When the July sun is shining hot and the tomatoes are perfectly vine ripe, cooks in the south make tomato pie. This delectable dish is comprised of a crust, tomatoes, and a cheese/mayo mixture, and can be as simple or elaborate as the cook chooses. It highlights the essence of the meaty, juicy, sun ripened red fruit, which is as different from a hothouse tomato as a cat is from a lion. Eating a well made tomato pie will star on your personal list of “Best Things I Ate This Summer.”

The fact that a tomato is comprised of more than 90% water creates a unique challenge: how to make a pie that shines with concentrated tomato flavor but isn’t so watery that the crust gets soggy. A few years ago I found a recipe at www.saveur.com that resulted in the perfect tomato pie. It was submitted by Vivian Howard in July 2016. The secret is the dual treatment of the diced tomatoes: some are roasted to dry them out and some are drained over a colander for at least an hour. The addition of fresh herbs (basil and thyme) and sliced onions that have been caramelized also elevates this pie.

A cautionary word - this recipe has multiple steps and takes some time to assemble, so be sure to plan ahead. The pie can be eaten warm or at room temperature; both are wonderful. And I promise that you will eat any leftovers straight from the frig. This tomato pie is a masterpiece!

Southern Tomato Pie

Pie Crust for 10-inch pie pan (I used a purchased refrigerated one but you can certainly make your own)

3 1/2 lb. vine-ripe tomatoes (I used 5 large or you might use twice that many small ones), cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch dice, divided

2 large Roma tomatoes

2 tsp. salt, divided

1 Tbsp. butter

1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 tsp. picked fresh thyme

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/3 c. packed basil leaves, roughly chopped

1/2 c. mayonnaise

1/3 c. grated fontina

1/3 c. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Crust:

Place the crust in a 10-inch pie plate. I used a tart pan. Spray non stick cooking spray on one side of a sheet of tin foil and gently lay that down onto the crust. Place dry rice or beans in the center to blind bake the crust. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Carefully lift out the foil, including the rice and bake 3 minutes more. Remove from oven and let the crust cool.

Filling:

Toss half of the diced tomatoes with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. sugar. Set them over a colander to drain while you get everything else ready, at least an hour. Toss the remaining diced tomatoes with 1/2 tsp. salt, thyme, and olive oil. Spread in a single layer on a foil-lined sheet pan and roast at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes. You want the tomatoes to dry out and brown slightly.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat; add the sliced onion and 1/2 tsp. salt. Cook until deeply caramelized.This will take about 45 minutes, while you stir every once in a while.

Once all the individual components are done, gently stir all the filling ingredients together in a large bowl: drained tomato pieces, the roasted tomato cubes, caramelized onions, remaining 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. sugar, black pepper, and the basil.

Topping:

Thinly slice the Roma tomatoes and blot them with paper towels. Stir together the mayonnaise, and grated cheeses.

Assembly:

Spoon the tomato mixture into the pie crust. Dot with little spoonfuls of the cheese mixture, carefully spreading it out over the tomatoes. Artfully arrange the thin Roma slices on top. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.