Lila's tomato pie
Pies
Local tomatoes are a big deal around here and my mothers's friend and co-worker Lila grew some of the best classic beefsteaks around. We looked forward to end of summer when she would start dropping off first one or two tomatoes and then entire bags of fruit a week! But the best day was when she brought to work a tomato pie, which is a classic Southern expression of passion for the season. I've updated it in small ways - here I've exchanged Lila's garlic powder for fresh garlic and greatly increased the basil - and more radically in other recipes. This is a good template for fiddling with, as I have done with the topping many times. But if you want the simple classic, this is it! This with a salad of tender leaves with a good shallot-y, mustard-y dressing is a delightful supper on a hot night.
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<br />Note: the one step you can't skip is blotting or draining the tomato slices. If you forget that step, your crust will be soggy and the pie watery. Likewise, let the pie cool the minimum time to help it firm up a bit or you'll need a serving spoon instead of a pie wedge.
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