Food does not need plastic surgery, make-up or added chemicals to look beautiful. A butternut squash stands apart with its unique shape and the pomegranate looks like a gift directly from nature when you look past the exterior to find the beauty within. Even with all of this natural beauty and flavor surrounding us, there is a consistent effort to improve it. By stepping back for just a moment it does not take long to realize it is perfect just the way it is.
In today’s kitchen frozen food has replaced rustic, old- fashioned cooking and there is a general notion that anything with handmade attached will take up more time than we have to offer. If that is your belief, you have not been introduced to the galette. A galette is a rustic version of pie with the crust folded over on the edges showcasing the filling in the center. It requires no special tools or fancy ingredients, yet it reflects an elegance that makes it so appealing. From savory to sweet the versatility makes it perfect for a simple dinner or special dessert. The pie crust is essentially a canvas for any filling and spread you can imagine and with a little preparation ahead of time a galette can easily be prepared in 15 minutes. Then you just have to handle waiting for it to bake.
Here is a wonderful savory galette recipe to use as a launching point, but feel free to get creative and try some new ideas:
Butternut Squash, Apple and Onion Galette with Stilton: Adapted from Food Network (Stilton is a blue cheese, but goat cheese is also a wonderful option or gorgonzola)
Pie Crust:
This is the pie crust that corresponds to this recipe, but if you have another recipe you enjoy feel free to use it. However, keep in mind that a heartier crust often works better for a galette, such as this one with an egg added.
1 ¼ cups all- purpose flour
Pinch salt
8 tbsp. cold unsalted butter
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Water if needed, up to 1 tbsp.
Pulse the flour and salt together in a food processor, just until combined. Add butter and pulse until it resembles the size of a pea in your hand, there should be no large clumps of butter. Add egg and pulse a few more times. If the mixture is dry, add cold water 1 teaspoon at a time until a good texture is formed. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
Filling:
• 1 large baking apple
• 1 small or 1/2 medium butternut squash
• 1 small yellow onion
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons mustard (any flavor you like)
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup crumbled Stilton or other blue cheese (about 1 1/2 ounces)
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2) Cut the apple and squash and onion to equal thickness (good step to do ahead of time for a time- saver).
3) Combine melted butter, rosemary, salt and pepper and thyme together. Add in apple, onion and squash.
4) Roll out pie- dough to a 9 inch circle.
5) With a pastry brush spread with mustard, leaving a 2 inch dry border.
6) Spread apple, onion and squash in center.
7) Fold up the edges, showcasing the filling in the center.
8) Brush crust with egg wash.
9) Place on a baking sheet and bake until crust is golden brown and crisp and vegetables are tender.
For a sweet galette, you can use any combination of fruit or filling. Blueberries would be wonderful in the summer, and apples and pears are perfect for the winter and fall. Here is a basic fruit recipe to follow:
Pear Galette
Pie Crust rolled into 9” circle
Pears 1.5 lbs (about 2-3 pears) cut into ¼” wedges
Sugar 1 tbsp
Lemon 1/2
Egg 1, beaten
Slivered almonds 1 Tbsp.
Place pear wedges in a bowl and toss with the sugar and juice of half a lemon.
Working from the center, arrange pear thickly over the dough, leaving a 2” border dry edge.
Fold dough over edge about 1”
Brush the dough with the egg.
Sprinkle with additional sugar and sprinkle with slivered almonds
Bake until pears are tender
Dust with powdered sugar
Don’t be afraid to add different spreads and flavors that go beyond traditional. Chocolate, cookie crumbs, frangipane all would be delicious. Plus, these extras help soak up the juices from the fruit keeping the crust nice and crisp.
In today’s kitchen frozen food has replaced rustic, old- fashioned cooking and there is a general notion that anything with handmade attached will take up more time than we have to offer. If that is your belief, you have not been introduced to the galette. A galette is a rustic version of pie with the crust folded over on the edges showcasing the filling in the center. It requires no special tools or fancy ingredients, yet it reflects an elegance that makes it so appealing. From savory to sweet the versatility makes it perfect for a simple dinner or special dessert. The pie crust is essentially a canvas for any filling and spread you can imagine and with a little preparation ahead of time a galette can easily be prepared in 15 minutes. Then you just have to handle waiting for it to bake.
Here is a wonderful savory galette recipe to use as a launching point, but feel free to get creative and try some new ideas:
Butternut Squash, Apple and Onion Galette with Stilton: Adapted from Food Network (Stilton is a blue cheese, but goat cheese is also a wonderful option or gorgonzola)
Pie Crust:
This is the pie crust that corresponds to this recipe, but if you have another recipe you enjoy feel free to use it. However, keep in mind that a heartier crust often works better for a galette, such as this one with an egg added.
1 ¼ cups all- purpose flour
Pinch salt
8 tbsp. cold unsalted butter
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Water if needed, up to 1 tbsp.
Pulse the flour and salt together in a food processor, just until combined. Add butter and pulse until it resembles the size of a pea in your hand, there should be no large clumps of butter. Add egg and pulse a few more times. If the mixture is dry, add cold water 1 teaspoon at a time until a good texture is formed. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
Filling:
• 1 large baking apple
• 1 small or 1/2 medium butternut squash
• 1 small yellow onion
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons mustard (any flavor you like)
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup crumbled Stilton or other blue cheese (about 1 1/2 ounces)
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2) Cut the apple and squash and onion to equal thickness (good step to do ahead of time for a time- saver).
3) Combine melted butter, rosemary, salt and pepper and thyme together. Add in apple, onion and squash.
4) Roll out pie- dough to a 9 inch circle.
5) With a pastry brush spread with mustard, leaving a 2 inch dry border.
6) Spread apple, onion and squash in center.
7) Fold up the edges, showcasing the filling in the center.
8) Brush crust with egg wash.
9) Place on a baking sheet and bake until crust is golden brown and crisp and vegetables are tender.
For a sweet galette, you can use any combination of fruit or filling. Blueberries would be wonderful in the summer, and apples and pears are perfect for the winter and fall. Here is a basic fruit recipe to follow:
Pear Galette
Pie Crust rolled into 9” circle
Pears 1.5 lbs (about 2-3 pears) cut into ¼” wedges
Sugar 1 tbsp
Lemon 1/2
Egg 1, beaten
Slivered almonds 1 Tbsp.
Place pear wedges in a bowl and toss with the sugar and juice of half a lemon.
Working from the center, arrange pear thickly over the dough, leaving a 2” border dry edge.
Fold dough over edge about 1”
Brush the dough with the egg.
Sprinkle with additional sugar and sprinkle with slivered almonds
Bake until pears are tender
Dust with powdered sugar
Don’t be afraid to add different spreads and flavors that go beyond traditional. Chocolate, cookie crumbs, frangipane all would be delicious. Plus, these extras help soak up the juices from the fruit keeping the crust nice and crisp.
