green and gold

i stared at the 'title' space on this page for a good five minutes. i give up.

found this beauty this past weekend, somewhere between connecticut and brooklyn. it is absolutely divine. 1960's, in absolutely perfect condition, beautifully lined, sparkling gold embroidery. unfortunately, i think it was made for a girl less busty than i, so i'll wear it tonight and then let it go, on my etsy shop - all systems are go and i'll be launching it on saturday.



top: vintage
skirt: american apparel
shoes: akira chicago
belt: thrifted

and now, my apologies for the delay on this, the recipe for the beet, leek, and goat cheese tart i posted last week. adopted from here.

1 pie dough (you can use store bought or this simple recipe: 1 1/4 cups flour, 1 stick unsalted butter (cut into cubes), pinch of salt, a couple T ice water. you can either just cut the butter into the salt and flour with two knives [the method i used before i had a food processor] and then sprinkle in the water until you can scrunch it all together into a ball with your hands, or pulse the butter into the flour and add water little by little until it comes together.)

1 medium sized roasted beet
4 oz crumbled goat cheese
2 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted (if you want)
1 large leek, sliced and cleaned
1 T butter
6 eggs
1/4 cup half and half
salt and pepper
some herbs to top it off - i used fresh sage

if you bought the crust, you're set. if you're making it, wrap it in plastic and set it in the fridge for a half hour or so before rolling it out. butter a pie pan before doing so, then roll it out and place it inside. do with the edges what you will. you'll want to pre-bake it - use parchment paper to line the thing and weigh it down with what you have - dried beans, lentils, pie weights, if you have 'em. you really want to fill the whole thing or it will just blow up/collapse while it's pre-baking. pop it in the oven at 375 for 10-15 minutes, until it starts to set. take it out and wait for it.

roast the beet. this takes awhile, depending on the size. turn your oven to 375 and wrap the beet, cleaned but unpeeled, in foil and let it cook for about an hour. once it's easy to stick a fork into, it's done. let it cool, then the skin should slip right off if it's cooked through. once it's cool, you'll want it to be in thin slices. i used a mandolin to cut mine but a sharp knife would do just as well. set aside.

the leeks! they must be cleaned so carefully because these things are always super dirty for some reason. once they're well washed, thinly slice them into little circles. sautee them in the butter. i also added a couple dashes of white wine, some white pepper, and dried fennel to mine, just for the heck of it. it was tasty, so if you have that stuff lying around i'd recommend it, but it's still delicious without, i'm sure. meanwhile, stick the pinenuts (if you're using them) into a toaster oven or the oven you used for the beet. keep an eye on 'em - once they start to brown, take them out.

once the leeks are soft and transparent, take them off the heat and let them chill out. start to lay the beets inside the pie crust however you'd like -it's fun if they're pretty but it's tasty regardless. put the leeks on top of that. whisk the eggs with the half and half and some salt and pepper (use your judgement - i like things very salty so i add a lot, and i used white pepper and black pepper in this.) pour this over the leeks and beet. top with goat cheese (again, as much as you want - i used more than called for because i figure you can't really have too much.) add pinenuts and the herbs.

bake at 375 for about 45 minutes or so. the crust should be golden around the edges and it shouldn't wobble much when you shake it, and will probably be just so slightly domed in the middle. let it cool for ten minutes or so and then voila!

it's a lot of work, and i have to admit while i was making it i was doubtful it would be worth it. it is. especially if you are a leek/beet lover - it's killer.



i'm starting to look at wedding dresses and i have a few to post, so i'll get on that soon. does anyone have any places i should look? i want something vintage, i think - i'm having trouble finding one that's perfect. of course i have over a year to do so, so i'm not too worried about it.


hope everyone has a lovely evening!

xo audrey