Food.  We have so many options about what we put into our bodies and often we (I) do not make good selections.. This past year has been a difficult year with food. I never imagined me in a place of not wanting to eat ( generally I’d go in the opposite direction of overeating) but that’s what I faced daily. I went from being the chef of a family of 2-11 people, to me, myself and I. It was a drastic reduction and I was lost. The times I did attempt to cook, I felt that I couldn’t even boil water. I burned and ruined a few things so I just stared eating frozen meals, cheese sticks and yogurt. Toddlers and adults alike can survive on cheese sticks and yogurt…

After a bit of time I tried Sun Basket, which was good and did cater to my need for gluten-free but I found that I wasted far too much food. Lately, I’ve been getting Hungryroot, which is vegan and easy. But the time has come to get back in the kitchen and frankly I don’t particularly like tofu ( insert gross emoji face here). The good thing about these meal deliveries is that even though the cooking time was quick, I was in fact cooking and beginning to enjoy it again.

This recipe is a family favorite, it is literally summer inside a pie crust. What could be better? Mine is of course gluten-free but if you do not eat gluten free get yourself a nice refrigerated pie crust ( please no frozen crusts…unless they are the kind you thaw and can manipulate) or better yet make your own! Also any fresh tomato can be used here, but heirloom tomatoes are soooo lovely. Go to the farmers market and indulge yourself!

This recipe makes one pie. I doubled it and made mine in a rectangular Pyrex dish bcause I had company and wanted leftovers.

Pie Crust- no need to reinvent the wheel. There are tons of great recipes for pie crust on the web. I personally use the one from Cup4Cup. Making pie crust takes practice but it is so worth the effort. For both gluten-free and regular pie crust the most important step is how you incorporate the butter. You need cold butter and not all of it is mixed. Having larger pieces of  the butter-flour mixture creates flakiness, which is the mark of a good crust.  If you are making a non gluten free crust I highly recommendthis recipe from Smitten kitchen. 

Ingredients

2 lbs tomatoes ( Heirloom Tomatoes are so delicious here)- slice them thinly and layer on paper towels to drain for at least 30 minutes.

Fresh herbs-Cilantro and Basil chopped fine ( I use about 1 tablespoon of each)

3 cups of grated sharp cheddar cheese

1/3 cup of grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

salt and pepper to taste

 

Roll out your crust and place in pan, no need to worry about the edges because this is a rustic pie and I have found that the crust is best folded over the edges of the pie.

Mix the mayo, fresh herbs, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper together. Mix the cheddar and parmesan cheese together.

Layer the ingredients starting with the cheese ( 1/3 of the mixture)  followed by 1/3 of the tomatoes and then 1/2 of the mayo mixture. Repeat with 1/3 cheese,1/3  tomatoes and  the rest of the mayo. Add the last layer of tomatoes followed by the last third of cheese. Bake in a 425 degree for 30-40 minutes. Let the pie rest for up to an hour before you eat it, trust me let it rest! Enjoy your savory summer pie! I almost forgot to take a photo of the finished product. Luckily there were those lovely leftovers today so I could snap one!