My cure for the "Sunday Blues"

Last week Justin and I visited Buffalo, NY for one of his residency interviews. After the interview, we went to NYC for a few days. On our last night in "The City" we had an amazing dinner at db Bistro Moderne. Check it out here :
db Bistro Moderne
I had the Tomato tart tatin, bacon-veiled salmon, and poached pears for dessert...Heaven. And, a most delicious bottle of Pino Noir.

My mission today is to recreate that beautiful tomato tart. I have a bunch of plum tomatoes I need to use...garlic, basil, olive oil all on hand. Ready, set, go!
After researching and combining a few recipes, here is what I came up with:

Tomato Tart a la Katie

1 refrigerated pie crust (I used Pillsbury)
1 Tbs. dijon mustard
1 Tbs. pesto (I just use the kind in a jar from the grocery store)
2 oz. shredded mozzerella
2 oz. shredded parmesan
1 Tbs. butter
1 clove garlic chopped
1 medium onion (caramelized with butter and garlic)
7-8 plum tomatoes thinly sliced
2 Tbs. chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400.
Prep tomatoes: Place thinly sliced tomatoes on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt. Cover with another paper towel. This helps draw moisture out to keep tart from being soggy...yuck.

Caramelize onion: Peel and thinly slice onion. Melt 1 Tbs. butter over medium heat, add onion and 1 clove of garlic chopped, season with salt and pepper. Cook until fully browned.


Transfer onion to a plate and set aside. Press pie dough into tart pan and trim around edges. In a small bowl, stir together mustard and pesto. Spread pesto mixture on crust. Sprinkle on mozzerella. Spread onion on top of mozzerella. Sprinkle on parmesan. Place tomatoes on tart in concentric circles. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and basil. Bake for 30- 35 minutes until brown and bubbly.

The tart turned out delicious! I had some asparagus in the fridge, so I roasted it with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Yummy!

Now for dessert: I picked up a pre made angel food cake at the grocery store today, along with some fresh blackberries and raspberries. Here is what I came up with:

Angel food cake with raspberry balsamic reduction and yogurt

Pre made angel food cake
1 6 oz package fresh raspberries
1 6 oz package fresh blackberries
1/2 cup yogurt (my absolute favorite yogurt is Stoneyfield Farms lowfat vanilla)
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs. sugar

To make reduction: Place raspberries, balsamic vinegar, and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer about 15 minutes until thick. Crush berries with your spoon. Srain sauce to remove seeds if you want.
Top a slice of cake with yogurt, raspberry sauce and fresh blackberries
Mmmmm....


I love cooking on Sunday nights. I suffer from severe "Sunday Blues" every week...that terrible feeling when the weekend is over and the work week looms ahead. Sunday dinner cheers me up a bit and takes my mind off the stress of the week to come.