Heirloom Tomato Pie

After our fun trip to the Minneapolis Farmer's Market, I couldn't wait to use my fresh basil and heirloom tomatoes.  Fortunately, I didn't have to look far to find this delicious recipe on the cover of Food Network Magazine.  If you're not a subscriber, you should be.  It's packed with delicious recipes, eye-popping photos and The Dish on your favorite Food Network Celebs.  I've been lugging my summer issue around with me during my travels.  It's been making up for the the fact that my parents don't have cable.  They really don't.  Seriously.

First, start with the crust.  If you have pie-crust-a-phobia (and I completely understand if you do), just buy a ready-made crust and pre-bake it.  If you're not afraid of a good pie-crust challenge, give this one a try.  Filled with cornmeal and salty, manchego cheese, it gives the pie a rustic charm.

The filling starts with a sweet, caramelized onion.

Place the onions in a bowl and add breadcrumbs, mayonaise and 1 1/2 cups of cheese.

(I used a combination of smoked mozzarella, gruyere and manchego.)

Add herbs, seasoning.

Mix and spread into the bottom of your pre-baked crust.

As usual, I doubled the recipe - one for dinner and one for a week of lunches for me!!

Next, slice your beautiful tomatoes. 

Arrange them on top of the cheese filling.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with pepper.

Bake for about an hour.  Top with fresh herbs.

Serve hot or at room temperature.

Heirloom Tomato Pie

Adapted from Food Network Magazine (July/August 2011)

The Crust

PIE-CRUST-A-PHOBIA VERSION:  

Pre-bake a store-bought crust 

FEARLESS VERSION:  

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

3/4/ teaspoon salt

1 stick cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3 tablespoons manchego cheese

Pulse the ingredients in a food processor until the mixture looks like a course meal with pea-sized bits of butter.  Drizzle in 4 tablespoons ice water and pulse until the dough comes together; add 1 more tablespoon water if necessary.  Turn onto a sheet of plastic wrap and pat into a disk.  Wrap and refrigerate until firm.

Put the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper and roll into a 13-inch round.  Transfer dough to a 9 1/2 inch deep-dish pie plate.  Fold the overhang under itself and crimp the edges.  Pierce the bottom of the crust all over with a fork.  Refrigerate until firm.

Bake the crust at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

The Filling

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups assorted shredded cheeses (I used smoked mozzarella, gouda and manchego)

1/4 cups mayonaise

3 tablespoons breadcrumbs

3 tablespoons fresh parsley

1  teaspoon fresh thyme

Cook onion in olive oil until caramelized.  Place in a mixing bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and mix until combined.  Spread mixture in baked pie crust.

The Tomatoes

2 1/4 pounds heirloom tomatoes

Kosher Salt

2 tablespoons fresh basil, thinly sliced

Thinly slice the tomatoes and toss with 1 teaspoon kosher salt in a colander.  Let drain, about 30 minutes.

Arrange the tomatoes on top of the filling.  Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with pepper.  Bake at 375 degrees until the tomatoes are browned, about 1 hour.  Top with basil.

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