Old Mustard

Although I do think that there was a good excuse as I was up to almost midnight making chili con carne.

But this isn't about chili, although hopefully there will be a picture of the chilis that we are making posted a bit later.  Rather this is Gerard's Mustard Tart...via Around My French Table.  

First...why, whenever I need to make something does the recipe call for exactly the equipment I do not have.  An 8-inch tart pan, yes.  A 10-inch tart pan, yes.  What does the recipe call for...9 or 9-1/2 inch tart pan.  So, I opted to make an 8-inch version, and will hunt down a good 9-inch pan to add to the overflowing collection of cooking paraphernalia.  

Second...super easy tart crust recipe.  Thank you Dorie and food processor.  I still can't help but think I have screwed up every crust I make.  Even after it has come out okay, I look at it and think, I must have done something wrong.  

Next...as someone who does not use Dijon mustard frequently, I do think I have now discovered the it loses potency with age.  And I didn't want to go and buy special mustard so instead of buying moutard l'ancienne, I used some of my housemate's grainy deli mustard.  As such, I'm not sure if the mustard flavor was exactly what the recipe planned, but it was still tasted.  Just a very muted mustard flavor all in all.  One comment was "I didn't even realize it was mustard I was tasting until you said there was mustard in it."

Oh, and while laying the carrots and leeks in a pleasant looking wheel spoke pattern, may sound like a great idea, the implementation without practice was challenging.  Therefore what started as well-ordered became a celebration of the beauty of free-form chaos.  

And I guess with that, the only thing to say is...it was a tasty little tart.  Makes me want to get in the habit again, like Logan, Kristen and I did in college, of making a tart on the weekend and having it as an easy dinner throughout the week.