Tomato Tarts For Two!

So, you think I can't cook for just the two of us? I didn't either...

Then I tried one of my most favorite recipes and downsized it!

When I put my mind to it….I can do a lot of things! 

Not everything, mind you…but the important stuff I can do! 

Hey…I can grow my own basil!

 Isn't that an accomplishment with our hot summers? 

I think it is!

This is my first summer that I haven't grown green beans, squash, tomatoes, etc…but I just could not leave my basil out! ( or my thyme)
And I'm so thankful that I didn't! 

Who knew I'd be craving tomato pie in September!

Well, I was and I made it! But I finally made it in a version for just the two of us! It was so wonderful and so very easy! I've been making it a lot lately!
 Yes, I am confessing that fact! I love it and more importantly, Jim loves it!

Thought you'd like to see it in stages so I showed you the beginning….with the crust that I cut out like a cookie cutter with my individual tart pans. Gosh I love my tart pans! Big or small..they sure do measure up to everything I ever thought they would be!

Ok…I know they are just tart pans but the fact that they make better crusts than pie pans do and they have removable bottoms…HELLO! You. Make. Me. Happy!

It really is so very simple once you learn to cook for two! You simply cut the recipe in half or in fourths! Ok…that may not be that simple every time…but it certainly is for Tomato Pie or Tomato Tarts for two! And if doesn't work…then by all means send it back with your college age children! Miller literally brings his Yeti back and forth every time he comes home from Auburn! With clean containers that I've sent with him from the weeks before! Yes…he really washes them! Gosh, I'd fill that Yeti with anything he wants these days! Just to hold on to that precious baby boy…oh wait…he's 20! He's practically grown…I'm not quite sure I can part with my last one…what happens then? And why weren't Yeti's around with my oldest son, Mitch? He would've loved that!

Well, I've definitely digressed…so sorry! Here is the recipe and I hope you absolutely love it!

Don't laugh at my sorry attempt at pictures…I'm really trying! I promise! 

Just let me know that you either tried this recipe for two or made it for an entire dinner party in a normal size pie crust!

Bon Appetit!

Tomato Tarts For Two

Ingredients:

Pastry for two individual tart pans. I use a pillsbury all ready pie crust much to my mother's dismay. You can make a homemade pie crust if you want to! 

1 Tablespoon mayo, divided  ( I use light )

1/4 small onion, minced

2/3 C grated swiss cheese, divided

2/3 C grated mozzarella cheese, divided

pepper to taste

1-2 Tablespoons fresh basil

2-3 tomatoes peeled and sliced, saving those parts you don't think you need!

kosher salt

1 Tablespoon olive oil, divided

Parmesan Cheese

*once the tart pans are prepared with the pie crust top each with a half Tablespoon mayo and then sprinkle the onions evenly on both. Add the two cheeses and top with the basil and then bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes until cheese is melted. Add the tomatoes filling in the edges with those pieces of tomatoes that didn't look so pretty after you finished slicing them! No one will see them! And the tomatoes make this tart! Hence, the name! Top with a dash of kosher salt and the olive oil. Bake at 350 for at least 30 minutes. Top with grated parmesan cheese. Bake for 5 more minutes. ( I goofed and put the basil on the top but it is more attractive to put it under the tomatoes in my opinion!)

I hope you love this as much as I do! 

Tomato Pie

Ok….I know this is another tomato pie recipe and that I've posted a few before,

 but I must say this one was definitely good enough to deserve it's own post!

And besides that, I've never shown how to peel tomatoes the super easy way! So I thought if you don't know about it already that now you will!

My mother in law showed me this years ago and it works so well and it's fool proof!

All you do is drop the tomato into a pot of boiling water and let it sit for about 30-50 seconds!

Take it out with a slotted spoon, let it cool for a second and thin cut a thin slice and peel away!

The peeling will literally just pull off with your fingers!

And just look at how pretty they look once they are peeled! Now you are ready to slice away!

Another thing I did differently this time was to make this tomato pie in a tart pan with a removable bottom and I must say I will always do it this way for this type of tomato pie from now on!

It was a huge hit and very easy to remove from the pan!

Here it is layered with the cheese, diced onion, fresh basil and pepper to taste

Then it's topped with the fresh, peeled, sliced tomatoes!

I'ts put in the oven with the kosher salt and olive oil drizzled on top!

And it's ready! I added a little extra parmesan cheese to the top a few minutes before it was through baking!

Tomato Tart

1 pillsbury ready to bake pie crust

3-4 large, ripe tomatoes

1-1 1/2 C shredded parmesan cheese

1-1 1/2 C shredded swiss cheese

1 C shredded Vermont sharp white cheddar cheese

2 T chopped, fresh basil

pepper to taste

1/4 small onion diced

2 T olive oil

kosher salt to taste

Unroll pie crust and fit in tart pan that has been sprayed with pam. Top with the cheeses, onion, pepper and fresh basil. Place tomato slices over all, overlapping a little and filling in gaps where needed. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle the kosher salt over the top. Place in a 350 degree oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven and add a little more parmesan cheese and return to oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes unless it's getting too brown. Let sit for about 5 minutes before removing the outer part of the tart pan. Slice individual servings. Serves 6-8 slices.

Hope you are having a great week so far!