Joyful Abode

This is a recipe that I snatched from my stepmother’s pile of recipe cards. It’s sort of like a quiche, but eggless and more tomato-y. Obviously.

You can use a pre-made store-bought pie crust and it’s delicious that way. I made my own pastry crust (my mother-in-law’s recipe), and it was fantastic.

The result of my recipe-thievery? Check it out.

If you’re using a pre-made crust, bake it at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 minutes before filling. If you’re going the homemade route, don’t worry about pre-baking.

Slice some large tomatoes, and place the slices on paper towels to take out a bit of the juice. If they’re too juicy, your pie could boil over and make a mess in your oven! No good.

Fill the pie shell with tomato slices. The sprinkle salt, pepper, basil, and onion powder over the tomatoes. I’m quite liberal with the basil and salt.

Mix 1/2 cup mayonnaise with 2 cups of shredded cheese (your choice of cheese). Spread this over the tomatoes.

If you’re using homemade crust, add the top and pierce for ventilation.

Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 35 minutes. I used a tin-foil shield on my crust edges for the first 20 minutes, then finished without it. Let it sit for about 10 minutes, if you can stand waiting. Then slice and serve.

Flaky Pastry Pie Crust

If you’re afraid of making crust from scratch, don’t be. I’ve made this one many times (the first couple of times under the supervision of my mother-in-law) and have never had a failure. It’s delicious and flaky each time. Perfect for tomato pie, quiches, or dessert pies.

You Will Need:

• 2 cups sifted flour (2 cups minus about 1 Tbsp, put through the sifter)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2/3 cups shortening
• 6+ Tbsp ice water

Mix the flour and salt. Cut in shortening until the mix resembles cornmeal. I usually just do this with my fingertips, but you can use forks if you prefer that.

Sprinkle water over the surface, one Tbsp at a time, mixing lightly and quickly with a fork. When the dough holds together, do not add any more water.

Shape into 2 balls on a floured surface. Roll each ball until it’s about 3 inches larger than your pie pan. Cover with a damp cloth while you prepare the filling.

After filling, dampen the edges with water and place the top crust on the bottom, crimping edges and trimming excess.

Cut steam vents into the top, and cook according to the filling.