Is it a quiche?  Is it a tart?  Let’s call it what it really is:  egg pie.  My version has eggs but no cream, so it’s not really a quiche.  I like plain eggs in a pie crust and find creamy quiches too rich.

You will need to plan ahead a little for this one, but it’s not hard and well worth it.  First, roast a head of garlic as seen here.  You can do this an hour before assembling your pie, or you can do it a day or two in advance.  Next, pre-bake a pie crust until it’s lightly brown.  You can use frozen puff pastry instead if you don’t like to make your own.  This is called blind baking.  You weight the crust so that it keeps it’s shape while baking and is ready for filling.  I learned about this the hard way 6 years ago. 

Experience has taught me that the little extra steps and attention to detail make all the difference in a perfect pie.  The crust is crunchy and flaky and buttery.  This filling is savory with a hint of mellow garlic.  We had this as an appetizer because it’s a small pie.  It would also be a great main dish with a green salad or even good for breakfast.

Egg and Tomato Pie

One blind baked pie crust

2 roma tomatoes

1 or 2 cloves roasted garlic

3 eggs

about 1 cup sharp cheese ( I used a mixture of sharp white cheddar and romano – something very salty like feta would be good too)

salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Slice the tomatoes and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper and let them stand 10 minutes.  This draws out some of the moisture so they behave while baking.

Spread the garlic all over the pre-baked crust.  Sprinkle half the cheese on top.  Lay the tomatoes on next.

Whisk the eggs in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper, then pour over the tomatoes.  Top with the remaining cheese.

Bake until the eggs are puffed and the top is slightly golden.  Serve warm.