Jul 29, 2013

Boyisms {and Tomato Pie}

The Boy spent some time with my mom & dad over the July 4th holiday.  Every summer he stays with them for about a week.  He starts asking about this visit near the end of every school year.

The Husband & I took a boyless mini vacation on July 4th to the Woodlands, TX to see Tab Benoit, a wetlands activist and blues musician who will move you with his lyrics...especially when his lyrics are about coastal Louisiana.  Maybe I'll tell you more another time.

Tomato Pie from Ms.enPlace


The Boy is not an overly loud kid guy, but it sure was quiet without him.  (P. S. he is not a kid.  P. P. S. someone is reading over my shoulder)  He is a non-stop source of one-liners, quick wit, and humorously honest observations.

We find ourselves quoting "Boyisms" when he's gone.

(I've taken to writing them down in a notebook, but he doesn't know that.  Except now he does because he's reading over my shoulder.)

Tomato Pie from Ms.enPlace


Notoriously indecisive, I teased him one day, "what in the world are you ever going to do if you have to choose between two girlfriends?"

"I'll choose the one who's hotter."
Duh, mom implied.  He's 11.  Did I mention?

He gets caught up in language--colloquialisms especially.  Often tries to invent his own.  One day I asked him how he was doing.  He sighed the heavy sigh of a man who's lost it all.  "I'm halfway to twice as bad."

Then he tried to explain the mathematics behind his statement.  Hee-lar-ee-ous.


And there's Tomato Pie.
Poor baby can't stand it.  But he'd never say for fear of hurting my feelings.
Instead he asks, "Umm...sometimes does your food just taste ummm...too rich?"

"It tastes too rich" has become our code for "I don't like this crap."

The basic recipe: chives scattered in a pie shell.  Topped with sliced tomatoes seasoned with salt, pepper, and basil.  Spread with a mixture of mayo and sharp cheddar (which skeeves me out if I think about it too much, but it's actually really good.)

Tomato Pie from Ms.enPlace


I thought maybe adding bacon would be a game changer.

Tomato Pie from Ms.enPlace

Tomato Pie from Ms.enPlace

It wasn't.  It was still "too rich" for him.  Guess bacon can't fix everything.

Tomato pie is versatile.  Sometimes I use chives, green onion, or garlic chives.  Sometimes dried basil & oregano.  Sometimes fresh.  A mixture of cheeses could be used.

Tomato Pie from Ms.enPlace

It's one of my summer favorites.  It is rich, but not "too rich" for me.


Print it

Basic Tomato Pie
adapted from Sandy

3-4 medium tomatoes
pie crust to fit a 9" pie plate
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar
1/4 c chopped chives
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
heaping 1/2 tsp dried basil
paprika (optional)

Preheat oven to 425.

While oven heats, peel the tomatoes, gently squeeze them to remove the seeds and juice, and thickly slice. Pace on layers of paper towels to drain.

Place pie crust in oven and bake for 5 minutes.  Remove and lower oven to 400.

Mix together the mayonnaise and cheddar and set aside.

Scatter the chives over the bottom of the crust.  Place a layer of tomato slices on top.  Season with salt, pepper, and basil.  Add another layer of tomatoes.  Spread the cheese mixture over the tomatoes.  Sprinkle paprika on top (optional)  Bake for about 35 minutes.  Remove from oven and let sit for about 20 minutes before slicing.

*Try chopped green onions or garlic chives in place of the chives.  If using bacon, cook and drain 4 slices.  Crumble and use 3 slices in the pie and 1 on top of the cheese mixture.  Fresh basil can be used in place of dried.


linking with:
Food On Friday: Tarts & Pies @ Carole's Chatter

Who Needs a Cape?  Linky MyMeatlessMondays
Memories by the Mile
 Hearth and Soul blog hop at Premeditated Leftovers Feeding Big
Love Bakes Good Cakes
nap-time creations
White Lights on Wednesdays
Miz Helen’s Country Cottage Photobucket BWS tips button
Freedom Fridays


16 comments:

  1. Your tomato pie sounds really good to me Michelle~ "The boy" sounds like a real character:) He sounds similar to "my boy" who is in is 30's now, would refer to a dish I made he didn't like as "to rich" too:) Or, It just doesn't appeal to my taste buds..he used to say~ Lynn @ Turnips 2 Tangerines

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love the sound of the tomato pie, however the mayo skeeves me out too *smile*. Oh what would we do without our boys, no matter the age? since my baby boy has just became a man (so he tells me) since he turned 30 this year.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love kids ways of explaining things. My girl comes up with things like, "Hey, where is that flour declumpinator?" which would be a sifter. I love it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh how I LURVE tomato pie! When we lived in England, they called a slice of tomato covered in cheese atop half a scone "tomato pie." I took great issue with that misnomer. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh! Michelle, This looks amazing! I can't wait to try it. Maybe I will make a salad with some bitter or peppery greens in it as a side (to cut the richness). But I have to admit not much is too rich for me. I love the "boyisms" too. I love that you spell Hee-lar-ee-ous the way I say it. Have a great day!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Ah this looks so good. Definitely wouldn't be too rich for this house lol. I'm having a good laugh at your boy choosing the hottest of the girlfriends. Sounds very much like my boys at that age.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'm glad you're writing those down! I thought to do that when my daughters were younger but never did. This is not too rich for me either, I'll try it with this BAG of tomatoes from the garden.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I don't care if it's "too rich" - I have to make it.
    I loooooooooove basil and even more with tomatoes.
    And even more - your cute son!!
    He's definitely a character :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. OH, I do love these rich foods... a good tomato pie is part of our summer meals almost weekly, and I like to add onions and squash... of course, I now do away with the mayo, (and crust) so I guess I am really making a relaxed tian...LOL

    ReplyDelete
  10. Love it! I have a son like that too, they sure keep life from getting boring and mundane! :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Boys can be such fun and I loved reading about your son's 'boyisms', Michelle. We were only just talking with our son today about how he used to say that anything too spicy was 'pingy' when he was little. Now he's a fan of jalepeño, chipotle, habanero, and even Scotch Bonnet chillies!

    Your Tomato Pie sounds lovely - rich in a good way :) I think it would make a lovely summer supper. Thank you for sharing it with the Hearth and Soul hop.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Your son sounds like someone I would love to meet! Funny guy!

    I have never had tomato pie before. I am not fond of tomatoes, but my family loves them. I will have to put this on the menu soon.

    Thanks you for linking this to the In and Out of the Kitchen Link party. I will be featuring this at the Top 10 Favorites link on Monday morning.

    ReplyDelete
  13. This sounds so yummy - especially with all the tomatoes getting ripe now! YUM! Saw you over at my Turn for us!

    Would like to invite you over to Super Sunday at Who Needs a Cape! We would love for you to link up with us there ;) http://whoneedsacape.com/2013/08/super-sunday-link-party-9/

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi Michelle,
    I can't get through the summer without a good tomato pie and this one sure looks good. Thank you so much for sharing your awesome recipe with Full Plate Thursday. Hope you are having a great weekend and come back soon!
    Miz Helen

    ReplyDelete
  15. Ha - I love your "boyisms" - kids say the darnedest things :) Too rich or not, I think this sounds fabulous, Michelle! Pinned it!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Great post, Michelle. Love reading about your "boyisms" ... or rather, the Boy's boyisms. That notebook with be a real family treasure one day!!

    Rich or not, the tomato pie sounds fabulous, and I could happily scarf down a wedge or two of that.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for stopping by! I appreciate your comments.