It's like a pizza - only fresher
I had been craving tomatoes for some time. I know I put tomatoes in a lot of recipes, but I wanted a recipe that didn't just include the fruit, but one which featured it.
Bored with tomato soups, sauces and salsas, I decided that a pie was what I wanted.
And, unusually for these parts, the tomatoes at the produce mart, looked delicious. Heavy and thick and bright red.
Not to be confused with pizza, a tomato pie is fresh and crisp and bursting with flavor. Bread, cheese and a bit of herbs and spices meld together for a super fresh taste.
I like a lot of cheese so I tend to smother my food in it, but if you are watching calories - or if you want a vegan version of this recipe - leave some or all of the cheese off of the pie and enjoy the fresh fruit in all its naked glory.
Tomato Pie
1 ready to bake pie shell2 ripe tomatoes, sliced thickly
1/2 of a small onion, sliced thinly
1 tablespoon dried oregano
Pepper to taste
5 fresh basil leaves, chopped coarsely
2 ounces of mozzarella, sliced thinly
4 ounces of ricotta cheese
2 ounces of feta cheese
1/4 cup of olive oil
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Roll out the pie crust and put into the pie pan.
Put half the tomatoes on top of the crust. Top with the onions and the basil.
Put the mozzarella cheese on top and sprinke with about half the oregano and a bit of pepper.
Top with another layer of tomatoes.
Drop the ricotta in random blobs atop the tomtoes with a teaspoon.
Scatter the feta on the top.
Sprinkle the rest of the oregano and some more pepper on top.
Brush the edges of the crust with olive oil and drizzle the rest of the oil over the filling.
Bake for 30 minutes. Switch to the broiler on low and broil until the ricotta starts to brown ever so slightly.
Vegetarian.
