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Shel's Savory Tomato Pesto Pie

This is a personal favorite adapted from a recipe I found at the excellent foodie blog Farmgirl Fare. Food porn warning! Avoid this site if hungry.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

For the crust:
2 cups all-purpose white flour
4 teaspoons baking powder (make sure it's fresh!)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick/ 4 ounces) cold butter OR a little less than 1/2 cup oil
3/4 cup milk (if you're a little short on milk, make up the difference with water)

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix in the butter or oil using a pastry blender, fork, or your fingers until the largest pieces are pea-size. Pour in the milk and use a fork to gently form a soft dough. Do not overmix. Dough will be fluffy and kind of sticky. Divide the dough in two pieces, making one slightly larger than the other.

On a generously floured surface, roll out the larger piece of dough into a circle about 12 inches across, rolling from the center outward. Sprinkle dough with flour if sticky. Gently fold the dough in half and transfer into a 9-inch pie pan. If the dough tears, simply press it back together with your fingers. Roll out the remaining piece of dough into a slightly smaller circle and set aside (or wait until you have the filling in the pan and then roll it out).

Assembling the pie:
Ready-made basil pesto - I get mine from Target :)
Big can Muir Glen Organic Fire-Roasted Tomatoes (I forget how many ounces, like 20? Whatever the big cans are.)
2-4 oz fresh goat cheese
2-4 oz fresh mozzarella (optional)
1/2 package Smart [vegetarian] Bacon (optional but delicious) - make sure you fry it up in a pan first

Spread pesto over the bottom layer of dough in the pie pan. Squeeze the excess liquid out of the canned tomatoes and put them in a bowl, or just wring them out by the handful as you go. Layer about half of the tomatoes over the pesto. Crumble about half of the goat cheese into small pieces and sprinkle over the tomatoes. Remember goat cheese is really flavorful - don't overdo it! Layer some mozzarella if you want. Layer in the fake bacon if you want.

Repeat with another layer of tomatoes, pesto, goat cheese and (optional) mozz.

Roll out the second piece of dough if you haven't already, and carefully place it over the pie. Fold the edge of the bottom piece over the top piece and press together to seal. Use your fingers to make a crimped design around the edge. If any dough falls apart, simply press it back together with your fingers. Don't worry if it isn't perfect. The handmade look has much more charm. Rub a little pesto on top for extra flair and flavor.

Cut four slits in the top of the pie for steam to escape. Bake at 375 degrees F in the center of the oven until the crust is golden brown, 30-40 minutes. Cover the edge with foil if it starts to brown too quickly.

Let cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving. Otherwise it will get soggy. Or cool pie completely, cover, and refrigerate.

I love this recipe because it offers almost infinite variations. Try roasted red peppers, provolone cheese, sauteed onions, and shredded potatoes mixed with an egg or two - breakfast pie! Super delicious.

No pie pan? No problem! You can also make it as a sort of biscuit lasagne, with a bottom layer of crust in a flat pan, as many toppings as
you want, and a top layer of crust. It goes farther this way, and lends itself to making a double batch to feed a hungry crowd.

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