Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Friday has arrived, and all we have is one doctor’s appointment; it must be a magical day!
Becky called us and she was sick, so we decided to send her some flowers to perk her up. We ensured that the florist delivered them and that they arrived safely. Phoenix was 112 degrees today!
They looked beautiful.
Last time we were at the market, I picked up four good-looking steaks, and today, half of them will be subjected to extreme heat!
Olive oil, mixed with butter and some wonderful cloves of garlic, ensures the steaks are delicious!
After a brief walk through the garden, we departed for the pulmonologist to get clearance for the upcoming surgery. Our regular doctor was out sick, so we saw his PA, who was quite good. I’ve been cleared; I’m ready to go!
We did mention that I needed my hearing checked.
Upon returning home, Mary decided it was time for tomato pie. Yes, you heard it right here, tomato pie. Mary would make a great Southern Belle, ding dong!!!
We set up the flowers so we could enjoy them as preparations got underway.
We needed two cups of basil, so we went shopping in the garden.
Mary sent me out to capture the elusive “large tomato,” and I succeeded in getting some three-pounders. These puppies were giant, and we only needed about five to make two pies!
They were so big that the skins split, but after some trimming, they were ready for slicing.
I sharpened my Ginsu knives (as seen on TV) and, after whirling them around several times, clicking them together with precision, and speaking a loose form of Japanese, I attacked those tomatoes with a vengeance!
They did NOT stand a chance with junior chef Paul at the counter. I thought I heard applause from the head chef.
The heat of the blades warmed up the tomatoes!
After doing the same thing to a couple of onions — two white and two red — Mary was ready to prepare the pie.
I volunteered to make more basil as she was preparing the pies!
She called me, saying, “Chop Chop!”
The recipe is something like this:
1 baked pastry shell (quiche or pie pan)
4 to 6 beefsteak tomatoes, peeled and cut into thin slices
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil, or one teaspoon dried basil
2 tablespoons chopped chives
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup of grated cheese
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Layer the tomato slices evenly in the pie shell. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, basil, and chives/onions. Repeat until it fills the shell.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the mayonnaise and cheese, then spread the mixture evenly over the tomatoes.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and slightly golden. We use aluminum foil for half the time and remove it at the end, ensuring the cheese will not burn.
The pies looked wonderful!
One nice thing about this pie is that you can serve it hot or cold!
The house smelled wonderful with the tomato pie cooling down.
We knew Jeff, our neighbor, loved tomato pie, as we had introduced it to him the previous year. As soon as the pie was ready to cut, we called Jeff and he responded with, “COME ON OVER!”
He had just finished dinner, but he knew he had room for the tomato pie.
Returning home, we decided not to swim as the air was a little cool, so we watched TV for an hour before going to bed.
Just before going to bed, I checked my email, and my grandnephew Owen got to try his first solid food this week: oatmeal!
