I love summer. Mostly for the food. And for one Southern tomato pie recipe in particular.
When I think of summer I think about…
Sweet white corn
Crisp butter lettuce
Cool honeydew melon
Asparagus stalks that snap
Perfectly round sweet peas
Sizzling red hot dogs
Tangy potato salad
This past weekend, I was daydreaming about summer foods. I started reminiscing about a Fourth of July weekend eight years ago where I walked a couple miles from our rented house on the ocean in Wrightsville Beach, NC, across the bridge, to a farmer’s market on the other side of the waterway.
As I meandered the food tents, I ogled brightly colored produce, homemade breads and farm culled eggs. That’s when I spotted a homemade tomato pie stand down at the end.
Firstly, it had been years since I’d had a slice of one. Secondly, I carried it gingerly all the way back to the house, put it in the oven and then let it cool. Thirdly, I sliced it up and plated it for my in-laws.
Subsequently, this isn’t your New Jersey, Italian-style tomato pie. If that’s what you’re thinking. There’s no sauce involved.
Instead, this Southern tomato pie had a butter crumb crust cradling sliced crimson red tomatoes, subtle basil and tangy sharp cheddar all gooped together with mayonnaise. (My favorite Southern tomato pie recipe is below.) It was the perfect summertime meal. Right up there with fresh shrimp, the kind steamed in Old Bay seasoning that slides out of the shell with little effort.
Right up there with just-shucked corn salad with basil and red onion. Or stark white bread set against the bold orange and red of a pimento cheese sandwich. I knew later I’d have savory deviled eggs with their golden yellow tops sprinkled in auburn paprika. And that I could count on a bowl of creamy French onion dip just waiting for a nose dive from ridged potato chips later too. Above all, those Southern summer staples are as much a part of Fourth of July for me as flags and fireworks.
Back to that tomato pie… Sure, I shared it. But I was just selfish enough to save a slice in crinkly aluminum tinfoil hidden in the back of the fridge for later. The next morning, I woke up early and ate that last cold slice on the porch looking out over the ocean in a rocking chair.
However, it didn’t escape me that in that moment, I had it made. I felt blessed to live in this country. I watched as flags waved from the houses around me. Others were staked into yards trembling and flapping in the verdant grass.
The moment felt wholly American. That is, eating tomato pie on a rocking chair at the ocean.
Our food is so intertwined with our rituals and celebrations in this country. Moreover, I remember I felt grateful to be sitting there. And I threw a little thank you prayer toward the heavens. It was a simple thing, that slice of tomato pie, but it made a lasting impression.
Knowing that millions of other Americans were more than likely experiencing something similar that same day—enjoying food traditions with friends and family—brought it all together for me.
We’re more alike than we’re different.
If you are a tomato pie fan or want to make one for the first time, this is one of the easiest Southern tomato pie recipes I love:
Ingredients
1 (9 inch) store-bought pie crust
2 tablespoons Dijon or yellow mustard
4 sliced tomatoes
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 oz grated white cheddar cheese
4 oz yellow grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup sliced basil (about 8 large leaves) chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
Layer half of the tomatoes in the crust and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with the cheddar cheeses. Mix together the mayonnaise, onions, mustard, basil and Parmesan and spread on top of the pie.
Bake 20 minutes. Let cool.
