I\u2019m known for more than making Tomato Pie on my Franklin County Farm. I\u2019ve also made an appearance of sorts on the front page of the Times<\/em> \u2013 the Franklin Times<\/em> that is \u2013 and the cover of Back Home Magazine (thanks to friend and writer Donna Campbell Smith).<\/span><\/p>\n Well, after two long years of research, vet consultations, medicines, help from farrier Joey Hite, and nearly getting kicked to death, Molly now has four sound feet and is a real beauty queen — a cover girl \u2013 and, when pictured with me on the front page of the local newspaper, the cue for everyone to ask \u201cWhich one is the jackass?\u201d<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n I take all this in stride because I\u2019m a Yankee in the South who is on a mission to make Rocky Ford famous with my Tomato Pie. Can you hear the laughter getting louder down at the Biscuit Kitchen in nearby Louisburg? <\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019ll get back on point \u2013 Tomato Pie \u2013 since that\u2019s what you\u2019re reading for! <\/span>I\u2019ve got some interesting tips about toppings. <\/span>Once you\u2019ve had a look, I would appreciate some emails from you with your recommendations. <\/span><\/p>\n Toppings cooked on my Tomato Pie<\/span><\/span><\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n Garlic Fresh Ground Black Pepper Cheese Sausage (and any other meats) Tomatoes <\/span><\/p>\n \u00b7 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Replicating the sausage<\/strong> flavor I recall from DeLorenzo\u2019s has been a real challenge. I finally gave-up on the prospect of simply buying it somewhere. I was really excited when I bought my commercial Bread Mixer because I could grind meat with it as well. When you make sausage, you can\u2019t do it in tiny batches. So each experiment that doesn\u2019t work out leaves you with at least 5-pounds of stuff. You\u2019ve got to first select the cut of meat and target fat percentage, use the right die-size on the meat grinder, and get your seasonings and proportions right. Experiments like this get expensive and quickly consume a warehouse of freezers. I finally have honed-in on my own \u201csecret\u201d recipe after years of fiddling around. I just describe it as a sweet-basil Italian sausage. By the way, I also have developed a \u201csecret\u201d breakfast sausage recipe that I sometimes serve at my BreadWorks Sunday Brunches.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span>I am sure that in 1950 DeLorenzo had a butcher buddy that knocked this stuff out with simple <\/span>ingredients. <\/span>There were no supermarkets at the time, no TV Food Channel, no celebrity chefs, <\/span>probably just Tony next door. But he made great Italian sausage; probably a hand me down <\/span>family recipe from Sicily like the one I someday may pass along.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span>I always use free-form, \u201cloose\u201d sausage pieces on my pie, not neat slices with a casing. Maybe, <\/span>that\u2019s why I shy away from using pepperoni on my Tomato Pies. <\/span>It just doesn\u2019t look right, and <\/span>in my opinion, overpowers the tomatoes. <\/span><\/p>\n Toppings added to my Tomato Pie (after it is removed from the oven)<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Olive Oil Mushrooms Spinach Coarse Kosher Salt Fresh-grated Parmesan Cheese Fresh-torn Basil \u00b7 <\/span><\/span><\/span>The olive oil<\/strong> should not be light, fragrant or aromatic, but rather a middle blend, to prevent the heat of the Pie from creating an unpleasant aroma. Think about focaccia when applying the oil. Be generous. It will be absorbed by the crust. You will never burn the roof of you mouth, like most pizzas do, that cook the oil on the pie in a hot oven! The oil is slowly warmed as the Tomato Pie cools down.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00b7 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Mushrooms<\/span><\/strong> are saut\u00e9ed separately and seasoned as desired and simply added to the cooling pie. In this way they are never burned. I prefer the earthy flavor of the shitake, but crimini (small portabellas) work well also. Only at last resort do I use white button mushroom \u2013 they lack the flavor I prefer. What variety of mushrooms do you recommend?<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n \u00b7 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Spinach<\/span><\/strong> is also saut\u00e9ed separately and seasoned as desired and simply added to the cooling pie. In this way it is never burned. I prefer fresh whole leaf spinach with garlic, but frozen spinach works fine if well drained.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00b7 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Course kosher salt <\/strong>is preferred, but specialty sea salts can be used. Do you have any such recommendations?<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n \u00b7 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Fresh-grated Parmesan<\/strong> \u2013 the better cheeses, although more expensive, are worth it. Do you have any recommendations?<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n \u00b7 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Fresh-torn basil<\/strong> adds that flash of aroma as you eat the first slices of your Tomato Pie. It burns easily, and a little goes a long way. I grow basil in season (above freezing), but prefer to have potted plants nearby the kitchen.<\/span><\/p>\n The idea of using fingerlings on Tomato Pie actually comes from Tacconnelli\u2019s Pizza, another famous haunt of mine in Philadelphia. <\/span>I remember having Vince make a special Potato Pie for my 40th<\/sup> birthday celebration. It was delicious, but sadly the first and last Potato Pie I\u2019ve ever eaten \u2013 but not forgotten. When fingerling potatoes are roasted properly, they are as addictive as peanuts!<\/span><\/p>\n Coincidentally, I have specialized in growing fingerling potatoes for years. As by now you can probably imagine, I grew a test potato garden (in 2006) of a dozen varieties to find the best one for my soil and environment and settled on Austrian Crescent\u2019s \u2013 and they do have great Rocky Ford terroir<\/em>!<\/span><\/p>\n When I perfect my recipe and technique, I believe Potato Pies could be hugely popular in the South, and my \u201cace-in-the-hole\u201d to make Rocky Ford famous (if my Tomato Pies should stumble). <\/span>Maybe I\u2019ll be the only Tomato and Potato Pie baker in North Carolina \u2013 perhaps the whole country \u2013 maybe the world!<\/span><\/p>\n I started this column today with a story about Molly so by the time you got to the end of the article you could catch your breath from laughing so hard. <\/span>But I\u2019m afraid my latest idea \u2013 Potato Pie \u2013 may have you howling again. I hope you\u2019ve enjoyed this post. <\/span>Catch your breath, as there\u2019s still more to come about \u201cLayers of Flavor.\u201d <\/span>The tables included above establish a framework for that discussion. <\/span>Please remember to send your suggestions by email to <\/span>bob@lynchcreek.com<\/span><\/a> (as well as commenting below).<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.fornobravo.com\/pizzaquest\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2014\/05\/image%201%20donkey.jpg)
![](\"https:\/\/www.fornobravo.com\/pizzaquest\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2014\/05\/image%207%20street%20signs.jpg)
<\/span> <\/span>large fresh-crushed clove on the dough<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span>on the dough<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span>7-9 slices covering the surface of the dough<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span>nominally one piece per slice<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span>irregularly spaced pieces<\/span><\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.fornobravo.com\/pizzaquest\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2014\/05\/image%204%20greenhouse%20row.jpg)
<\/span>immediately applied to the crust with a squeeze bottle \u2013 be generous \u2013 heated by the Pie<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span>sparingly applied if so desired \u2013 heated by the Pie<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span>sparingly applied if so desired \u2013 heated by the Pie<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span>applied to taste<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span>for flavor and decoration<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span>always last for aroma<\/span><\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.fornobravo.com\/pizzaquest\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2014\/05\/image%202%20potatoes.jpg)