Appetizing

Sunday nights have their own sort of ethos; a kind of "back-to-school" feeling, even if you're not a student. The weekend is over, most people need to show up for work on Monday, and, often, a kind malaise sets in ... unless you are in Divaland. I don't do malaise.

In fact, I'm just as likely to celebrate a Sunday evening. Last night was no exception. Armed with a pint of grape tomatoes and some gorgeous onions from bro's garden, I turned the end of the weekend into quite an appetizing little event. Below, my recipe for a Divalicious Sunday evening ...

Goat Cheese Crostini with Caramelized Onion and Tomato Compote:

• 1 large onion, peeled, halved and cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. granulated sugar
• pinch of Kosher salt
• some freshly ground black pepper
• pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
  
• 1 pint of fresh grape tomatoes, milled*
  
• one 14.5 oz. can of Petite Diced Tomatoes
• zest of one large fresh lemon, minced
  
• juice of 1/2 large lemon
• 1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. honey
• 1/4 tsp. ground cumin, optional
• 1/4 tsp. Chinese Five Spice powder, optional
• the leaves from 2 or 3 sprigs of fresh thyme

• some soft herbed goat cheese
• a large whole grain or whole wheat baguette, sliced thin, brushed with a bit of olive and then toasted until golden brown

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the onions and stir well to coat with the oil. Allow the onions to saute, stirring frequently for 1 to 2 minutes, add 1/2 tsp. of granulated sugar, a pinch of salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Continue cooking the onions, stirring frequently to redistribute, until golden brown and caramelized - approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low, if they begin to brown to quickly. The onions are done when they are evenly golden, not dark, brown. They will be soft but will still maintain their shape.

*While the onions caramelize, run the grape tomatoes through a food mill (placed over a large bowl) to separate the juice and pulp from the skins. This will take a bit of time, be patient. Once all of the tomatoes have been crushed, discard the skins and strain the juice and pulp through a sieve, pressing on the solids to extract. Save the resulting juice and discard the seeds.

Once the onions are cooked, add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes and stir to combine. To the skillet, add the reserved grape tomato juice, a 14.5 oz. can of petite diced tomatoes (along with their juice), and stir well. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, honey, cumin, Chinese Five Spice powder, and the leaves from 2 or 3 large sprigs of fresh thyme. Stir well, allow the mixture to come to the boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes - or until the mixture has thickened and most of the liquid has evaporated - stirring as needed.

Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding more of anything you like. Remove the finished compote to a covered container and chill in the fridge until completely cooled.

To Assemble the Crostini:

Slather the whole grain toasts with some herbed goat cheese and top with a generous spoonful of the chilled onion and tomato compote. Top with a bit of fresh thyme, serve and enjoy!

Alternately, if you don't have a food mill - or don't want to be bothered - you can certainly choose to just chop the grape tomatoes and add them as is. The finished compote would have some seeds, but that's no great hardship. You might also choose to omit the grape tomatoes and add an additional can of diced tomatoes instead.

As for the seasonings, its all up to you. I happen to like a little extra punch, so I've added the cumin and Five Spice powder. A splash of Sriracha wouldn't hurt either, though if you prefer - you can leave the spices out altogether and simply flavor the compote with the thyme alone. The choice is yours!

The finished crostini are so incredibly savory and delicious, I promise you'll forget all about going to work on Monday ... almost.

So, what's your recipe for a festive Sunday evening? Curious Diva wants to know.

Bon appetite!