh basil, torn or chopped
- Black pepper, and a pinch of cayenne if you like
- 1 teaspoon sugar (optional, for early-season tomatoes)
How it goes
- Blind-bake the crust at 375°F until just golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Let it cool. Don't skip this. A wet crust is a sad thing.
- Lay the tomato slices on paper towels or in a colander, salt them, and let them drain at least 30 minutes. Pat them dry. This is the whole secret. Rush it and you'll have soup.
- Stir together the mayonnaise, both cheeses, the basil, a good amount of black pepper, and the cayenne.
- Layer the tomatoes and green onion into the crust, seasoning as you go. Sugar now if you're using it. Spread the cheese mixture over the top, edge to edge.
- Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is golden and bubbling.
- Let it rest at least 20 minutes before you cut it. It needs to set. This is the hardest step and the most important one.
This one came out of a Father's Day with the race on. Read the story →
Happy Valley, NC · From the Kitchen
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