Fresh vegetables are in abundance this time of year and this month’s Dinner’s Ready recipe will allow you to use many of them.
“I am sharing one of my favorite recipes, especially for this time of year! It’s the Garden Vegetable Pie,” shared Leah Smith of Auburn. “I love this one because so many of the ingredients come straight from my garden. It’s also very versatile. You can easily use it as the main course or a side dish. Everyone in my family enjoys it, even the boys!”
Leah has been married to her husband Brad for 11 years and together they have two boys: Sam (9) and Will (5). The family loves to be outdoors together; hiking and exploring are some of their favorite things to do.
“I love to be outside in my garden and really take in God’s creation around me… the bees, the blooms, the birds, the blossoms. I am always in awe of how intricately my Heavenly Father designed His creation,” said Leah. She further shares that she is in her garden as often as possible and is happy to plant just about anything – pumpkin, watermelon, corn. If it will grow, in the dirt it will go.
“I suppose my love for gardening and growing vegetables came from a dear family friend, Mr. Bill. When I was a little girl, I loved spending time in Mr. Bill’s garden. He was a dear friend of our family and very close to my daddy,” Leah reminisced. “I cherish the time I spent with the two of them in the garden. Much of what I know about growing vegetables and my love of gardening is owed to Mr. Bill.”
When she is not joyfully cooking for her family or gardening, you will find Leah baking and decorating cookies or decorating her home.
“I love to decorate for all holidays, even the smaller ones like St. Patrick’s Day and Christmas in July! God has given us so many blessings and there’s always a reason to celebrate.”
Garden Vegetable Pie

This recipe is from Tastes Better from Scratch and written by Laura Allen.
Ingredients:
- 1 9-inch pre-baked pie crust
- 3 tomatoes, peeled and sliced (Romas work best)
- 1 small zucchini, sliced into rings
- 1 small yellow squash, sliced into rings
- 1/2 cup sweet or red onion, sliced
- 10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise (or half mayo, half Greek yogurt)
- 2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
- Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place the tomatoes in a colander in the sink in one layer. Sprinkle with salt and allow to drain for 10 minutes.
- Use a paper towel to pat-dry the tomatoes and make sure most of the excess juice is out. (You don’t want very wet tomatoes or your pie will turn out soggy).
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season zucchini and squash with salt and pepper. Saute the squash in a single layer for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove to a paper towel.
- Layer the zucchini, squash, tomato slices, and onion on the bottom of the pie shell. (Make sure pie shell is pre-baked and completely cool to avoid sogginess). Sprinkle basil on top.
- Combine the grated cheeses and mayonnaise together. Smooth cheese mixture over the top and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.
- Bake for about 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes.
- To serve, cut into slices and serve warm.