West Coast Tomato Pie

West Coast Tomato Pie with Crème

Fraiche and Mozzarella

One 9-inch pie crust
3 pounds ripe tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Maldon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 small leeks or 1 large leek, thinly sliced
3/4 cup roughly chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella
1/2 cup crème fraiche
1 cup grated Dry Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 375

Slice tomatoes in half and gently squeeze most of the seeds out. Cut the tomatoes into 1/2-inch slices. Put them in a large bowl and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. In a shallow baking pan lined with parchment, roast the tomatoes for 1 hour.

While the tomatoes are roasting:

Prick the pie crust all over the bottom with a fork and pre-bake it in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Remove and let cool.

Sauté the leeks in a drizzle of olive oil until soft and lightly browned. Set aside.

Mix the crème fraiche with the mozzarella. Set aside. (If using fresh mozzarella, freeze it for an hour and it will be easier to grate)

When the tomatoes have cooked for an hour, remove them from the oven and drain off any liquid. Return the tomatoes to a large bowl and mix in basil and leeks. Put the tomatoes in the pie shell. Cover with a layer of the crème fraiche and mozzarella. Sprinkle the Dry Jack cheese on top.

Bake for 45 minutes until the top is browned. Resist all urges to cut into the pie until it is completely cooled.