Cookbook: Potato Leek Tart


The only tools you need: a large skillet, a baking sheet
with parchment paper or foil, and a spatula or spoon.

For the first of the Cookbook series, I decided to go with a favorite of mine: an easy recipe that my SO's Ma introduced me to, the Potato Leek Tart.

Potatoes and leeks are very traditional, easy to grow vegetables commonly paired together in Irish cuisine. This recipe was made fairly more often in my love's household when he became a pescetarian, cutting all meats in favor of strictly seafood. But even his brothers, with their carnivorous tendencies, love this dish - it's rich, flavorful and filling without being overtly heavy.

This recipe we use is from Real Simple, an American home & lifestyle magazine first launched in 2000. Their motto 'Life Made Easier' is perfectly encapsulated here, with such minimal prepping that you can make the filling in the time it takes to preheat your oven! This dish is especially great for those evenings where you just want to relax at home with a glass of white wine.

Although I've never altered this as it's fantastic right off the page, due to its simplicity I'm positive it'd be great even with special diet variations. For vegans or the lactose intolerant, you can try tofu Feta cheese and vegan pie crust to eliminate dairy altogether from this recipe. I'm also sure the recipe would work with a gluten-free crust. And meat lovers, you can always add ground chicken or beef to the filling.

Shared by Kate Merker, the Senior food editor of Real Simple, this tart is absolutely delicious! The tangy sourness of the Feta complements the zucchini and leek while the potatoes bring a hearty balance -- perfectly nestled in flakey pie crust.

This recipe makes one tart that can serve 4 people with a regular serving, but in our household we make an extra. It's so good, one person can eat a whole halve if they've got a healthy appetite.

So without further ado, how to make this delicious tart ...

How to Make Potato, Leek, and Feta Tart  

Serves                          4

Leek & potato is a classic combination
as a soup! (via Food, Fitness, Fresh Air)
Hands-On time             20 min
Total time                     1 hr 20 min

INGREDIENTS
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 leeks (white & light green parts) cut into half-moons
  • 2 small zucchini, cut into half-moons
  • kosher salt & black pepper
  • ½ cup crumbled Feta (about 2 ounces)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
  • 2 Red Bliss potatoes (8 ounces), thinly sliced
  • 1 store-bought 9 inch pie crust
DIRECTIONS
1.  Heat oven to 375º F. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks, zucchini, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper & cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the Feta & dill. Add the potatoes & toss to combine. 
2.  On a piece of parchment paper, roll the piecrust to a 12-inch diameter. Slide the paper onto a baking sheet. Spoon the potato mixture onto the piecrust, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold the edge of the piecrust over the edge of the potato mixture. Bake (covering with foil if the crust gets too dark) until the piecrust is golden brown & the potatoes are tender, 50 to 60 minutes. 

The final product will very rarely look as pretty as the
picture from the magazine, but it'll taste just as good.

And that's really all there is to it! While it's baking, try to stay busy to pass the time. The kitchen will smell so scrumptious as the crust cooks that you'll want to take it out early to start devouring it, but I urge patience! You should also wait for it to cool down properly; I've burned my tongue on this too many times to count. But the best thing about it is that if you find yourself craving this, it is so incredibly easy to make.

I hope you enjoyed my choice, and please come check back later for the next one to come. Well, thanks for checking out the first post of my Cookbook! ♥︎ Bye-bye~!


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Outfit: Paisley Doll


Aside from mori kei and natural kei, I love all sorts of different fashions. Some that I like to draw inspiration from are lolita and dolly kei. Whenever I can, I like to incorporate the silhouettes, patterns, and details from such alternative fashions into my every day outfits; this particular one I put this together on a sunny Sunday morning, for going out to brunch with the boyfriend.


In the bottom righthand corner, there are a pair of white shorts beneath the purse. While invisible in the coord, it's wide shape
and stiffness gives the lace skirt worn above it some added volume. A cheap fix for those who don't have lolita petticoats!
I've had this dress for a very long time. It is the only clothing I have with a paisley or paisley-like pattern, and it reminds me of much of the patterns I see in dolly kei. But for all this time, I've never paired it with colors other than all black.

I didn't think it would look so nice with the tan cardigan I purchased from Nightingrosette, but I discovered they actually pair very well together! To soften the whole look, I grabbed my lace bralette and a severely neglected chiffon skirt from my mori wardrobe; their creamy colors add a hint of femininity without taking away from the loud pattern.



I've also developed an affinity for floppy hats ... and since I've last posted an outfit (roughly two years ago!) I've dyed my my hair a honey-toned ombre. My hair looks short in these pictures, since the front is slightly shorter than the back.

You'll notice most of the pieces that make this outfit is derived mostly from Forever21. I don't mean to be some F21 poster child; I just tend to have lots of luck finding clothes from that brand that suite me. While the majority of their clothing is trendy and/or cheaply made, you can find really great and durable pieces if you take the time to search for them. Alternatively, F21 can be commonly found in secondhand stores and you'd be surprised at what a great deal you get for like-new conditions.

Felt floppy hat: $29 from Amiko Boutique, SF Japantown (x)
Tan cardigan: $7 from Nightinrosette (also featured in FOTW here)
Lace bralette: Around $20, new from Forever21
Paisley Dress: On sale $10, new from Forever21
Chiffon skirt: $12, thrifted from Plato's Closet in Pacifica
Cotton shorts: Gap, thrifted from thredUP for $6.99 (x)
Messenger purse: Forever21, an old hand-me-down from my cousin
Shoes: Wanted Knockout Bootie in Suede, $39 from DSW (x)
Knee-length socks: offbrand, new from DAISO Japan


Thank you for viewing! I hope you enjoyed this simplistic dolly and lolita inspired coord. I'm afraid of delving fully into other styles as I have with Mori fashion, so the challenge of finding pieces that work is very fun and rewarding. Do you like mixing and matching different styles, too?

Anyhow, I do hope you enjoyed this outfit. Any critiques or suggestions are greatly appreciated. Ahh, I'm already itching to put together more coords. But until then, see you next time~!

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