Heirloom Tomato Galette
I love summer produce. As soon as the cherries appear at the farmers’ market, I know that apricots, peaches, and plums won’t be far behind. But those aren’t the only summer fruits I look forward to. I also love heirloom tomatoes. Not only are they gorgeous, they taste so sweet, it’s really like another piece of fruit. This is the time of year I always grab a pound or two and live on Greek Salads and grilled cheese with a nice, thick slice of tomato. I just can’t get enough. While salads and grilled cheese are great, they’re not the only way to use these beautiful red and yellow spheres. I’ve used them to make tomato sauce as well as chili. But I’ve been dying to make a galette and this year, I finally did.
What’s a galette?
A galette is a freeform pie that’s so much easier to put together than your classic pie. You don’t need a pie dish and you don’t even need a top crust. All you need is one bottom crust that you cover with your filling and then fold over. It’s that easy. You can fill a galette with anything from fresh fruit to savory vegetables. It takes no time and is always a hit. I make them several times a year and every time I wonder why I don’t make them more often. Yes, part of the problem is that I make my own dough and that takes a little more time, but the end result is absolutely worth the trouble.
Tomato vs. peaches or plums
While the stone-fruit galette is more popular, the tomato galette is a wonderful alternative, especially if you’re not a big fan of peaches and plums. I love them all, so my biggest issue is which one I’ll make that week. The sweet stone fruit galette can be made several different ways. You can do peaches or nectarines, apricots or cherries, you could even do a mixture. And each one makes a wonderful dessert any night of the week, no matter if it’s for a special occasion or just your average family dinner.
On the other hand, a tomato galette is nice when you want a savory galette because the tomatoes can be sweet or sour. They come in a variety of bright colors and each one has a different flavor, but all of them have an acidity that can’t be beat. What makes this tomato galette so special though, is that it isn’t just filled with a variety of heirloom tomatoes. There’s cheese as well. Even though you often find a lot of recipes using goat cheese, I opted for ricotta and a little Parmesan.
The end result was a salty, creamy base that added a lovely texture and added a nice contrast to the sweet-acidity from the tomatoes. So, while I’ll never give up the sweetness of a classic peach or plum galette, especially when served with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream, the tomato version is a nice change of pace and makes a delightful appetizer or even side dish.
Ingredients
- Crust
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 cups flour, divided
- 2 teaspoons Herbs de Provence
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons lard
- 1-2 tablespoons cold water
- Filling
- 1 pound colorful heirloom tomatoes, sliced
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 2 eggs, divided
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Fresh basil
- Olive oil
Instructions
- Whisk together the salt, 1-1/4 cups flour and the Herbs de Provence in a large bowl. Add the butter and lard and work together with your fingers until the mixture looks like coarse meal.
- Dip your fingers in iced water to keep them cold and pack the dough into a ball. Press into a flat circle. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour.
- Place the tomato slices in a large bowl and gently toss with salt. Set aside for 30 minutes.
- Drain the tomatoes and transfer to paper towels to soak up additional moisture while you assemble the galette.
- Whisk the ricotta, Parmesan, garlic and 1 egg together in a large bowl until well combined.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon of water, and set aside.
- Place the chilled dough disc between two sheets of parchment paper and roll out until about 1/4 -inch thick.
- Carefully remove the sheets of parchment paper. Transfer the rolled-out dough to the prepared baking sheet.
- Spread the cheese mixture in the center of the dough, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Arrange the tomato slices on top and fold the edges of the dough over the edges of the tomatoes, leaving the center of the filling exposed.
- Brush the crust with the egg wash.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Allow to cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet.
- Garnish with fresh basil and drizzle with your favorite olive oil. Slice and serve.
