The Mindful Epicurean

It is the week of Independence Day and one dish that has become a bit of a tradition for me is Tomato Pie. I can’t recall when I actually tasted tomato pie for the first time. All I do know is that I became obsessed with trying to recreate it.

I have played with lots of different versions and of course, I used to bake a regular pie crust. Nowadays, the pecan crust is my go-to and honestly, I prefer it. Something about the nuttiness of the pecans combined with the sweet tomatoes and gooey, melted cheeses creates a perfect combination.

One super important component, and the reason why this dish is typically a Summertime regular, is the heirloom tomato.

The uglier the better. Don’t let their looks deceive you. And don’t be afraid to pick one with lots of blemishes. Underneath, you’ll find the most delicious, juicy sweetness you’ll ever want in a tomato.

These weren’t quite as unattractive as I wanted, but they’ll do the trick.

Now the cheeses can be really whatever combination you prefer. I like a mixture of extra sharp yellow cheddar, Vermont white cheddar, Parmesan and a smoked Gouda. The smoked Gouda really adds to the flavor and melts nicely.

As a side note, I had the fun of making this recipe a few years ago over Independence Day with my dear friend, Jennifer. Jen and I have been friends since we were in middle school and I treasure the memories and years we have spent together. It’s so incredibly special. Thank goodness our fashion sense has improved a bit since 1986!

Jen is super talented and threw together a fun video of our Tomato Pie experience, which you can watch here:

https://youtu.be/MKIJpm2TUd4?si=ac-QKdszEMl1kY8x

The first step to this recipe is sweating the tomatoes. You’ll core, de-seed and dice them up into bite sized pieces.

Then place in a colander and salt them with 1 teaspoon of salt. I am using pink Himalayan sea salt. Let them sweat for about an hour.

At that point, you’ll rinse thoroughly and then squeeze as much moisture out as you can with a cheese cloth (or paper towels, if you don’t have one).

I set aside and start working on sautéing my diced shallot in a bit of unsalted butter.

I combine my grated cheeses, Duke’s mayonnaise and Tabasco until well combined.

I mix together shallots, tomatoes, oregano and garlic powder and arrange in the pie shell first. Then I spread the cheese mixture evenly on top. Make sure to fully cover the tomato and shallot mixture.

At this point, you can always cover and refrigerate until ready to bake. It’s a great make ahead dish for the following day when I’m busy prepping for the rest of the meal.

To bake, I place on a cookie sheet in a preheated oven at 350 for about 30-45 minutes until the cheese is brown and bubbly.

Even tomato skeptics, like my friend, Drew, will go back for seconds! You’ll wish you made more than one, I promise.

Rusty and Sophie say “Happy Independence Day” to all! Enjoy your weekend!

And also, just a Happy Birthday shout out to our buddy, AKA, my “little brother from another mother”, Sean!