Original recipe, born of a compilation of tomato pie family recipes

Ingredients for an 11 inch pie:

Basil crust:

• 2 cups 1/4 all-purpose flour
• 1 Egg
• A handful of fresh basil, finely chiseled
• 1 stick of butter.

Topping:

• 4 medium tomatoes
• Dijon or Meaux mustard (softer)
• A bouquet of fresh basil
• 10 thin slices of goat cheese
• 1 cup ½ of grated mozzarella
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil

Preheat your oven on 390°F.

Mix all the ingredients for the crust and knead it. Let the dough stand for 1/2 hour in the fridge.

For the beginners, you must first put the flour in a metal bowl; make a hollow in the middle with the egg; then, break it and put it in the trough. Then place all around the softened butter cut into small pieces and basil. Working manually paste by adding, if necessary, a little cold water.

Roll the dough and put the parchment paper in the pan. Drop the dough. Spread the mustard on the bottom of the crust. Then put half of mozzarella and the thin slices of goat.

Finally garnish on 3 mm thick with tomato slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add a few leaves of fresh basil chiseled and the rest of mozzarella.

Cook in the oven for 25 minutes, ensuring well to choose the "pie" program that is one where the heat comes bottom of the oven. This is the only program that guarantees a bottom pie cooked and firm. The oven must be hot to avoid softening the tomatoes.

Serve hot but not too much. You can eat it cold or warm depending on your taste!

Eat it with a salad and a deli meat dish or a terrine.

Note: it’s better with mozzarella than with gruyere. It is smoother and less salty.

Tomato Beef Stew with Parsley Balls

It is a recipe from “Recettes de famille” Editions Marabout.

20 Min Prep Time / 2h30 Cook Time

Ingredients for 4 servings :

• 2.2 lbs of beef stew meat cut into 2 inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic mashed
• 1 celery branch, minced
• 2 carrots cut into large pieces
• 2 tablespoons of tomato concentrate
• 1 cup of red wine
• 2 cups of powdered beef flavored bouillon
• 4 strands of thyme

For parsley balls:

• 1 cup 1/2 all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons of butter
• 1 egg
• 4 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese grated
• 1 handful of parsley chiseled
• 1 cup of dried tomatoes chopped
• 2 cups 1/2 of milk

Preheat the oven to 360F.

Dredge the pieces of beef in flour. Cook it in a pot until they take a brown color. Put the meat aside.

In the same pot, cook the butter with the onion, garlic, carrots and celery. Pour the wine and stir until the liquid reduce to 3/4. Add the meat, the broth, the thyme and the tomato concentrate. Bring to boil and then cover . Bake in the oven 1 h 45.

To prepare the parsley balls, mix the flour and the butter in a bowl. Add the egg, cheese, parsley, tomatoes and milk.

Remove the pot from the oven. Shape balls and have them on the stew. Put the pot in the oven for 20 minutes without the cover.

Serve with a salad.

Cherry tomato onion mozzarella ball clafoutis

Prep Time 10 minutes / Cook Tine 30 minutes

Ingredients for 6 Servings

• 2 white onions
• 2 cups of cherry tomatoes
• 18 bite-size mozzarella balls
• 3 cups of milk
• 10 teaspoon of cornstarch
• 6 Eggs
• Olive oil
• Salt, pepper and bouquet garni

Preheat the oven to 360° F.

Cut onion into thin slices and cook it 5 minutes with 1 teaspoon of olive oil.

Wash the tomatoes and remove the tails.

In a bowl mix the milk with the cornstarch and add the eggs. Add salt, pepper and put 2 tablespoons of bouquet garni. Then whip until batter is smooth well.

In individual dishes or in large previously buttered pan, pour on the bottom onions then alternate a tomato with a mozzarella ball. Then pour the preparation above.

Bake 30 minutes.