The Mountain Breeze: Tomatoes in a pie; Hooray for August!

August is a fun time of year. Harvesting vegetables out of the garden is a magnificent event. Ever since humans quit hunting, fishing and gathering thousands of years ago and turned to agriculture, life has been especially good!

What are your favorite vegetables in the garden? Do you grown your own or go to market for your finds. Did you know for instance, that Jeter Farm in Bonsack grows vegetables for Kroger? As for me, I love freshly grown green beans that I buy at the farmer’s market, yellow squash for casseroles, zucchini, eggplant, potatoes and my big love are tomatoes.

I am reasonably sure I have never met a tomato I did not like.  While my vines have not liked the summer weather, other folks have provided me many tomatoes. I like red tomatoes, big and juicy. I like yellow tomatoes mild and flavorful. I dine on 12 grain bread, Dukes mayonnaise, salt and pepper and thick juicy slices of tomato. Sometimes I add a tomato to my homemade pimento cheese with a couple of slices of warm bacon.

However, my crown jewel of tomato culture is a tomato pie.  21 years ago, when my youngest was a newborn, Linda Steele of Daleville showed up with a tomato pie. Oh my goodness, I was in love.

Over the years I have perfected my tomato pie. I baked two tonight, just now out of the oven before I sat down to write this column. And yes, I have had a nice slice for my evening snack. I will eat it for breakfast or lunch or dinner. I eat tomato pie when the mood hits.

My pie is very Italian and is a savory pie. No sugar allowed. I took one to work last week and it was a hit. I am going to share the recipe, so you are in luck. Try it! I hope you like it!

Cathy’s Tomato Pie

Four large rinsed fresh tomatoes sliced and drained on papers towels

2 deep dish pie shells, 1 full cup ricotta cheese

6 leaves fresh basil, snipped and divided in half

1 tbsp garlic, (can use less if you are not feeling it)

1 tbsp dried onion

1 egg

2 cups shredded cheese– I use Italian cheese and mozzarella mixed together

Parmesan cheese in a shaker. Salt and pepper to taste. Pam cooking spray

Bake pie shells for 10 mins at 350. Remove from oven and spray with Pam. In the 10 minute meantime, Mix egg, Ricotta cheese, garlic, onion and snipped basil. Divide in half. One half for each pie. Add layer of tomatoes to bottom of pie shell; lightly salt and pepper. Cover with ricotta mixture, add another layer of tomatoes. Top with remaining half of ricotta. Cover liberally with one cup of the shredded cheeses. Shake parmesan cheese over that. Repeat the same for the other pie shell. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Check last five minutes so it is not too brown. Cool a bit and eat! Yum! Keep refrigerated and eat all week warmed up.