Check! The Tomato Pesto Pie

Yum! If you think tomatoes and cheese go well together, and you like pie, and pizza and have some tomatoes you need to use up, this is the recipe to try tonight! Enjoy the smell of pesto while you prepare it.

First I made the crust during the day, and refrigerated it for use later on.

2 cups sprouted grain flour

4 teaspoons baking powder (fresh and aluminum free!)

1 teaspoon real salt

1/2 cup (1 stick/ 4 ounces) cold butter

1 cup (about 2-1/2 ounces) finely grated hard parmesan (or other hard cheese)

3/4 cup cold milk

Cut butter into flour mixture until flaky pea-sized clumps. Then pour in milk until just combined.

Roll into two evenly divided balls. Roll first ball out into circle for pie pan. You can either use a floured rolling surface, or I used this neat trick where you put the ball in between two pieces of saran wrap and roll with rolling pin over saran wrap- much easier, less sticky, and you don't have to worry if your counters are clean enough! It also makes it easier to pick up and plop over into the pie pan dish. Roll second ball of dough into flat circle, that will later cover pie. Cover both pieces with saran wrap if you are storing in the fridge, or use dough immediately.

Next I made the pesto:

Makes about 1-1/2 cups (you'll need 1 cup)

1/2 cup (about 2-1/2 ounces) raw, soaked whole almonds, or raw pine nuts.

4 ounces fresh basil leaves (about 4 cups packed) (you could use spinach for a different flavor!)

6 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

6 cloves of garlic, peeled

1/2 cup finely grated parmesan or pecorino romano cheese

1/2-3/4 cup tomatoes (about 3 smallish ones), any kind, quartered
1/2 teaspoon real salt

Then assemble the pie:

1 cup pesto, divided

2-1/2 pounds of the best plum tomatoes you can find, sliced lengthwise into 4 or 5 slices each

8 ounces mozzarella, grated or thinly sliced

1/2 cup (about 1-1/4 ounces) finely grated parmesan or pecorino romano (or other hard cheese)

First spread Pesto onto the prepared pie crust with a flat spatula

Then layer 1/2 your tomatoes, 1/2 your mozzarella, then the remaining pesto on top of the cheese.

Then layer the remaining tomatoes

Cover the tomatoes with the remaining mozzarella and remaining finely grated hard parmesan.

Cover pie with remaining rolled pie top. Pinch or crimp edges. It doesn't have to be perfect.

Bake at 375 degrees in the center of the oven for 40 minutes until crust is golden brown. Cover edges with foil if they brown too quickly.

Cut a slice out after it's cooled for 15 min. Enjoy and share with someone you love.

The Pesto can also be used for some homemade sprouted grain noodles, or to coat on some roasted veggies!