fall kitchen: october

last week i made a few of delicious fall dishes: tomato tart, spinach quiche, and bean soup.

the spinach quiche was loosely based off of one i found at Smitten Kitchen but either through my poor execution or the fact that it got a little singed made it mediocre compared to my other quiche endeavors. i'm not sure i am entirely sold on beating the egg mixture (perhaps they didn't mean an electric beater?)

the bean soup was based off of bob's red mill bean soup mix, with a couple of adjustments. i like having some hearty soup on hand in the fall for quick lunches. if its packed with vegetables, all the better.

bean soup recipe
2 cups 13-bean soup mix
1 tablespoon bacon grease
1 cup onion, chopped
1/3 cup tomato paste
1 1/2 tsp to 1 tbsp red pepper flakes
2 garlic cloves

wash and soak 2 cups 13 bean soup mix overnight, or fast soak.
melt bacon grease in pan, add onions and sauté until soft
bring

in a large pot, bring 2 1/2 quarts water to boil with beans. reduce heat and simmer for 3 to 3 1/2 hours. add onions, and remaining ingredients. simmer 30 minutes. makes about 8 servings.

the real star though, was the tomato tart.
Elephant Delicatessen in Portland, Oregon makes a fantastic one—this is the closest i have come to replicating it.

tomato tart

tomato tart recipe 

1 pie crust
5 tomatoes
2 tbsp of dijon mustard
1 cup of gruyere, grated
1 cup of parmesan, grated
basil pesto

preheat oven to 375F.

roll out your pie crust and fit it into a fluted tart pan or pie dish.

spread your mustard on the bottom of the pie crust, follow with basil pesto or a layer of basil leaves, and top with grated cheese.

place your tomatoes in an overlapping design making a concentric circle.

top with basil, and more grated cheese

bake until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown—30 minutes or so.