Tomato Pie

My father was a keen gardener and one of my fondest memories was walking through his vegetable patch. One summer we had such an abundance of tomatoes, these luscious red fruit glistened like rubies, in all shapes and sizes, their green stalks bent double with A heavy burden of their growth. This summer I was pleasantly surprised to come across the same “beefsteak” tomatoes which grew in my father’s garden, easily eaten straight off the vine or thinly sliced with a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Wanting to introduce my children to my love affair with these tomatoes, I found this pleasingly delightful little suppertime dish to tantalise the whole family. The fresh sweetness of these beefsteak tomato varieties complements the creamy cheese melding with the buttery pastry accentuated with the layers of condiments added. If you would like to be more adventurous you could also add a layer of shredded meat or fish, but the pie on its own original self is decadently delightful. This is one pie you would definitely like to get your fingers in!

Ingredients

● 4 large “beefsteak” tomatoes (with green stalks)

● Puff pastry 2 sheets

● 1 ½ cup of mayonnaise ● ½ cup sour cream

● 2 cups mozzarella cheese ● 2 cups cheddar cheese ● 1 onion chopped

● 1 cup parmesan ● Chopped fresh herbs (mix of parsley, basil etc) ● Tablespoon of sugar ● Salt and pepper

Method

Slice your tomatoes thinly like in sandwich slices, sprinkle lightly with salt and leave in a colander for excess water to drain. Roll out puff pastry into two sheets. In a bowl mix together the mayo, sour cream, mozzarella, cheese, cheddar cheese, herbs and onion. Once tomatoes are drained well, sprinkle with seasoning of salt, pepper and sugar, then start layering. Layer of puff pastry, tomato, cheese and onion herb mix. Finish the top layer with some puff pastry and add a few thinly sliced tomatoes on top. Bake in the oven until golden. Enjoy!