Tomato Pie

When does a vintage recipe require revision, or reimagination, and when is it perfect as is? This is the question I asked myself as I unpacked the pie my mother-in-law made on Sunday. We had spent a gorgeous afternoon up the coast in Rockland, strolling down Main Street, popping into shops and galleries, and having a fine, fried seafood lunch at a sidewalk cafe, and were piling a sleeping babe into the car, when she handed us a foil wrapped pie, with instructions to bake until very brown and bubbling. I was skeptical. A tomato pie with mayonnaise and cheese? It sounded at best old-fashioned, and at worst…inedible. She’s a very good cook, and I trust her taste, but I still had my reservations. When I learned the recipe came direct from the RSVP cookbook, it all became suddenly clear.

“RSVP: An Invitation From The Junior League of Portland, Maine” was first published in 1982, and its recipes reflect that particular spirit of an age that rises above and disregards the actual year it was compiled. It’s an instruction manual for elegant ladies putting on luncheons for one another, complete with menu plans and accompanying cocktails. There are various and sundry dated, but perhaps delicious ideas here. “The Mustard Ring,” for example, which falls under the salad heading, contains dry mustard, as well as gelatin, turmeric, and whipping cream. This is garnished with greens and served with fresh fruit, or coleslaw.

If I were to update and amend the recipe, I might recommend seeding or squeezing some of the liquid from the tomatoes. But we did not. We followed the instructions as typed by Mary Louise Meyer Dyer (Mrs. Ralph). I wonder if Ralph himself ever enjoyed the pie on a hot summer Saturday, or if his Mrs. only made it for company, say, when the girls came over to play cards and drink a perspiring pitcher of daiquiris. I might consider using a different cheese, like gruyere, or adding a couple of strips of bacon. And while the notion of hot mayonnaise is still very upsetting, I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it. The pie is a bit unkempt at its molten core, and I would advise allowing it to cool for a bit before serving. Do what you will, but I say make it just like this, according to the lightly toasted ladies of the Portland Junior League. Without further ado:

Tomato Pie
Reprinted from “RSVP, An Invitation to Maine Cooking, by The Junior League of Portland, Maine“

Ingredients:

For the crust:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/8 cup shredded Cheddar cheese or 1/8 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup butter
• Squeeze of lemon juice
• 1/2 to to 1 1/2 tablespoons cold water

For the filling:

• 4 to 5 ripe tomatoes
• salt, pepper, basil and chives, to taste
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Method:

For the crust:

Sift flour, salt and sugar together. Stir in cheese. With a pastry blender work in butter. Add lemon juice and gradually blend in the water until the mixture holds together thwn you gather it into a ball. Roll it out and place in a 9-inch pie plate.

For the filling:

Peel and slice tomatoes. Place them on pie crust, sprinkling the herbs on top of each layer. Combine cheese and mayonnaise and spread on top of the tomatoes. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 35-45 minutes.

NB: It is more than acceptable to use a premade pie crust.

Tagged as: cheese, pie, vegetarian

About the Author: Jillian Bedell

Jillian grew up in Connecticut, went to university in Boston, college in New Haven, did some post-grad soul searching in New York, exiled herself to Mexico, married her longtime sweetheart, and lived in a house on the ocean. She suspected Maine might be the perfect place to raise a family, so she came back home to New England two years ago. Now a mom to Violet Maeve and living in Rockland, where she hopes to settle for a good, long while, Jillian reads, writes, walks, and practices Nia, when not watching Malcolm photograph sandwiches.