Hooray for Sunday-Funday
“Sunday Funday” is here. Today we’ll celebrate this weekly occasion with a girlfriends get together at my house. We have a little spot here we call Chardonnay Point. (Yes, I do love Chardonnay!) But actually, you can drink anything you like at Chardonnay Point, no judging here! It’s just a mini jaunt up a hillside stairway, constructed by my husband. You can pack a picnic basket and then, within a stones throw, you feel as if you’ve found a secluded spot away from it all……………as long as you left your phone back at the house. (But, if you leave your phone back at the house, you can’t call anyone to bring more wine. That’s why I always bring my phone with me.) This week, we’re enjoying this rustic Galette!
Brunch Time is Leisure Time – A Galette is the perfect Sunday Brunch Dish!
I like to make something that’s easy to pack, doesn’t need to be piping hot and will still be delicious and fresh if it takes a few hours to eat it. Brunch is the perfect excuse for a little day drinking too, so let’s pair this with a bottle of sparkling rose. I love to make a Galette. Why? Because it will always impress your friends and family, they’re super versatile and as easy or as complicated as you want to make it. And, the bonus is that, you don’t have to make perfectly rolled pastry either, and better yet, you can even use frozen pie dough! A Galette look so beautifully casual, but so “french country” casual, like you’re one of those people who can just run into the your kitchen and put some ingredients you already have together and easily whip one of these up while drinking a glass of…………wait for it, Chardonnay. Well, that’s pretty much the truth! Almost anything goes for the filling too, the sky’s the limit. Savory or sweet, for breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert. I hope you’ll give it a try, then let your imagination run wild. Bonjour belle!
Roasting Peppers
For this recipe, 2-3 medium bell peppers is perfect, and you’ll have a bit left over to add a little sweet goodness to almost anything you’re making. (I like Orange, Red and Yellow.)
Put clean peppers directly over the low flame of a gas cook top. Watch them carefully, but allow them to blacken/char on every side. This will take a little while, just be sure to let them get really charred. Sometimes they leak a little of their juices, so if you’d prefer to avoid any possibility of a mess, you can put them on an indoor grill pan (that’s what I used this time). Once the peppers are blackend on all sides, put them into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap until they have cooled. This will have allowed the outer skin to steam away from the sweet flesh underneath. As long as you’re at it, you should make a bunch at once. These grilled peppers are like candy. They’re great in salads, in eggs, mixed with veggies, on burgers, etc. etc. etc.
With the back of a small knife, gently push back the outer skin and discard, leaving a bit of the char is good and adds flavor too. Then, cut the peppers in half, remove the stems and seeds and any white membrane from the insides. Slice the peppers into long strips and set aside.
Making the Crust
Put flour, salt and herbs, if using into a food processor and pulse a few times to make sure everything is mixed. Add the butter evenly across the top of the flour mixture. Pulse about 5 times just until the butter is chopped up into the flour and resembles little peas. Then slowly add a few tablespoons of ice cold water while pulsing just until incorporated. Check to see if the mix holds together by gently pinching. If so, its ready, if not, add a bit more water until it comes together. Pour the contents onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Mold into a small disc then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
While the dough’s a chillin’, make the fillin’
Saute the shallot in the olive oil, add the spinach, let cool. Add the shallot and spinach mixture to all the other ingredients except the goat cheese and the roasted pepper slices. Set the filling and the roasted peppers and the goat cheese aside.
Let’s Put this Galette together!
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Remove the dough disc from the refrigerator and place it on a lightly floured surface. Whack the dough a time or two just to show it who’s boss, just kidding, this will help flatten it and get it ready for rolling.
As you roll, make a slight turn after each roll. This will ensure it’s not sticking and also help you keep a circular shape. Roll out to about 1/8 inch thick. It doesn’t have to be perfect, remember, that’s the point of this.
Place the rolled dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Here’s a great helpful hint – Sometimes I roll the dough between wide strips of plastic wrap. One or two sheets overlapping on the bottom, then dough, then cover with more plastic and role. You don’t need any flour for the plastic roll method. This is a great way to keep the flour mess to a minimum, especially if you’re clean challenged, like me.
Spread the filling from the center out, leaving about 1 1/2 inches of room on the outside of the circle. Once the filling is in, crumble goat cheese on top, then place the roasted pepper strips on top.
Now, carefully fold the crust over the top of the galette giving it about a 1/2 inch lip. If the pastry cracks, no worries, just mend the seems that have torn and continue to fold. Brush the pastry with one beaten egg or cream. sprinkle with sea salt and fresh ground pepper. (I also used a little black salt for crunch and contrast.)
Folding Galette
Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce temperature to 375 and cook another 30-40 minutes, until the crust is golden. Serve warm or room temperature.
Spinach Ricotta Galette with Goat Cheese and Roasted Peppers
Ingredients
- For the Peppers:
- 2-3 medium bell peppers (I like Orange, Red and Yellow)
- Basic Pie Crust:
- 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour plus extra for rolling
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick cold butter cut into small cubes
- 3-5 tablespoons ice water
- optional - 1 teaspoon finely minced herbs (rosemary, thyme or dill would work)
- For the filling:
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan or pecorino cheese
- 1 cup fresh ricotta cheese
- 3-4 ounces goat cheese
- 1 small shallot minced
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces fresh baby spinach steamed/drained and squeeze out as much moisture as you can then chopped
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon very finely chopped/minced rosemary, almost to a powder
Instructions
For the Peppers:
- Put clean peppers directly over the low flame of a gas cook top. Watch them carefully, but allow them to blacken/char on every side. This will take a little while, just be sure to let them get really charred. Sometimes they leak a little of their juices, so if you'd prefer to avoid any possibility of a mess, you can put them on an indoor grill pan (that's what I used this time). Once the peppers are blackend on all sides, put them into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap until they have cooled. This will have allowed the outer skin to steam away from the sweet flesh underneath.
- With the back of a small knife, gently push back the outer skin and discard, leaving a bit of the char is good and adds flavor too. Then, cut the peppers in half, remove the stems and seeds and any white membrane from the insides. Slice the peppers into long strips and set aside.
For The Pie Crust:
- Put flour, salt and herbs, if using into a food processor and pulse a few times to make sure everything is mixed. Add the butter evenly across the top of the flour mixture. Pulse about 5 times just until the butter is chopped up into the flour and resembles little peas. Then slowly add a few tablespoons of ice cold water while pulsing just until incorporated. Check to see if the mix holds together by gently pinching. If so, its ready, if not, add a bit more water until it comes together. Pour the contents onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Mold into a small disc then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Put flour, salt and herbs, if using into a food processor and pulse a few times to make sure everything is mixed. Add the butter evenly across the top of the flour mixture. Pulse about 5 times just until the butter is chopped up into the flour and resembles little peas. Then slowly add a few tablespoons of ice cold water while pulsing just until incorporated. Check to see if the mix holds together by gently pinching. If so, its ready, if not, add a bit more water until it comes together. Pour the contents onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Mold into a small disc then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
For the Filling:
- Saute the shallot in olive oil, add the spinach, let cool. All the shallot and spinach mixture to all the other ingredients except the goat cheese and the roasted pepper slices. Set the filling and the roasted peppers and the goat cheese aside.
- Preheat your oven to 400.
Assembly:
- Remove the dough disc from the refrigerator and place it on a lightly floured surface. Whack the dough a time or two to get it ready for rolling. As you roll, make a slight turn after each roll. This will ensure it's not sticking and also help you keep a circular shape. Roll out to about 1/8 inch thick. It doesn't have to be perfect, remember, that's the point of this.
- Place the rolled dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Sometimes I roll the dough between wide strips of plastic wrap. One sheet on the bottom, then dough, then cover with more plastic and role. This is a great way to keep the flour mess to a minimum, especially if you're clean challenged, like me. Spread the filling from the center out, leaving about 1 1/2 inches of room on the outside of the circle. Once the filling is in, crumble goat cheese on top, then place the roasted pepper strips on top.
Now, carefully fold the crust over the top of the galette giving it about a 1/2 inch lip. If the pastry cracks, no worries, just mend the seems that have torn and continue to fold. Brush the pastry with one beaten egg or cream. sprinkle with sea salt and fresh ground pepper. (I also used a little black salt for crunch and contrast.)
Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce temperature to 375 and cook another 30-40 minutes, until the crust is golden. Serve warm or room temperature.
