Tomato and Eggplant Galette

Tomatoes and Eggplant, two late summer vegetables fresh from the garden, on top of  melty, stringy, Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, all wrapped up in a light and flaky crust.  Simple and delicious!

Ingredients

For the crust...

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

4-6 tablespoons ice water

For the filling... 

Extra virgin olive oil

1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/8-inch rounds

2 large tomatoes, cut into 1/8-inch rounds

1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon slivered fresh basil leaves

salt and black pepper

1 beaten egg

Preheat oven to 375° F  Serves 4-6

1.  For the crust, mix together in a large bowl, the flour and salt.  Add the cold butter and cut in the butter with a pastry cutter, until flour resembles course crumbs.  Drizzle 4 tablespoons of cold water over the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until mixture starts to form a ball.  If the dough looks to dry, add water 1 tablespoon at a time until dough comes together in a ball.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  

   

2.  On a floured table, roll out the dough into a 14 inch circle.  Transfer the dough on to a piece of parchment paper and place on a baking sheet.

 

3.  Drizzle the dough with extra virgin olive oil, then sprinkle the mozzarella and the 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese on top, leaving about a 2 inch boarder.

4.  Overlap the tomatoes and eggplant rounds in a fan on top of the cheese.  Scatter the basil over the top of the veggies.  Add a little salt and fresh ground pepper, then drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over the top.  Fold the edge of the dough up over the filling.  Brush the surface of the crust with the beaten egg.  Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of parmesan over the entire Galette.

5.  Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until golden brown and the veggies are tender.  Serve warm, or at room temperature.  Enjoy!

 

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Blueberry Apple Slab Pie

Unlike the traditional fruit pie, a slab pie is made in a sheet pan.  This recipe uses a 9X13 baking pan and cuts into 8 generous pieces.  The crust is flaky and light and the filling is superb.  Blueberry and apple have always been a favorite fruit pie combination for me, but you can use whatever fruit you like, apple, strawberry rhubarb or plain blueberry just to name a few.  Pumpkin may also be used but that's for a future post.  These little hand pies are great for packing in lunches.

Ingredients

For the crust...

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
12 ounces  (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2 inch bits
1 large egg, beaten
3-4 tablespoons cold milk

For the filling...

1 pint fresh blueberries (2 cups) the same amount of frozen blueberries may also be used if fresh are unavailable.
1 large apple, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks, about 1 cup 
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into small bits

9X13 baking pan
preheated 400°

1.   For the crust, in a large bowl, add flour, sugar, salt and butter bits.  With a pastry blender cut in butter until it resembles course crumbs.

2.   Mix together the beaten egg and milk.  Add to the flour mixture and blend together with a rubber spatula until mix starts to come together.  Pour out onto counter top and quickly form into a ball.

Divide dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

3.   Roll out one of the dough halves on a floured surface to a 10 X 14" rectangle or slightly larger.  Line the bottom of the 9X13 pan with the dough allowing the dough to come up around the sides of the pan about 1 inch.  Set aside.

4.   For the filling, mix together in a bowl the blueberries, apple chunks, sugar, flour and cinnamon.  Mix until all the fruit is covered in the dry ingredients.

5.   Pour fruit mixture into the pie shell and spread evenly across the bottom of the pan.  Sprinkle the butter bits on top evenly.

6.   Roll the remaining dough in the same manner as before.  Center the top crust over the pan and tuck overlapping dough behind the bottom crust sides.  Press and crimp together.  Cut slits in the top crust to vent.

7.   Bake in a preheated 400° oven for about 30-40 minutes or until golden on top and the filling is bubbling through the vent cuts.  Allow to cool before cutting.  Enjoy!