New Friends, a Puppy Named Jasper, and Tomato Pie
Chapter 5
The Baldwin Park playground was just a half a block away from Addy Wilder’s house. Her mother could watch her play there from her kitchen window.
Years ago, on a warm June day, Addy went to the park as usual. She was dressed in short overalls. (she never did cared for anything with ruffles or bows) At the park, she noticed a young girl she had never seen looking sad and sitting alone on one of the swings. The girl was very pretty. She had soft brown curly hair and brown eyes which gave her a soft and sweet look.
In true Addy style, she approached the girl and introduced herself. Even at seven, Addy knew the importance of being kind and friendly to new people. Addy asked the little girl if she needed a push. The girl nodded her head and said “yes, please”. The girl told Addy her name was Gelia and she was five years old.
Gelia and her big brother Preston, who was also seven were visiting their Aunt Margery and Uncle Sinclair for the summer. Addy knew them, they only lived a few blocks from her house.
As they were playing, Preston and his puppy, came running up. Preston’s face and clothes were dirty from playing with his little furry companion. His knees were scrapped, but he had a smile that shown through. About four months’ before, Preston was awaked by the sound of a puppy whimpering underneath their house. It was pouring rain, yet Preston got up and inched under the muddy crawlspace of their house to investigate. The moment the two met, they both knew they were going to be inseparable. Both were covered in mud. Preston bathed him in the laundry room sink and coated him with flea powder. He was an adorable spotted mutt with one ear that would flop to the side. Preston named him Jasper.
Preston always he a sense of responsibility and was a loving and protective big bother to Gelia. He was even more so since their father died the year before in a car accident.
It was beginning to sprinkle rain. Addy invited the two to her house for lunch. She knew her mom was making fresh lemonade and her tomato pie. It would be the perfect way to get to know her new friends better.
Miss Wilder’s Tomato Pie
INGREDIENTS
1 9-inch pie shell
1 jar of The Southern Conserve’s Tomato Conserve
1/2 cup sliced Vidalia, yellow or red onion (about 1/3 onion sliced)
3-4 tomatoes, cut in half horizontally, pat dry with paper towel to remove excess juice.
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup sliced basil (about 8 large leaves) *
2 cups grated cheese (combination of sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack, or Gruyere or Mozzarella)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon of Tabasco
Freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
Pre-bake the Crust
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
If you are using a store-bought pie shell, follow the directions on the package for pre-baking, or pre-bake it in the oven for about 8 to 10 minutes (a little longer for a frozen pie shell), until lightly browned.
If you are using a homemade crust, freeze the crust first, then press a sheet of aluminum foil into the crust to keep the sides of the pie crust from falling down as it cooks. Fill the pie with pie weights such as dry beans or rice to help hold the foil in place.
Pre-bake the homemade crust for 15 minutes, then remove the foil, use the tines of a fork to poke a few small holes in the bottom of the crust (for venting), and bake for 10 more minutes.
Salt and pat dry the tomatoes:
Lightly salt the sliced tomatoes and set the tomatoes on paper towels while you are pre-baking the crust.
Brush Bottom of Pie Shell with Tomato Conserve
Spread the sliced tomatoes over Tomato Conserve, layer the onions over tomatoes and sprinkle the sliced basil over the tomatoes. Repeat second Layer
In a medium bowl, mix together the grated cheese, mayonnaise, Tabasco, a sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper.
The mixture should be the consistency of a gooey snowball. Spread the cheese mixture over the tomatoes
BAKE
Place in oven and bake at 350°F (175°C) until browned and bubbly, anywhere from 25 to 45 minutes.
Pick up a jar of The Southern Conserve Tomato Conserve at the Jepson Center Gift Shop!
The Southern Conserve is the Products Line from Chef Theodore Paskevich + Donald Holland. It is sold at Provisions SAV and online on our website.