INA'S TOMATO AND GOAT CHEESE TARTS AND A FABULOUS BIRTHDAY!

So, yesterday was my 48th birthday. Fortyyyyyyyy EIGHT.....golly, doesn't that just sound old? And what is it they say about forty being the new thirty? Well, in my case, forty feels like the new 80! Sigh. Anyways, despite my aches and pains and kavetching, I had a very nice birthday......the day started off  by spending some quality time with my twins.....

Seriously, these adorable speckled fawns live in our yard, and have become so tame that no zoom shots are necessary. I call them the Bookends--see why?......

It is illegal to feed the deer around here, so I don't, but I suspect that people DO, and that's why the deer are so tame. Which sounds wonderful, but is actually quite harmful to these babies, as the food given by humans is not their natural diet (seriously, I saw a tourist feeding a doe WHITE BREAD the other day!), and being fed in town leads to nothing but doom. Like, these beauties getting hit by cars. Very tragic, and dangerous for humans! Anyways, I enjoyed a few more close-ups before their mama came by and shoo'd them away.....

As the day of my birth progressed, gifts starting mysteriously appearing on my doorstep......like this gorgeous flower arrangement (with my favorite flower--Sunflowers!) from BFF's Jimmy Ortiz's shop, called Feathers and Boughs, located right here in Thendara, New York. (His phone number is (315)369-2323, in case you'd like an equally gorgeous arrangement)..............

Another fab gift? These candlesticks from our friend Doug Collum's new shop, Stick Candles, located in Old Forge................

These candles are what Doug specializes in....you can check out his website, HERE. The pair he gave me were actually brown, like real sticks, and I cannot wait to use them in my fall centerpiece decorations! Thank you, Doug!

But my favorite gift of all? Spending a wonderful evening with these two at dinner out (favorite restaurant in town, Billy's) and a funny movie (Crazy Stupid Love)---with, that's right, Little Miss Thing and my beloved Frenchie!.............

All in all, a glorious day!

**********

I just love watching the Food Network; don't you? I think I've prepared recipes from just about every chef on the network, but my alltime favorite has to be The Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten. I love the way she cooks--nothing too complicated, with a bit of a European flair. Like Paula Deen, Ina tends to use a little bit too much butter for my tastes, but overall I love her recipes and cookbooks. Especially Back To Basics--you just can't go wrong with that book! I've been making these darling little Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts of hers for a few years now, and we always love them. What a great way to use up the gorgeous heirloom tomatoes, sweet Vidalia onions and goat cheese from our local Farmer's Market.

To start the tarts, thaw out two sheets of puff pastry dough (located in the freezer section of most grocery stores) and unfold on a lightly floured cutting board. Roll out slightly, then cut 2 circles from each sheet. I use a cereal bowl to get a nice, round shape.....

Place the circles on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or silicone liners, then using a sharp knife, score a 1 / 4 inch border around the edge of each circle. Prick pastry inside the border with a fork, then refrigerate until ready to use......

Preheat your oven, then heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add sliced onions and garlic and saute for 15 to 20 minutes (you will be caramelizing the onions). Add some salt and pepper, thyme and white wine, and continue cooking until the onions are golden brown.....

This is how you want them to look.......

Remove pastry circles from the refrigerator, and sprinkle a tablespoon of grated Parmesan on each round, staying inside the scored border. You will also be shaving some of the Parmesan (a vegetable peeler works wonders) for later use.....

Place 1 / 4 of the onion mixture on each circle, staying within the border....

Crumble goat cheese on top of the onions.....

Place a slice of tomato in the center of each tart, brush with olive oil and then sprinkle with julienned basil, salt and pepper......

Finally, scatter 4 or 5 shards of Parmesan on each tart.....

Bake until pastry is golden brown. Drool a little bit when you pull these out of the oven. We love ours served at room temperature with a nice crisp salad.......enjoy!........

You can find the recipe, HERE

TODAY I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR.......

*My wonderful family, who I love more than anything in the world!

*My wonderful friends--life would be so, well, NOT FUN without you all!

*My sweet pets, who bring me such joy!