farm stands and tomato galettes.

August 9, 2016

tomato galette | reading my tea leavesA summer tomato fresh from a farm is a thing to eat if you’re feeling like you need a boost of the spirits or a restored faith in magic. That a summer tomato starts as a seedling in a farmer’s shed while the earth is still mostly slumbering and then grows into a crown jewel so dark and delicious that it causes anyone eating it to simultaneously smile and groan is a small miracle. It’s the kind of improbably normal magic that’s worth just sighing over for a minute.

This past weekend we walked down the street from my mom and dad’s to our neighbors farm (the place where we got married and one of my favorite corners on the planet). We gathered a bundle of zinnias and snapdragons and rudbeckia from their stand, tucked tomatoes into our bag until it got heavy, and then weighed out our spoils and counted out the requisite dollars for leaving in the wooden cash box. A small-town honor system to make you smile, if ever there was one.

Eating tomatoes fresh is a singular delight; all warm from the sun shining on the farm stand. The thin skins break open with the slightest pressure. There’s no scolding a two-year-old who grabs a tomato straight from the bin and takes a chin-dripping bite. Toddlers generally have good instincts and about tomatoes in particular. But sometimes one feels the need to make those sweet juices work a little bit harder; to introduce them to more heat so that the sugars come out once the burbling commences and before you know it you have something jammy and delicious—and, if possible—even more worthy of a groan.

In an air condition-less apartment a tomato galette is not something that we get to indulge in until well into September, so even though the day was hot, I took advantage of the cooler breeze running through the kitchen at my mom and dad’s and cranked the oven to 350. 

A tomato galette can be a tricky thing if you’re the type to worry. There’s a chance it will come out too soggy, or leak all over the pan. I find that if you make a buttery enough crust, roll it out fairly thick, and keep the whole thing in the oven for an extra five minutes or so, the tomato juices aren’t something to be too concerned about. Let’s also be real: a galette can sometimes be a dried-out thing to eat. It can be all burbly and delicious-looking in the oven, but by the time the dough is cooked through, the fruit on top can be a little bit on the withered end of the spectrum. Tomatoes are the answer then; the more they roast the more delicious they become.tomato galette | reading my tea leaves

Tomato Galette

What you need:

For the crust:

1 cup of flour, plus a few tablespoons

An pinch of salt, to taste

1 stick of butter (I use salted)

Fresh herbs, optional (I used savory)

A few tablespoons of cold water to pull it together

1 egg, beaten

For the filling:

4-5 small tomatoes, sliced (more or less depending on the size)

2-3 slices of yellow onion, separated into rings and sliced in half

Sea salt to taste

1 cup or so grated Parmesan cheese (I used Parmesan-Reggiano)

3 stalks summer savory, de-stemmedtomato galette | reading my tea leaves

What to do

For the crust:

I used my same-old/same-old crust recipe. My pastry cutter broke a few months back and I’ve been doing the mixing bit by hand and liking the results even better. Here’s what to do: 

Toss a pinch of salt into a cup or so of flour and mix. Cut cold butter into small pieces and using your fingers, crumble the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles small crumbs. Add fresh herbs if using. Slowly add a tablespoon of cold water at a time and use your hands to pull together a ball of dough. Wrap the ball and pop it into the freezer for ten minutes until chilled through.tomato galette | reading my tea leaves

Grated cheese for sprinkling above and below the tomatoes.tomato galette | reading my tea leaves

For the galette:

You just can’t go wrong with the filling here, so swap cheese, herbs, etc. to taste.

+ Once chilled, roll out your dough to approximately 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese on surface of the dough and arrange sliced tomatoes in the center of the rolled dough.

+ Top tomatoes with onion slices, a sprinkle of sea salt and fresh savory. If you have remaining parmesan, sprinkle that on top, too.

+ Fold the edges of the dough over the edges of the tomatoes; each fold overlapping the next. Beat an egg and brush the pastry with the egg wash before baking for 50 minutes at 350 degrees F. (I bake mine on parchment paper to avoid a huge mess should there be a leak.) Check to see that the crust is richly golden and cook for an extra five minutes if need be.
tomato galette | reading my tea leaves

Galette, eggwashed.
tomato galette | reading my tea leaves

Allow plenty of oven time to allow the tomatoes to set a bit and the crust to turn golden.
tomato galette | reading my tea leaves

What about you guys? Any favorite ways to enjoy a summer tomato?

More farm stand tomatoes, right this way.

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17 Comments

  • Reply LCZ August 9, 2016 at 10:02 am

    Such gorgeous photos of a delicious looking gallette!!

  • Reply Stefanie August 9, 2016 at 10:49 am

    Beautiful photography
    Stefanie Meier

  • Reply Cynthia August 9, 2016 at 11:05 am

    Love a galette but also can’t resist a fat slice of tomato on a slice of toasted sourdough bread slathered in mayo. A sprinkle of sea salt, a couple of minutes looking pretty on the plate to allow the salt to get the juices flowing, and taking it out to the garden and enjoying every bite under summery skies. THIS is summer.

    • Reply Erin Boyle August 9, 2016 at 11:11 am

      agreed! so good.

  • Reply Stacy August 9, 2016 at 11:18 am

    My go-to summer tomato staple is courtesy of Molly Wizenberg (“Orangette”) from yeeeeaaars ago and couldn’t be simpler:

    The best heirloom tomato at the peak of the season, the best mayonnaise you can get your hands on (or make), and the freshest sliced bread (toasted). Tomato and mayo sandwiches. My favorite way to let a great tomato shine — other than eating it plain with a pinch of salt, that is!

    This recipe looks delicious. Thanks for sharing, Erin!

    • Reply Erin Boyle August 9, 2016 at 11:20 am

      indeed. hard to beat tomato and mayo sandwiches.

      • Reply Suzanne August 10, 2016 at 12:41 pm

        Yes! I love this and add cucumber slices as well as a bit of pepper.

  • Reply Emily August 9, 2016 at 11:21 am

    Oh, yum! This will happen soon in our kitchen. A friend gave me a recipe for a tomato pie, and I think it would adapt well to the galette – on top of quiche crust, layer grainy mustard, then fresh mozzarella, then heirloom/slicing/fresh tomatoes, with a bit of fresh basil on top. Something about the mustard makes it all so exquisitely delicious. I’ll let you know how that adaptation goes!

  • Reply Allyson August 9, 2016 at 11:23 am

    Gorgeous. I can’t wait until September so I can make this in my own non-air conditioned apartment. And I love fat slices of tomato with olive oil, salt, and mint.

  • Reply Elizabeth August 9, 2016 at 11:28 am

    I just noticed a couple ripe tomatoes on our vines this morning on my way out. Dinner tonight solved. Thanks for the idea!

  • Reply Laurie August 9, 2016 at 12:44 pm

    Love a tomato galette! I usually spread some dijon mustard on the crust before laying down the tomatoes and use Gruyere cheese. I love the idea of adding herbs to the crust as well!

  • Reply Mary Katherine August 9, 2016 at 5:03 pm

    This sounds amazing. Pinning immediately.

    And I enjoy fresh bruschetta and fresh salsa 🙂

  • Reply Nicole Brant August 9, 2016 at 5:11 pm

    Oh my gosh I’m drooling. I wish you could pass me one through the Internet!

  • Reply Cordelia August 9, 2016 at 6:21 pm

    This post has left my mouth watering! Yum! I love the simplicity of tomato, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, a splash of balsamic and pinch of salt. So easily delicious!

  • Reply Heather August 9, 2016 at 8:19 pm

    Oh, my goodness. This looks like a must-try for me! It’s already cooling off where I live, in the mountains, so I will try it ASAP!

  • Reply Weezie August 10, 2016 at 9:13 am

    This makes me miss home dearly. I delight in that farm stand– lots of memories of walking down Rt. 1 from Lowrey Field after softball or soccer practice to snag a few tomatoes or a bunch of zinnias with my mom 🙂

    • Reply Erin Boyle August 10, 2016 at 9:19 am

      Love that!!!

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