Or, post farmers’ market lunch with visiting Seattle friends.
Cherry tomato, summer squash & corn galette – my version of Smitten’s – the basil got really black when baked
Joe and Terry were here because Joe was officiating at the wedding of one of his students – we started hearing about this in January during the ALA conference in Philadelphia, because he was looking for some kind of Internet ordination that he could do, and be sure was legal in Wisconsin. For awhile it looked like he was going to be speaking at a local library conference this trip, too, but that fell through, and that, as he says in his column, is another story.
We went to market Saturday morning, and got a few things that, along with what I’d already gotten in Thursday’s CSA box, could be made into an early lunch – on the schedule for the wedding it said something like “officiant arrives at 2:30”. Meredith recommended the burst tomato & corn & zucchini tart from Smitten Kitchen – I made my own version, and we ate it with a nice spicey salad – that had flat leaf parsley and celery greens mixed in with leaf lettuce from last week’s market and what I could salvage from a clam shell of organic herb mix greens purchased when Rach was here last week. And lots of fruit – cherries, strawberries, raspberries and melon – the last being from California by way of the grocery store, rather than the market, but good anyways.
DebS Burst Cherry Tomato, Summer Squash & Corn Galette (Smitten is Deb P.)
For starters, I made my own crust: 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 2 tsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1 stick of butter, 1 TBLS vegetable shortening, about 4 TBLS cold water. Combine the flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer – or in a large mixing bowl. Slice the butter and vegetable shorting into the bowl, and cut in the shortening until it resembles coarse crumbs using the paddle attachment for the mixer, or a pastry blender, or two knives or your fingers. Switch to a fork if mixing by hand. Drizzle in the water a tablespoon at a time, mixing, until the dough clumps. Shape into a disk, either set aside if you’re making the galette right away (I just wrap it in my pastry cloth and set in a coolish place in the kitchen), or wrap in plastic and chill.
For the filling:
a good size glug – about 1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
big pinch of Kosher or coarse salt
1 small summer squash, cut into large dice
2 cloves of garlic, minced or put through a press
the kernals cut from 1 ear corn
freshly ground pepper
a few sprigs of fresh basil, julienned
about 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Milk for brushing – whole or 2%
Make filling: Heat the olive oil in a wide deep skillet with a lid. Add olive oil, tomatoes and salt to the pan, then cover and heat over medium high heat. Shake the skillet to roll the tomatoes around from time to time. You’ll hear some pops as the tomatoes burst a little. When most have, remove the lid, turn heat down a bit, and add the squash and garlic. Saute until the squash is softened, and add corn and grind in some pepper. Cook uncovered until most of the juices boil down. Stir in the basil. Transfer mixture to a large plate and spread it out – you can even pop it in the fridge – so that it will cool faster. You want it cooled to lukewarm so it won’t melt the crust when you assemble the galette.
Assemble galette: Heat oven to 375°. On a floured surface – I like a pastry cloth – roll the dough out into a rough circle, as big as you can get it – I think mine was about 14 – 16. Transfer the crust to a parchment-lined baking sheet; I used a 14-inch dark colored pizza pan – dark is good for a crisper crust. I fold the dough gently in half, without pressing down, just kind of flop it, then unfold it onto the baking pan. Spread the Parmesan onto the crust in a rough circle (or half circle if you have somebody like Terry who doesn’t eat cheese), leaving a pinch or two behind for topping the crust. Spread the tomato-squash-corn mixture onto the center of the dough, trying to leave behind any liquid that has puddled on the plate. Fold the crust over the filling, brushing with milk as you go, pleating the edge to make it fit. The center will be open. Brush the crust with more milk, and sprinkle with last pinches of Parmesan (or sprinkle the cheese half with Parmesan.
Bake the galette: For 30 to 40 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes, then slide the galette onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm or at room temperature. One of the leftover wedges was even good cold for breakfast next day and that was the no-cheese half.
Joe & Terry in front of the bookend sculpture at Madison Public Library – where the wedding was
On the guys’s first night in town, Thursday July 24th, we went to Lombardino’s for restaurant week. I’ve added this note way later, in September, because we just had dinner at Lombardino’s this past Sunday, and I cannot remember what I had for my main course in July – which is unlike me. I know I started with the house salad and had tiramisu for dessert; I think I had the ragu – so storing the menu here, as if tucked between the pages in my diary – although without the notes in the margin as to what I ate.
