A Slice of Summer - Tomato Basil Pie

Technically it's still summer, right? It seemed pretty much like fall for a couple of weeks here; however, our weather has made an about face and we’re back to summer at least as far as temperatures go. All the more reason to take advantage of the late summer produce and make more veggie dishes. I found the most gorgeous heirloom tomatoes at our local farmers market this past weekend. Here is the excuse I came up with so I could buy tons of them.

    

Tomato Basil Pie
I call this a pie, but it’s actually a galette because it doesn’t require a top crust or pie pan. Just a simple fold over to cradle its contents. Feel free to use larger tomatoes or a different style if you prefer.

1 refrigerated pie crust, at room temperature

1 quart mini heirloom tomatoes, halved (seeds removed if preferred)

¼ cup fresh basil, thinly sliced

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon Balsamic vinegar

½ teaspoon Italian seasoning

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

1 ½ cups mozzarella or Italian blend cheese

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg beaten

Heat oven to 375 F.

Pat tomatoes with paper towels to remove excess juice.

On a parchment-lined baking sheet, unroll pie crust. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, basil, salt, pepper, oil, vinegar, seasoning and garlic powder. Toss gently to combine.

To the pie crust, add cheese leaving a 2-inch border of crust. Top with cheeses then tomato mixture. Fold the crust up and over the outer part of the filling, leaving the center of the pie open.

Whisk egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush over top of crust.

Bake for 25-35 minutes, covering crust with strips of foil after 15 minutes to prevent over 
browning.

Allow pie to stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.