I’m starting to think this is the World’s Longest Winter….even if it does look like it’s a little warm(er) out there today, and my weather ap is telling me we’ve hit double digits. Whoop!!! In anticipation of a touch of sun and my best friends wedding coming up, I’ve started exercising again, and it s-u-c-k-s, let me tell you! Someone said to me recently, ‘summer bodies are made in the winter’, and I almost passed out from how depressed that sentence made me feel. You see, my summer body is made from a million slow cooked carb heavy feeds consumed during the cold winter months if I don’t get moving now. So, it’s early morning hikes up the mountain and a good dose of sweat and tears for this winter body.
Come to think of it, I’m pretty confident that someone from a warmer climate suggested such absurdity, they clearly don’t understand what it’s like to wake up in the dark, go to work in the dark and the COLD, then return home in the dark. It’s totally demotivating. But… I will be the MC at my BFF’s wedding on a beach in a couple of months, and I am a human woman with all of the regular human woman feelings plus societal pressures… argh! So exercise it is.
I’m not one for diets, especially with the sort of work places I hang out at, (we have Chefs whip up our lunches each day) so I hit the lounge room for daily yoga (and Zumba when I feel really inspired) as soon as I get home each day. UGH. Working out isn’t fun. Someone commiserate with me please! All this aside, I thought I would share a healthy-ish and super simple summer vegetarian meal – a truss tomato and parmesan cheese tart with balsamic reduction. A deep-dish tart to be exact! I made it in my 10-inch pie pan and I’ve gotta say, it was delicious and TOTALLY nutritious.
I’d love to know, what summer fruit or vegetable do you love to cook with all year round? And are those of you living in the southern hemisphere working on your summer bodies yet?
Truss Tomato and Parmesan Cheese Tart
Serves 4
Preparation time: 1 Hour
Cooking time: 20-25 minutes
2 sheets short crust pastry, defrosted 800 grams, whole small truss tomatoes
Olive oil, I use Pialligo Estate oil
1 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
8 eggs 150ml milk Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Balsamic reduction