Summer's End: Tomato Pie

Hooboy, it's true what they say...the older you get, the faster time flies!

  Seems like we were just picking the first squash and beans last week!  Now, with August just around the corner, that school bell will be ringing before we know it (we go back August 15 here in Pensacola)! 

 As summer begins to wind down, so does the summer garden.  Not much left of the tomatoes; just some struggling green ones and a few red ones picked earlier and stored in the refrigerator.  Not really enough to put up. 

So, what to do with the late stragglers?  Why, make a Tomato Pie, of course!

I don't really have this recipe written down, just sort of rattles around in my head when I see green tomatoes.  So, I'll try to piece together a recipe like I piece together the pie, just adding whatever sounds good at the time!

Of course, you have to start with fresh red and green tomatoes.  Throw in some onions, too.

Don't forget green bell peppers (and red if you have them on hand).

You'll also need some shredded cheese and two deep-dish  pie crusts (I cheated on the pie crust..got store-bought). 

 That's about it for the ingredients, unless you can think of something else you want to add, like maybe some eggplant or squash.  You probably would have to make it in a 9 X 13 dish (and more pie crust)  for that many vegetables.  But for this pie, we'll just stick to the main ingredients and make a round pie.

Slice and layer the green tomatoes, onions, and bell peppers.  Sprinkle on some shredded cheese (I use "Seriously Sharp").  Also, I chopped the bell peppers because there's not a lot of  room in that round pie crust.

Now, slice and layer the red tomatoes, more onions, bell peppers, and additional cheese if desired.

Oh man, I'm getting hungry.

Place top crust on pie and crimp edges.  Bake in 350 degrees oven roughly 40-45 minutes, checking it toward the end so as not to burn the crust. 

Serve with a salad, some of those homemade wheat rolls, southern sweet tea, and you've got some mighty fine eating ahead!

Using those last tomatoes to make a tomato pie is like putting the period at the end of summer...make that an explanation point!

Stay tuned for more recipes for fall...Buttermilk Pie, Amish Cinnamon Coffee Cake...