Dinner conversation around my table usually follows a similar pattern: Matt’s office politics, my restaurant shenanigans, and what seemingly inedible item Sammy gulped down that day. But when dinner’s really good, we bypass all that and focus on what’s really important: the food.
This tomato tart rendered both of us nearly speechless. It’s a buttery crust filled with thick tomato slices, melty fontina cheese, black olives, and caramelized onions, with a few anchovies dancing across the top. The ingredients meld together into a mess of salty-sweet pure deliciousness. It’s exactly the tart we’d eat night or day, breakfast, lunch, or dinner, hot, warm, or stone-cold. And even though I just ate the last piece, I’m already thinking of when I can make it again.
Get it? I loved it; Matt loved it; it’s a dang good tomato tart. I’ll show you how it goes together and, soon, you’ll be lovin’ it too.
About this time last year, a tiny coffee shop in my neighborhood hung a “for rent” sign in its front window. It sent me into a weeks-long fantasy about starting a new life as coffee shop owner. I’d trade in all my grubby jeans for cute vintage dresses and adorable aprons. I’d ride my bike to the shop at the crack of dawn and bake simple, homey cakes no one would be able to resist. I’d work hard, but find immense pleasure in the little things: the aroma of freshly brewed coffee, the first morning sunlight, and the satisfaction of being my own boss.
