The beauty of summer is only matched by the bounty of gorgeous summer tomatoes coming from the garden. Tomatoes come in all shapes and sizes - from bell-shaped yellow cherry tomatoes to oval Roma tomatoes that are so good in tomato sauces to large Big Boy tomatoes that hang so heavily on vines and are served in fat slices.
Every single tomato, whether it be hybrid or heirloom, is what we wait so patiently for all winter long when our only options taste more like cardboard than a tomato.
Recently I've been experimenting with my tomato pie recipe. In years past, I've sliced the tomatoes, diced them, used cheddar cheese, added cream cheese - so many different ingredients. Its versatility is one of the wonderful things about tomato pie.
I've finally hit upon a recipe, though, that I think outshines them all. While shopping at Aldi the other day, I came upon tomato-basil goat cheese. I'm of the opinion that goat cheese makes any cheese dish that much better, but add tomato and basil, and it's got two of the main ingredients of tomato pie.
So without further ado, here's the recipe. If you don't like goat cheese, don't use it. Just add a little more extra-sharp cheddar. And one last thing - since the onions take longer to soften than the tomatoes and the pie appears done before the onions, I would suggest sauteing the onions a little before adding them to the pie. Otherwise, the result will be a pie with crunchy onions. Nothing wrong with that, but some people prefer a softer texture in their tomato pie.
Tomato Pie
1 pie crust
3-4 tomatoes, seeded, chopped and drained
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup mayonnaise
3/4-1 cup shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella
1 (4-ounce) container goat cheese with tomato and basil
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Parbake pie crust. In order to prevent shrinkage, fill with beans, rice or pie weights. Remove from oven, and spoon tomatoes over the bottom of the pie crust. Saute onions in a little olive oil until slightly soft. Sprinkle onions over tomatoes, then sprinkle garlic over onions.
In a medium bowl, stir together mayonnaise and cheeses. Using the back of a spoon or a rubber spatula, spread mayonnaise mixture over top of tomatoes and onions.
Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, watching to make sure edges of crust are not getting too brown. Cover loosely with aluminum foil if the crust starts to get overly brown. Continue baking until pie filling is bubbly and cheeses are melted.
Tip: The tomatoes should be well-drained to keep the pie from being soupy. The best way I've found to do this is to dice them and place them in a colander, sprinkle them with a little salt and let them drain while the crust is parbaking and you're chopping the garlic, shredding the cheese and dicing and sauteing the onions.
PIZZA DELIVERY
Having pizza delivered to your front door is nothing new, but all the way from Naples, Italy, without having to leave town? That's the stuff of dreams, and for any pizza fanatic, your dream has come true.
Talia di Napoli is a company based in Italy that delivers handmade Neapolitan pizzas to your door. From the crusts to the toppings, everything's organic and sourced from Italian farmers, cheesemakers and other merchants. The crusts are rustic and beautiful, and once they been tossed and packaged, they're flash-frozen and shipped to America and on to you. You can choose among several flavors on the company website, taliadinapoli.com, starting at $100 for an eight-pack. That includes delivery, bringing the cost of one pizza to just $12.50.
The pizzas are ready to pop in the oven, but you can also add your own toppings. I had my kids and grandkids for the weekend recently, and after spending a day in the pool, the young ones came into my kitchen for a pizza-making party. It's a great way to entertain the kids and let them be a part of making dinner for all the adults. This is something I'll be doing again and would recommend it for any type of gathering - from birthday parties to tailgating, or even a romantic dinner with a good red wine and candlelight to set the mood.
SIX CANDLES
Congratulations to Feed Co. Table & Tavern, 201 W. Main St., which will celebrate its sixth anniversary Thursday. The party includes food and drink specials, an all-day happy hour and live music by Danimal on the patio from 9 to 11 p.m.
Contact Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com or annebraly.com.
Anne Braly