Shake up pizza night with this rustically elegant Heirloom Tomato Galette.
Why is Heirloom Tomato Galette the book-inspired recipe for I Love You: Recipes from the Heart?
There were so many good-looking recipes in I Love You: Recipes from the Heart that I wanted to use for this post. But since it’s the height of summer in New Jersey, farm stands and gardens are overflowing with homegrown tomatoes right now.
The Heirloom Tomato Galette seemed like a perfect way to use up nature’s bounty in very Pamela Anderson-esque fashion.
However, let it be noted that this Heirloom Tomato Galette recipe is not the version that appears in I Love You: Recipes from the Heart.
Why? Number one, copyright laws. I can’t just repost a recipe from a published book on my blog. Number two, Pamela’s version is one hundred percent vegan. And mine is not.
The recipe in I Love You is for “Heirloom Tomato Galette with Cashew Cream.” While I admire Pamela making a vegan cheese substitute from scratch — that just ain’t my thing.
So, my version of her recipe is non-vegan and made with ricotta cheese instead of cashew cream.
What I love about this Heirloom Tomato Galette
Galettes are one of the most forgiving pastries out there. Although you do have to roll out pastry dough, the edges can be as scraggly and uneven as you want.
Because all you’re going to do is fold the edges over your filling, and presto – you have a gorgeously rustic-looking tart, or galette. Cuz being French makes it 15% fancier.
This Heirloom Tomato Galette is the perfect lunch or dinner to put together in the summer months. It’s full of fresh fresh garden flavors, so you feel healthy.
But then that flaky, buttery crust surrounding a pile of vegetables (okay, technically, tomatoes are fruit) makes you feel a little bit decadent, too.
The ricotta cheese layer provides a great creamy contrast to the herby roasted tomatoes, and I love the unexpected zing from the lemon zest in there.
This tart eats like a meal and feels like a treat.
What do you serve with Heirloom Tomato Galette?
Treat this Heirloom Tomato Galette like you would a pizza. Serve it alongside a crisp green salad for a refreshing lunch, or with a steaming cup of Chicken and Rice Soup or Soupe au Pistou on a chilly day.
If you can’t get enough tomato, the Caprese Farro Salad also makes a nice side dish. Or, serve this galette alongside some Creamy Tomato Pasta.
Dessert should be something equally summery like Rainbow Pinwheel Cookies, Berry Rose Shortbread Cookies, or classic Zucchini Bread.
Heirloom Tomato Galette
Ingredients
GALETTE PASTRY CRUST INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cold
- 2-4 tbsp very cold water
- 1 egg, beaten, with a little water (for brushing)
HEIRLOOM TOMATO GALETTE INGREDIENTS
- galette pastry crust (see above)**
- 2 large heirloom tomatoes, sliced
- 5-6 cherry tomatoes, sliced
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1 tsp dried basil, divided
- 1 tsp dried oregano, divided
- 2-3 sprigs fresh oregano
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 sprig fresh basil
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, divided
- salt
Instructions
PREP INSTRUCTIONS
- Place a paper towel on a large plate. Slice the tomatoes into 1/4”-thick slices and place on the paper towel-lined plate.
- Slice the cherry tomatoes in half and place on the paper towel-lined plate.
- Sprinkle the sliced tomatoes liberally with salt, then let rest about 20 minutes to let some of the juice drain out.
- Whisk together the egg and a bit of water in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Make the ricotta filling: stir together the ricotta cheese, lemon zest, ½ tsp dried basil, ½ tsp dried oregano, a pinch of salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper in a small bowl until combined. Set aside.
GALETTE PASTRY CRUST INSTRUCTIONS
- Cut a large piece of plastic wrap and place it aside.
- Slice the cold butter into thin pats. Set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Add the sliced butter to the bowl, then massage the butter into the flour, breaking up the pats with your fingers into smaller pieces. However, leave some larger pieces of butter in the mixture, as they will create tenderness later. After 3-4 minutes, you should have a crumbly dough mixture.
- Add the cold water to the flour mixture, one tablespoon at a time. Work the water into the flour mixture by tossing it with your fingers to make sure all ingredients are moistened. You should be able to take a handful of dough crumbles into your hand, squeeze, and have the dough stay together – this means the dough is moist enough and you can stop adding water.
- Scoop the dough onto the plastic wrap and squeeze it together into a flat disk. Wrap the disk in the plastic wrap and refrigerate for 60 minutes, or overnight.
HEIRLOOM TOMATO GALETTE BAKING INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Roll out the chilled pastry dough on your work surface in an oval or circle shape until the dough is roughly 1/4" thick and about 18” long. (You shouldn't need flour to roll out this dough.)
- Transfer the dough from your work surface to the prepared baking sheet.
- Spread the ricotta mixture onto the dough, leaving about a 1-inch border uncovered.
- Layer the salted tomatoes over the ricotta layer; it’s okay if some overlap. Sprinkle with the remaining ½ tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp dried basil, and ¼ tsp black pepper.
- Gently fold the dough border up onto edges of the tomatoes so they’re encased within a frame of dough.
- Brush the crust lightly with egg wash. Strip the fresh herbs from their stems and scatter them over the galette.
- Bake Heirloom Tomato Galette at 375F for around 45 minutes, or until the tomatoes are roasted and soft and the crust is deep golden-brown and flaky.
- Remove Heirloom Tomato Galette from oven and let cool about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
