Volare Ristorante's heirloom tomato pie is a seasonal favorite

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Summer produce is highlighted by the abundance of tomatoes. It's easy to make the colorful fruit the centerpiece of many dishes. Volare Ristorante Chef Josh Moore shows how to make his heirloom tomato pie--straight from the Moore Farm in Taylor County, Kentucky.

Volare's Heirloom Tomato Pie

Serves 8

Savory pie crust

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 stick plus 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes

1 tsp kosher salt

¼ tsp cracked black pepper

¼ tsp fresh rosemary

½ tsp Italian parsley

¼ tsp fresh basil

1/3 cup ice water

In a food processor, pulse the flour with salt and cracked black pepper. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal, with some small pieces of butter still visible. Sprinkle the ice water over the mixture and pulse until the dough just starts to come together; you should still see small pieces of butter. Do not over mix the dough. Scrape the dough out onto a work surface, gather up any crumbs and wrap the dough in plastic. Refrigerate dough for a few hours, then press into 8-11inchx1inch removable bottom tart pan.

½ cup roasted garlic and extra virgin olive oil

1 ½ cups ricotta cheese

1 egg

2 lbs assorted heirloom tomatoes, sliced ¼ inch thick

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

1 tsp course sea salt

1 tsp Italian parsley

1 tsp fresh basil

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in centered position. Brush the inside of the tart pan with ½ of the roasted garlic oil. Next combine the ricotta and eggs then spread into the bottom of the tart pan. Layer the tomatoes over the ricotta mix. Brush the tomatoes with the remaining oil mix. Combine parmesan, salt, and herbs then sprinkle over the pie. Bake for approximately 40-45 minutes until crust is done and tomatoes have roasted. Let cool before unmolding and cutting. Enjoy!

Volare Ristorante

2300 Frankfort Avenue

Louisville, KY 40206

502-894-4446

http://volare-restaurant.com

Year-Round Indoor and outdoor seating is available.

About Josh Moore:

Josh Moore, Executive Chef and Partner at Volare restaurant knew that he wanted to be a chef as soon as he could reach his grandmother's stove. Seven years later, at the age of fourteen, Josh was working in a professional kitchen. He started his professional career as the pastry assistant at Vincenzo's Italian restaurant in downtown Louisville, KY.

He has been Executive Chef and Executive Pastry Chef (a rare combo) at Volare since 2006. Through hard work and dedication, he became a partner in 2008.

Chef Josh's passion for food starts with the food itself. He has a 10-acre working farm where he harvests vegetables summer through fall and uses them at Volare.

As the Lead Chef of the March of Dimes annual Signature Chef event since 2008, Josh has helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars. He has also cooked at the James Beard House in New York and is a regular on the show Secrets of Louisville Chefs.

Volare Ristorante on Facebook and Twitter.