Saturday, September 10, 2011

Southern Tomato-Cheese Pie


 
Here is an old Southern recipe that has been changed and modified by almost every cook who makes it yet remains essentially the same.  Some of the variations have to do with the crust. Some use a basic pastry crust but I use a biscuit crust because I think it holds up better to the juicy, fresh, ripe tomatoes, without becoming soggy. 

Most recipes I've seen call for 2 cups grated cheese and 1 cup mayonnaise for the topping. I can't deal with that much mayo, so I make a good, homemade pimiento cheese to use for the topping. 

A couple of days ago, I got home from work to see this sack on my porch.


When I looked inside, this is what I found.


 It looks like our next-door-neighbor harvested the remnants of her summer garden.  I made this tomato pie from those beautiful, vine-ripened tomatoes. I'm thinking about those green tomatoes and the peppers. They will be used. 

Southern Tomato-Cheese Pie
1 cup Bisquick
1/3 cup milk
1 jumbo Vildalia onion, thinly sliced
2 lb. garden fresh tomatoes, sliced
Fresh basil leaves, to taste, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
One recipe homemade pimiento cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine the Bisquick and milk to form a soft dough. Knead the dough lightly, then press into a pie dish. Use either pie weights or another pie plate, to keep the dough from rising too much. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Place on a rack to cool. Lower the oven to 350 degrees. 

Make the pimiento cheese and set aside.

Slice the tomatoes and set out on paper towels to drain.  Slice the onion very thinly.  Slice the basil.

In the crust, layer the onions and tomatoes, really high, using salt, pepper, and basil on each layer of tomato.  Spread the pimiento cheese over the tomatoes and onions to form a top crust. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour. Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing.



3 comments:

  1. Oh my, Rocquie. This is just cruel and unusual punishment to me. I lost ALL my vegetable plants during Irene. And here you are - TAUNTING me with fresh tomatoes. And BASIL!

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  2. I'm no expert on Pimiento cheese, but this has got to be one of the most original ways to use it. That tomato pie looks amazing... can't wait to see what you do with the green tomatoes. What a wonderful neighbor you have!

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  3. I really love this pie. I'm a regular reader, but I don't have a lot of time to post, but I wanted you to know how much I like your blog. I always enjoy the time I spend here and you keep me coming back. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary

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