Rustic End-of-Summer Cherry Tomato Galette
The first time I made this recipe I used leftover cheese and tomatoes I had in the refrigerator that needed to be eaten. I added just a few additional ingredients to keep it simple: sea salt, fresh thyme, and olive oil. I also didn’t want to take the time to make the crust from scratch as I was headed to the beach with friends. So I decided to go with store-bought pastry dough I had in my freezer. I popped for the French buttery pastry dough and it was worth it. There’s a big difference between it and the cheaper versions (like yucky hydrogenated oils).
To keep the crust from getting soggy, I blind bake the crust with pie weights (I use dried beans and rice). Then I add the cheeses and fresh tomatoes and put it back in the warm oven (with the heat turned off) for just a couple of minutes to warm up and slightly melt the parmesan cheese and soften the tomatoes.
Once I remove the galette from the oven, I then drizzle it with balsamic glaze which adds a delicious pop of sweetness. But it’s not necessary either.
Ingredients
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 375 degree Fahrenheit.
- If you are using store bought pastry dough follow the manufacturer’s directions to thaw and bring to room temperature. Butter a large baking sheet.
- On a slightly floured surface, roll out the pastry dough out to a 13 – by-15- inch rectangle about 1/4 – 1/3 inch thick (it doesn’t have to be perfect). Roll up the dough on a rolling pin and transfer it to your large, buttered baking sheet. Chill the dough until firm about 15 – 20 minutes.
- Create a two-inch border with the dough by folding over the edges of the dough (imagine your dough like a picture frame). Line the dough with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or a lot of dried beans and rice. Make sure you fill in around the corners and or edges with the weights where the pastry tends to puff up. Bake the shell for 20-30 minutes until dry and golden. Check the crust and remove the parchment paper. If the crust is golden and crispy it’s done. If it’s not, bake for another 5-7 minutes until golden brown without the pie weights and paper. Once done remove from oven to cool and turn off heat in the oven.
- Meanwhile prep the tomatoes. In a medium sized bowl, toss the halved tomatoes with olive oil, thyme, flakey sea salt and pepper.
- Once crust has cooled, gently spread the goat cheese along the inside of the galette crust. Next, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and flakey sea salt. Then spoon the tomato, olive oil, thyme mixture over the top of the cheese.
- Place back in oven for 3-5 minutes just until the parmesan cheese begins to melt. Remove from oven and drizzle with balsamic glaze. Cut into serving pieces, serve immediately and enjoy!
