Vegetable Galette

A savory galette is far easier than you may think!Forget the stresses of homemade pie, this rustic free-form tart leaves plentyof room for error. It has a buttery pastry filled with any combination ofvegetables (in season are best!) nestled in a creamy ricotta filling. My favoritevegetables to use are roasted summer vegetables (eggplant, zucchini, andtomatoes) but feel free to use any combination of cooked vegetables instead,even leftovers from the fridge. You’ll need three cups total. Serve it with asalad for lunch or a light dinner al fresco!

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My favorite part about Summer is the produce. Strollingthrough my local farmers market or simply going out to my garden for herbs andlate season tomatoes is simply heavenly.  If I am lucky enough to have a good growing year,I begin looking for creative ways to use up my garden’s bounty. One of myfavorite ways is by making a savory vegetable galette. It is not onlydelicious, but so stunning to look at, a beautiful array of vegetables arrangedin a golden brown crust. The best part is, as fussy as it may look, a galetteis quite the opposite.

Unlike homemade pies, which often leave me tempted tomake a decorative, elaborate crust (and being slightly disappointed when it isanything less than Pinterest perfect!) a galette is rustic and beautiful assuch. There is simply no pressure to make it perfect. There is also no need toserve it piping hot, this is best eaten warm, so it is perfect to have sittingout to graze on if you have company over or have a brunch or light dinner.

My only real tip here is to make sure the cubed butteris extra cold before beginning. See make ahead/freezing instructions in therecipe notes if you’d like to get started ahead of time.

Galettes are free-form pies, and while they can besweet like fruit pies, they can also be savory, as I have made here. Deliciousnessshould know no bounds. Here’s how I made it.

Instructions

Make the crust:

Option 1: Combine flour, cheese and salt and butter ina food processor. Pulse a few times to combine then slowly drizzle in water,pulsing only until it clumps to form a dough.

Option 2: Whisk the flour, cheese, and salt together ina medium bowl. Using a pastry cutter or a couple forks, cut in the butter untilthe mixture resembles coarse pea-sized crumbs. Add the water and stir until theflour is moistened. Add 1 more Tablespoon of water if the dough seems dry.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surfaceand, using your hands, work the dough into a ball. Flatten it into a thickdisk.

Wrap the dough disk in plastic wrap, parchment paper,or aluminum foil and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days (orfreeze up to 3 months).

Prepare the vegetables: Using a mandoline or knife, thinlyslice vegetables of choice.

Prepare the ricotta filling: In a bowl, combine the ricotta,herbs, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or asilicone baking mat.

*Make sure you have enough room in your refrigeratorfor the baking sheet because the shaped galette must be refrigerated.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough intoroughly a 10-inch circle.

Spoon the ricotta filling into the center of the dough,leaving a 2-3 inch border all around.  Arrange vegetables on top in a decorativepattern if desired. Gently fold the edges of the dough over the filling,overlapping the dough as necessary. Press gently to seal the edges. Brush thecrust edges generously with egg wash.

Refrigerate the shaped galette for at least 30 minutes.Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F.

Bake galette until the filling is bubbly and the crustis golden brown, about 30-35 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutesbefore slicing and serving.

Cover and store leftover galette in the refrigeratorfor up to 4 days.

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