A savory pie: Chicken sausage, heirloom tomato and basil tart. This is the produce of having all my grills locked up in preparation for hurricane Isaac.

We dodged a major bullet with tropical storm Isaac down here in South Florida. As with any developing Hurricane, you can never be too careful when it is coming your way. Scott and I spent the better part of the weekend prepping for the “Hurricane” and that included putting my every-day grills in our shed. The shed was packed tight like a game of tetris- a mix of outdoor furniture, grills, and random yard art.

Suffice it to say, I had to use the oven as the “feeder bands” were pelting us with wind and rain. Fully provisioned for the power to go out a few days, here is what I came up with using some basic ingredients we had on hand.

I love savory tarts, and let’s face it- anything is good in a buttery pie crust. I push the easy button and buy refrigerated (store bought) pie crusts. With a little magic, a store bought pie crust can turn into a sophisticated dinner or dessert with little fuss. Paired with Aidell’s chicken sausage (which is precooked), this turns into a satisfying yet surprisingly healthy dinner. Plus, this is a great way to use up those ripe summer tomatoes!

Ingredients:

• 1 refrigerated pie crust
• 1 large heirloom tomato , sliced (I used an “Ugly Ripe” – one of my favorite)
• 2 Aidell’s precooked chicken sausage
• 1 bunch fresh basil
• 2 – 3 ounces of sliced parmesan
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• olive oil, to taste
• Sea salt, to taste
• Fresh Ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Next, spray the  foil with non stick spray (so the pie crust does not stick). Slice the tomato and sausage. Lay out the pie crust on the pan and add the garlic. Next, layer tomatoes, sausage, and parmesan in the middle of the pie crust, leaving room

on the edges to fold the sides over onto the contents of the pie, but not completely covering. Drizzle olive oil and add salt and pepper onto the contents before folding the crust over.

Bake, for 20 minutes or until the edges begin to brown and the inner contents start to get warm and bubbly. I served mine with an arugula salad for a light yet satisfying dinner.