Hello Wonderful Readers! I apologize for the MIA status the last few weeks. We took some time and went camping. Because of camping, we were “off the grid” if you will. Also my creative juices for writing were NOT flowing. But here we are back at it :)
What to write about today?! We are going the savory route. This baked good is a favorite of everyone who comes in contact with it. I have yet to find someone who didn’t enjoy it, young or old. It is an explosion of flavors and incredibly easy to assemble. What is it?
Tomato Cheese Pie. I’ll say it again. Tomato Cheese Pie. Does it sound strange? Maybe. Can you picture it? Probably not. Does it work? 100%. And it’s so easy. Whole tomatoes, pie crust (premade if you don’t want to make it from scratch, which let’s be honest, for something like this you don’t need the headache), cheese and Dijon mustard. Unless you are superhuman with loads of time, most of this you would purchase premade.
The key is to layer the flavors. Trust me. First, pie crust. I use premade Pillsbury for this. I can make my own, and I have made my own, but this pie is such an easy, last minute dish that you can throw together. Mold your crust into a glass pie dish. Poke your little holes with a fork and bake. Make sure to use some sort of weight in your pie crust to prevent bubbling. I used a smaller, buttered glass pie dish inside the pie crust, and it worked like a charm.
One of the best parts of this pie is the Dijon mustard. It’s not overwhelming, just enough so you know it’s there but not enough to take over. Brush a thin layer of Dijon onto the pie crust once it’s baked. Don’t use too much as it will make the crust bottom soggy.
The next layer will be your first cheese. I use two different types of cheese, and you can use whatever cheeses you prefer. Every time you make it, you can experiment and use different cheeses! I almost always use Havarti or Swiss. Havarti has that nice rich creaminess, and Swiss has that tang, for a unique flavor. Make sure that your second cheese will mesh well with your first cheese.
After your first layer of cheese, add your sliced tomato. I use big heirloom tomatoes. My grocery store occasionally has local heirlooms of all different colors. Purple, yellow, bright red, these are typically what I use. I grow cherry tomatoes in my garden. If I ever grow heirlooms, I will use my homegrown ones. Straight from garden to table ;) Once you have your tomato layer, sprinkle some olive oil, and balsamic on top.
Repeat your cheese and tomato layers, top with olive oil, balsamic, and add a little crushed pepper on top. Then you bake! Let me tell you about the baking. While it is baking, you will be overpowered with a delicious fragrance coming from your oven. I can’t tell you why, but this specific pie fragrance just fills my house! It’s really quite wonderful. Once you pull it out of the oven, top it with fresh basil. Enjoy either warm or cooled.
This pie is a summer staple at my house. I make it for dinners, get togethers, just a snack; it could even be made for breakfast with a side of bacon!!! My ideas are now going crazy. I mean tomato pie for breakfast with a side of bacon is seriously right up my alley. Anyways, enjoy the photos! Do not hesitate to put in an order, ask questions, or make some comments!
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