Outside of the sweltering summer, my colleagues and I make every effort to host a monthly bake/cook-off; we've done chili, cookies, quiche, dip, to name a few.  This month, we decided to do a "pie-off."

Forgoing a traditional sweet pie, I decided to take a savory route.  And, being that September marks the non-official end of our local tomato season (and summer, for that matter), I decided to make an old-fashioned Southern tomato pie using a bounty of colorful heirlooms.

I spent last Sunday morning gathering ingredients, prepping vegetables and pie dough (pre-made, don't judge), and baking.  This pie was rather simple to make and, aesthetically, resulted in a gorgeous and sturdy masterpiece; but the real question at hand was, how would it taste? 

To be honest, I don't think I was prepared for just how deliciously delectable this pie came out!  I was pretty concerned about the tomatoes becoming watery and the savory creation morphing itself in to a wet and soggy mess.  However, I could not have been more wrong: The tomatoes remained intact/not watery, the blend of chives and arugla married beautifully, the sauteed onions added a luxuriously rich flavor punch, and the seasoning was spot-on.  My coworkers and I indulged ourselves in seconds and thirds (I think someone had fourths?), literally, until the pie was completely gone (save for a few crumbs of crust).  

Plenty of you have asked for the recipe, so here it is!  I hope that you will love it as much as me and my coworkers. 

Supplies/utensils needed for this recipe

• 9” pie pan

• Cheese grater

• Culinary scale (If you don’t have one, get one! This is the best kitchen gadget of all time!)

• Paper towels

• Cookie sheet

• Saute pan

• Foil

• Salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Ingredients

(Makes 8 generous servings)

Pie crust

• Pie crust for a 9 inch pie (I buy the pre-made dough because I’m lazy.) 

Filling

• 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, broken out by 1/4 cup and 1/2 cup

• 2 1/4 pounds (36 ounces) assorted heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced (if you can’t find heirloom tomatoes, any large red tomatoes will do)

• 1 tbsp. olive oil

• 1 cup sweet white onion, chopped

• 1/2 cup freshly grated Gruyere cheese

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise

• 1/4 cup Ranch dressing

• 1/8 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper (if you don’t have 1/8 teaspoon, use a heavy pinch)

• 1/3 cup chopped fresh chives

• 1/3 cup chopped fresh arugula (you can also combine this with fresh basil or even cilantro - whatever herbs you have on-hand!)

• Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

1. Bake the pre-made pie dough/your homemade dough according to the directions.  Remove from oven and sprinkle 1/4 cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese on the bottom of the crust.

2. Set aside to cool.

3. Pre-heat oven to 350 F.

4. Cover the surface of a large cookie sheet with paper towels and top with a layer of sliced tomatoes.  Sprinkle with salt.  Place single layer of paper towels atop the tomatoes and repeat the previous step until all sliced tomatoes have been placed atop paper towels and salted.  (This will literally resemble a "paper towel and tomato" lasagna.)  Let stand for at least 30 minutes (up to 1 hour) while you prep the rest of your ingredients.

5. Over medium heat, heat oil and add the chopped onion, plus a liberal sprinkle of salt and freshly-ground black pepper. Saute until tender, approximately 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. 

6. Combine the remainder of the cheeses (1/2 cup each Parmigiano-Reggiano and Gruyere), plus mayonnaise, Ranch dressing, and 1/8 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper in a small bowl and set aside.

7. Combine the herbs (chopped chives and arugula/mix) in a bowl. *Reserve one teaspoon of this herb blend for later and set aside.  

8. Add sauteed onions to the bowl of herbs and stir to combine.

9. Assemble your work-space: Pie crust, tomatoes, herb/onion mix.

10. Layer tomatoes and the herbs/onion mix in the prepared crust, repeating until you have relinquished your ingredients. You will likely have 3-5 layers.

11. Pour the cheese/mayo/Ranch mixture atop the pie and, with a gentle hand, evenly-spread across the perimeter.

12. If your pie crust has edges, shield them with foil to prevent further browning/cooking. Bake at 350 F for 45 minutes (on the middle rack, or one approx. 5” from oven ceiling) or until topping is lightly browned.

Remove the pie from the oven and discard the foil surrounding the edges.

Optional: To further brown the top, set oven to broil and return the pie to the same rack. Broil for 1-2 minutes or until the topping becomes golden brown and bubbly.

13. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the pie with the reserved teaspoon of herbs. Serve hot, warm, room-temp, or cold!  You simply cannot go wrong here, folks!

Until we eat again, 

Lindsay, The Lunch Belle