When I made these tarts, it was 2 degrees outside. Not 2 degrees Celsius, which would be 35 degrees Fahrenheit, but 2 degrees Fahrenheit, or -16 degrees Celsius.

So, really freakin cold. No matter what country you’re in.

I seem to take cold weather, and snow in particular, as a personal challenge to see how much food I can make in one day.

Maybe it’s my primal instincts attempting to add a protective layer of fat to my body in preparation for hibernation (not a bad idea), or maybe it’s just too darn cold to leave the house, so I entertain myself the best way I know how.

Either way, I found myself raiding the pantry, freezer, and fridge, looking for inspiration. And I found it.

I had a whole bag of blueberries I froze back in July, just waiting for me to decide the time was right. And really, when it’s 2 degrees outside, and summer is another 6 months away (at least), the time is right for blueberries.

These tarts were so simple to make. I used two bowls and a spoon. Perfect for the girl who does not like washing dishes. How do I know it’s time to wash the dishes? When I want to make cookies, and all my mixing bowls are still in the sink…which happens more frequently than one might imagine.

So take that winter! You may be freezing my windows shut, but you are inadvertently creating a sauna of baked aromas in my kitchen. Definitely more enjoyable than that time I decided to make brownies on a 100 degree day. (That’s 37 Celsius for those of you playing at home.)

Ingredients:

• 1 nine-inch pie crust, from a package, or mix up your own
• 1 pint of blueberries
• 8 oz. goat cheese
• 1/8 cup finely chopped fresh basil
• 3 Tbsp. skim milk
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. lemon juice

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the blueberries, sugar, and lemon zest, and stir 5 or 6 times, until the blueberries are coated. Set aside.

2. Crumble the goat cheese into a separate bowl and add the milk. Mix vigorously to combine – the goat cheese should be creamy and spreadable. Stir in the lemon juice and the chopped basil.

3. Roll out your pie crust, getting rid of any cracks in the dough. Cut the dough into quarters, and arrange them on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

4. Spoon 1/4 of the goat cheese mixture onto each section of pie crust and spread it out, leaving a 1/2 inch border of pie crust around the edge. Top each goat cheese pie crust with 1/4 of the blueberries and lightly press them into the goat cheese. Fold up the edges of the pie crust around your goat cheese and blueberries, pinching the folded edges gently to make sure it doesn’t come apart in the oven.

5. Bake the tarts for 50 – 60 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown, and the cheese is bubbling, rotating the pan half way through.