After months of “winter,” the colder weather is finally here and for some, it is a very hard time of the year. The shorter days and the sharp cold can cause all of us to feel a little down. Of course, the isolation of the pandemic is making this even worse. I know for myself, I hate the shorter days because I just can’t seem to adjust my schedule. 

We can do all our chores during the morning hours, but once 4:00 pm rolls around and the sun starts to set, we feel like the day has ended. It seems that as soon as I’ve gotten up in the morning, it is time to make dinner. It is not uncommon to feel fatigued, sad, and all around tired. We can find it hard to find the motivation to exercise, go for walks, or even go out at all, because of the cold.

You wake up and it is dark, and as you do your work or chores, find yourself working until dark as well. I think that January is a particularly difficult time, because the holidays have ended and we tend to isolate more and miss getting together with people as well. Our holidays this past year have been reduced to having just immediate family and we have missed seeing our extended family, which makes the post-holiday blues even worse. 

There are some things we can do to make ourselves feel better. Try to minimize the time you spend watching the news. It will make you less stressed and anxious. Focus more on a movie or show that will give you a good laugh. Watch what you eat. According to Very Well Mind, foods high in Vitamin D such as fish oil, milk, orange juice, and yogurt can help to balance your mood.

Get your sleep schedule on the right track. Going to bed at the same time and getting up at the same time will stabilize both your mood and your schedule. Try, and I know this is hard, to do some kind of physical activity, such as yoga, weight training, or some kind of aerobic exercise during the day. Bundle up and take a walk. I know that when I go out for a run or walk, I am cold for a short period of time, but then I warm up and begin to actually enjoy being out. Break up your goals and do them in small increments. Eventually you will see that working up to your goal is much easier than you think.

Or, like me, you can cook. I find it very therapeutic to chop vegetables and follow a recipe through. I feel like I have accomplished something, although I really do hate the cleanup after a meal. But as I clean, I find that doing it in an orderly way can be quite cathartic.

Even better, you can make this delicious tart. Who does not love caramelized onions? This may take you a good bit of time to do, but it is so worth it. If you do not want to make the dough, find some store bought dough like I did, and it will still be wonderful. After you brown up the onions, it is then flavored with balsamic vinegar and thyme, giving this tart a nice savory and tangy flavor. The addition of the cheese adds gooey, cheesy goodness. This tart is worth every minute you put into it, and may just make your day that much better.

This recipe is courtesy of SimplyRecipes and will serve 4 people who will love to relax with this warm and savory winter tart.

Ingredients for Rustic Onion Tart:

1 recipe for butter sour cream pastry dough* or 1 packaged, flat pie crust 
3 medium sized red and/or yellow onions (enough for 5 to 8 cups, sliced)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
Salt
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped, or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 cup (not packed) roughly grated Gruyère Swiss cheese

For the Sour Cream Pastry Dough:

1 1/4 cup (160 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
5 ounces of butter (1 1/4 sticks), cubed
1/4 cup sour cream

If you are making the dough:

I admit I bought store made dough and it was still fantastic. If you want to make the dough from scratch, here are the directions:

If you are making a crust from scratch, prepare the dough and let it chill in the refrigerator while you are cooking the onions.

To prepare the dough, whisk the flour and salt together in a large bowl.

Cut the butter into the flour with your hands or with a pastry cutter, until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.

Add the sour cream and use a fork to incorporate it into the dough.

Gather the dough into a ball and shape it into a disk.

Wrap it with plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour.

Peel and slice the onions, lengthwise from stem to root.

Caramelize the onions:

Heat olive oil and butter in a large, heavy-bottomed sauté pan on medium heat.

Once the butter has melted, add the onions and sprinkle a little salt over them.

Cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes, until the onions have softened and are translucent.

Reduce the heat to medium low and cook for an additional 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are well browned.

Add balsamic vinegar and cook for 10 minutes more, until onions are completely caramelized. Remove from heat.

Roll out the dough:

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let stand for 5 minutes before rolling it out.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a 13-inch diameter.

Transfer the crust dough to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Layer the cheese and onions onto the dough: 

Place all but a couple tablespoons of the cheese in the center of the dough.

Spread to within 1 1/2 inches from the edges.

Add the caramelized onions, layering them on top of the cheese.

Sprinkle with thyme.

 

Fold the edges of the crust dough over so that a small circle of onion is still showing in the centre of the tart.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the tart.

Place in the oven on the middle rack.

Bake for 10 minutes at 450°F.

Reduce the heat to 350°F and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

It’s that simple!