The Cure for the Summertime Blues: Tomato Pie

My mother Butchie was a fantastic cook, and she loved summertime cooking – West Indies Salad, BLT’s, cucumber and tomato salads, and anything on the grill.

But her favorite food in the entire world was a tomato pie.

Growing up, we always had a bowl of “Wayne Smith” tomatoes in the kitchen. Mr. Wayne is from my hometown of Brookhaven, and he grew the best! Butchie would eat those tomatoes like an apple.

I have been making some of Mom’s favorites at the Tallahatchie Gourmet here in Oxford. I find it almost therapeutic to be making what she loved, especially in this day and time. It’s comforting – to my heart and my soul.

Honestly, I am not sure what Mom would think of everything going on in the world right now. I do know that the thought of no Ole Miss and Saints football would weigh heavily on her, but that’s another story for another day.

So, here’s to Butchie’s tomato pie, the cure for the summertime blues …

Tomato Pie

9” deep dish pie crust
5 tomatoes, sliced
1 cup mozzarella
1 cup Parmesan
1 cup sharp cheddar
2 TB chopped fresh basil
1 cup Duke’s mayonnaise

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Salt and pepper tomatoes. Layer tomatoes in the pie shell. Mix cheeses, mayo, and basil and spread mixture over tomatoes. Bake 30 minutes.