The Tart of Celebrating

Yesterday I was was in a celebratory mood. Why you may ask?? Because I made a huge decision yesterday. Well it's a decision that has been brewing for a few months now, that I have tossed and turned about and that ultimately I made yesterday afternoon. After months of interviewing for the position, I have accepted a new job at an energy efficiency firm as a Project Manager and will be leaving my current job at the end of April. It is such a weird feeling. I have been here for almost 7 years and I feel that these people are my family. I feel so comfortable here and I feel that I am good at my job here. but lately I have been feeling that this is not enough. That I need to stretch out and see what I can do. That I need to challenge myself and see what happens. Being a Project Manager is a huge next step for me but I am really excited about it and looking forward to what it will bring. I gave my notice today, which was really hard but ultimately my coworkers are really happy for me! And ultimately I feel that this is going to be an adventure and a great stepping stone on my career path! Onward ho!! Anyway once I signed the offer letter I wanted to celebrate but how? I didn't really feel like going out for cocktails (I am laying low this week in anticipation of Seattle). I didn't really want to dine out. I knew what I wanted. A nice bottle of wine and a tomato tart! (Do I know how to party or what?) The former was achieved by a stop at Atlas Liquors on the way home, and the latter was achieved by stumbling across fantastic summer quality tomatoes at the Milton Fruit Center. Look at those guys! This is a recipe that is really easy and also really easily tweaked. It tastes as good as it looks and is a festive little meal if I do say so myself. The perfect celebratory dinner if you ask me! Tomato Goat Cheese Tarts 1 roll of puff pastry (1/2 a package), defrosted 4 medium tomatoes 1 small bunch basil, chopped roughly 4 oz goat cheese, softened salt + sugar Preheat oven to 400 degrees Slice the tomatoes evenly and lay them on a double layer of paper towel. Sprinkle evenly with a little salt and sugar. Let sit for 10 minutes (this will draw a lot of the moisture out . Roll your puff pastry out so it's 1/8 an inch thick or so. Cut into 4 equal pieces. Bake for 15 minutes. It will puff up a bit, feel free to press it back down when you remove it from the oven. Take the goat cheese and cut into 4 equal slices. Then smash each slice into a thin patty with your hands. Place the goat cheese on each square. Top with the sliced tomatoes. Place in oven, turn heat to 350 and bake for 20 minutes. Remove and sprinkle with basil. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. You can totally mix this up - use any cooked veggie or you could top it with arugula and cranberries and pecans on top for the goat cheese for a little salad tart. Maybe some caramelized onions? Either way, it's delicious.