Tomato Pie

If you're like me (OK...if you're SMART like me), you're dropping 15-20 bucks at Farmer Lemley's tomato stand at the Dallas Farmer's Market once a week.

And, if you, like me, can't use or share all those beauties soon enough, you look for recipes with tomatoes (lots of them) in the ingredient list.  I have a couple of gazpacho-type cold tomato soup recipes I'll post soon, but here is a hearty tomato recipe that is easily a main course.  If the meat eaters in your house revolt, you could always serve a grilled chicken breast alongside.

Tomato Pie
Makes 6-8 servings.

1 refrigerated pie crust
2 3/4 pounds assorted large tomatoes, divided (It's great if you have a couple different colors i.e. golden and red)
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar (or Colby-Jack) cheese
1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons fresh dill sprigs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon apple cider (or white or white wine...whatever you have) vinegar
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons plain yellow cornmeal
(If you'd like, you can add 3-4 tablespoons of crumbled cooked bacon to the filling before baking.)


Press pie crust into 9-inch pie plate and set aside.

Cut 2 pounds (2-4 biggies) tomatoes into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place tomatoes in a single layer on paper towels; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Let stand 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425°. Stir together Cheddar cheese, next 10 ingredients, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl until combined.

Pat tomato slices dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle cornmeal over bottom of crust. Lightly spread 1/2 cup cheese mixture onto crust; layer with half of tomato slices in slightly overlapping rows. Spread with 1/2 cup cheese mixture. Repeat layers, using remaining tomato slices and cheese mixture. Cut remaining 3/4 pound (1 big one) tomatoes into 1/4-inch-thick slices, and arrange on top of pie.
7
Bake at 425° for 40 to 45 minutes, shielding edges with foil or a pie shield during the last 20 minutes to prevent excessive browning. Let stand 1 to 2 hours before serving.

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