Tomato-Herb Galette
Summer Squash Galette
Sweet Potato-Spinach-Goat Cheese Tart
Spring is here, which means chilled white wine, dining al fresco, and time spent in the sunshine. Light meals are on the horizon. And the French know how to cook light. Well, just filling enough, let's say. Vegetarianism, I have written before, is challenging when dealing with French cuisine. It is not a secret that I have been on a tart kick, perhaps because they are so versatile. And easy. Finally I am writing on this trend in our kitchen.
In past weeks, I had made a type of tart which almost mimics a custard. The dough is extremely wet, however, when poured into a smoking hot dish, it puffs up, and cooks quickly. The other type that I had become an expert at making is a galette. The dough is presented in an extremely rustic way. Mistakes are ok. In fact, they might even make your galette look better. Both dishes are versatile, easy to make, and can be altered to suit your taste.
I must give credit where credit is due. I used this dough recipe (http://www.tarteletteblog.com/2012/03/recipe-gluten-free-heirloom-tomato.html). Um, fabulous. Whole wheat flour was added, though. My proportions were 1 cup white, 1/4 cup whole wheat. My tomato tart was seasoned with sea salt, garlic, and basil.
Another challenge is making this a complete meal—and at the current moment I have no protein in this tart. Plus, I wanted this galette to be cheese free. My answer was adding legumes. I added shell beans that I soaked and cooked earlier to a puree of sauteed farmer's market vegetables. It looked like a Mediterranean hummus, but it served as a great base. All liquid from the tomato would be caught in this spread—It served a dual purpose. Protection and nutrients.
Tomato-Herb Galette (Serves 3-4)
Slice and sauté 1/2 large onion in olive oil with 4 garlic loves (chopped). Add a nice handful of washed, de-stemmed chard. Add 2 Tsp. of dried basil (don't forget to grind these dried herbs in between your palms to extract the oils and deepen the flavor.) Add a pinch of chili flakes and salt to taste. Puree this with 1 cup of pre-cooked shell beans (or use canned).
Spread the puree on the base of your galette. Fan out thinly sliced plum tomatoes (about 3) and fool up the sides of your galette dough. Cook for 50 mins. at 350. Broil on low for 10 minutes but keep a watchful eye that this does not burn. You want your tomato edges to darken and your dough to toast. Cool on a rack and sprinkle liberally with coarse sea salt.
Other notes on past tarts can be read in posts earlier last month. Making this one again for sure. Enjoy and have fun!
