posted by Sue Freeman 08-17-98 7:14 AM
Tomato pie
Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 ounces (1 stick) butter
2/3 cup milk
Filling:
3 pounds medium-size ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and sliced thickly
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 cups grated Cheddar cheese (or your choice of sharp cheese)
2/3 cup real mayonnaise
Crust: Combine flour, pepper, salt and baking powder in a bowl.
Use two knives or a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour mixture to make a mealy looking mixture.
Add milk and stir to gently blend well.
The dough should be soft and sticky.
Turn it onto a counter or breadboard that's sprinkled with a little flour and knead the dough by folding it over a few times.
Chill for 10 minutes.
Divide the dough in half and roll 1/2 out to fit a 10-inch deep-dish pie plate.
Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
Filling: To peel the tomatoes, dip them in boiling water for 10 seconds.
Core them with a small knife, then slip the peels off.
Cut the tomatoes in half horizontally and scoop the seeds out of the seed pockets using your index finger.
Don't be too obsessive about getting every seed.
Slice the tomatoes thickly and place a layer in the pie.
Sprinkle with a little salt and a few herbs, then layer again with tomatoes, repeating the process until all the tomatoes are used.
Top with grated cheese, then spread the mayonnaise over the top (this isn't a particularly neat process).
Roll out the remaining dough and cover the pie, crimping the edges to seal them.
Cut several slits in the top of the pie and brush the top of it with milk or cream (you can sprinkle the top with a little coarse salt or Parmesan cheese, if desired).
Bake for 25 minutes.
Let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
Serves 6 to 8.