Tomato Tart and Winehouse

Do you ever have one of those days where you come home from work mentally spent? And that mental fatigue makes you feel physically exhausted? The couch charms your butt right into its plush cushions. Bed by 9 pm sounds heavenly, and a glass of your favorite wine instantly eases the tension in your shoulders. That was my Wednesday.

But I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to create a little something special in the kitchen for dinner. My mom used to make this recipe for a tomato tart when I was growing up. Recently I adopted it and have made this dish a few times since then. This recipe has less than five ingredients and is ready in 35 minutes.

The tomato and mozzarella tart is perfect to serve as an afternoon treat, an appetizer before dinner or a light main course. It’s very versatile. And depending on what ingredients you have in your kitchen, you can create your own unique tomato tart in no time! One option is to omit the pesto and substitute it with dried basil and top the tomatoes with a little olive oil. You can create multiple variations with this concept.

The tart is not overly heavy, but the melted mozzarella cheese baked on top of a buttery, flaky pie crust gives it a rich texture. I’ve made this tart using a pre-made frozen pie crust as well as a refrigerated pie crust (like Pillsbury). In my opinion the refrigerated crust had a better crunch – almost like thin crust pizza. However, the pre-made crust version made for a prettier presentation. Either way, you can’t go wrong.

Amy Winehouse and her hot mess self are bringing in the beat for today’s post. Forget Snookie’s “poof”. Miss Winehouse brought back the beehive. I’m a big fan and obsessed with her song “Valerie” - both this featured version with Mark Ronson and the acoustic version. I’ve been known to play a song on repeat 50 times over, and Valerie this would be one of them.

Hope your day is filled with good eats and beats!
Julia

Tomato Tart:

Ingredients:
10-inch pie-crust (not cooked)
6-8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
2-3 tomatoes sliced
pesto
salt and pepper

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake the pie crust for 5 minutes and remove from oven. Spread the mozzarella cheese on the bottom of the pie crust. And a few dollops of pesto on top of the cheese. Layer tomatoes on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake tart for 35-40 minutes. Keep you eye on the tart. Your oven may cook the tart faster, and you don't want the crust to burn.