Tomato Pie!

This tomato pie is the one recipe I can't wait to make when the first tomatoes of the season get ripe.  It's a really simple recipe, but it's so good and can be served for really any meal of the day. It's perfect for brunch, lunch or dinner.   My sister usually eats the leftovers for breakfast the next morning.  With the fresh tomatoes and the fresh herbs, it just tastes like summer.   Here is what you will need to make a tomato pie:

1 deep dish pie crust

3 medium size tomatoes

1 medium Vidalia onion, chopped or about 1 cup

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried basil

1/4 cup fresh oregano or 1 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

salt

black pepper

1/2 tsp. Nature's Seasoning

Bake the pie shell in a preheated 350 degree oven for 5-7 minutes just to brown it.  It's a good thing this is a rustic recipe, because this pie crust, after it was baked, is what we in the south call "butt ugly"...lol.  I don't know why it looks so bumpy and cracked but we are covering it up so nobody will ever know.

Slice the tomatoes and put them on a double thickness of paper towels. Slice them sort of thick, about 1/4 inch and if the peel seems tough at all, peel them.   Salt each slice and let them sit for at least 30 minutes.   This takes some of the water out of them.  Don't skip this step or your tomato pie will be soggy and won't hold up well.

Dice the Vidalia onion and sprinkle in over the bottom of the pie shell.

I like to use fresh herbs in this and I have plenty I grew this year, but if you don't have fresh just use dried oregano and basil. You just don't need nearly as much of the dried herbs.

Place the tomatoes in the pie crust over the onion in a single layer.  Sprinkle them with black pepper.

Sprinkle the chopped oregano and basil over the tomatoes.

In a bowl mix the sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic powder, Nature's Seasoning and Parmesan cheese until well blended.  This is one recipe that you cannot substitue the lowfat sour cream or mayonniase in.  They contain a lot of water and will make the pie very soupy and watery.  Use the real thing in this and just eat one piece.

This is the Nature's Seasoning.  I use it place of salt and pepper a lot. It's a great overall seasoning and doesn't contain MSG. If you don't have this, just use salt and pepper.

Spread the sour cream/mayonnaise mixture over the tomatoes and to the edges of the crust.

Sprinkle the top with a little more Parmesan cheese and the shredded Cheddar cheese.  Place in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes.  I place the pan on a cookie sheet or pizza pan and it bakes more even and catches any spillovers.

The cheese should be nice and melted and the top just starting to brown.  Let the pie sit for at least 10 minutes before you slice and serve.