Colors of Christmas: Pesto & Tomato Tarts

We are two-thirds of the way done with our Christmas celebrations. We started with a family dinner on Christmas Eve-Eve, followed by our traditional gathering on Christmas Eve. Now I am prepping to host Christmas dinner at my house. It has been wonderful spending time with family, but as the way things go with winter weather and little ones, you never know what to expect!

I was so excited to receive two presents (one for Christmas; one for my birthday) that will aid me in my kitchen adventures. It took me fewer than twenty-four hours to break out my new Le Creuset 5-Quart Braiser, and I can’t wait to make my next batch of soup to use my new immersion blender.


In keeping with the holiday spirit, I have an hors d'oeuvre that is adorned with bright green and red – perfect for a Christmas gathering!

Pesto & Tomato Tarts
Ingredients
2 (9-inch) refrigerated pie crusts
½ cup pesto (can use store-bought)
4 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh basil, thinly sliced

Directions
Preheat oven to 425°F.

Lay pie crusts on a cutting board. Using a cookie cutter (approximately 1-1 ½ inch in diameter), cut out pieces from pie crusts. Arrange on a large baking sheet and bake for 6 minutes, until lightly golden.

Allow tarts to cool. Spread ½ teaspoon of pesto on each tart, and top with 1 slice of tomato. Garnish each tart with sliced basil and serve immediately.