Tomato Basil Tart

By Paul Briand

The story behind this recipe is, frankly, a little hazy. It comes from my sister Kate, who got it from her friend Karen.

It has to do with it was a party and grilling steaks, and how my sister's rear car window got blown out by a stray rock while someone was mowing a lawn.

"And anyway," Kate writes, "Karen is a fantastic cook, and this pie was so good."

Ingredients
1 unbaked pie crust
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3 medium tomatoes
3/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup mayo
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp ground pepper

Directions
1. Unfold pie crust according to package directions,
2. Place in tart or pie pan and flute edges,
3. Line the shell with double thickness foil,
4. Bake in 450 degree oven for 8 minutes,
5. Remove foil and bake 4-5 minutes longer until set and dry,
6. Remove from oven and sprinkle crust with 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Cool slightly on a wire rack,
7. Dice tomatoes and arrange in the bottom of the pie shell,
8. Coarsely chop the basil and garlic and sprinkle over the tomatoes,
9. In a bowl combine the remaining mozzarella cheese, mayo, parmesan cheese and pepper,
10. Spoon cheese mixture over the basil/garlic, spreading to evenly cover the top,
11. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes or until top is golden and bubbly,
12. Serve warm and enjoy.