got tomato?

Happy Monday!  Or should I say Moonday?  Today is the full moon and it is a "super" one as well.  I've been getting up really early for the past week or so and caught this early morning photo while working in the garden.  I have to get out in the garden early, before it gets too hot.  Even at 6 in the morning it's been in the mid to high 70's and the humidity has been close to 100%.  So, early morning work is best for me. 

The past two days I've been swimming in the morning instead of working in the garden.  I did try to get in a few hours today but I was just too exhausted.  I only spent an hour in the garden and was worn out.  I really need to get my strength built up. 

As I think I mentioned in my last post, I've been giving lots of thought to why I blog and what I blog about.  I think I've gotten away from what it was about...my favorite things.  So, I'm going to try to get back to blogging about my favorite things and today I'm starting with a recipe.

I love to cook and bake.  I learned from my both my grandmothers how to cook and I've always done it for lots of people.  Having just one to cook for has taken a lot of adjustment when I used to cook for my mum and brother and all my brother's friends. 

Since tomatoes are coming in like mad (at the farmer's market if not in my own garden yet), I thought I'd share a recipe from my mum that I tweaked over the weekend.  Let me introduce the lovely Tomato Pie.

No photos of the making of, just the end result.  (sorry)

Here's the recipe:

1 deep dish pastry crust (or make your own)  - I used the refrigerated pie crust and rolled it out into my own pie plate. 


4-5 tomatoes, sliced thick
1/2 cup green or yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tbsp basil

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (sharp is best)

pre-heat oven to 350 degrees then bake the pie crust for 5 minutes.
lay the sliced tomatoes on paper towels and cover with paper towels to allow to soak up some of the moisture (this keeps your pie from being too runny when it's done)

after crust is baked, layer the tomatoes in the bottom of the pie crust.  add onion, pepper and mushroom and sprinkle with the salt, pepper and basil.

mix the mayo and cheese together and cover entire pie with cheese mixture.

bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  let sit for 10-15 minutes before cutting.

enjoy!

I'll let you in on a little secret with this tomato pie.  The mushrooms and green pepper were my add-ins.  They weren't in the original recipe and I think they add a lot to it.  The other part of the secret is that when I made this one, I forgot to add the salt and pepper.  (I also used fresh basil from the garden.)  I didn't miss the salt and pepper at all.  I think the bell pepper and mushrooms just added more flavor. 

If you have lots of extra tomatoes or even if you don't, I hope you'll give this a try.  It is a wonderful summer time treat.  I'm thinking of adding eggplant next time.  Doesn't that just sound so yummy? 

If you give it a try, I'd love to know what you thought. 

Hope you have a great rest of your day/evening.
blessings
~*~