Heirloom Tomato and Goat Cheese Galette

Sitting here, staring at my computer screen, I’m feeling a little out of practice. I’ve actually been keeping very busy over here at From James to Jamie, cooking lots and testing numerous recipes. What I haven’t been doing lately, though, is sharing those recipes with you. If you follow me over on Instagram, then you’ve already seen some of the things that I’m working on. I’ve been recipe testing for a local company that I’m very proud and excited to have partnered with. In the very near future, the best of those recipes that I’ve come up with featuring their product will be rolled out here (and on their site as well).

As excited as I am about those recipes finally making their way out into the world, I’m even more excited to share this particular recipe with you…because it’s the first from my new kitchen! The other reason it has taken me so long between posts is that my wife and I recently moved one city over, trading in our townhouse for an apartment. We’re only renting at the moment, but we’ve completely fallen in love with the place. It took a few weeks, but I’ve grown accustomed to my new kitchen space and finally feel at home while cooking up a storm (read: I now know where stuff actually is!).

So to christen this new-to-me kitchen, I can’t think of a better dish than this Heirloom Tomato and Goat Cheese Galette. I made the recipe twice over the course of a few days. The first time, I used a mixture of heirloom tomatoes from my cousin Kevin’s organic farm, Klippers Organics. If you’ve ever perused a Vancouver Farmers Market, chances are you’ve seen – and drooled over – their delicious produce. I’m planning on popping by Trout Lake Farmers Market tomorrow (Saturday) to say hi and grab some more  heirlooms from him. For my second galette, I used some red zebras and purple princes (varieties of heirlooms) that I found at a market close to my childhood home. I’m including pictures of both galettes, even though I prepped the tomatoes in a slightly different way for my first attempt.

The cheese is from Mt. Lehman Cheese Co., a local company in my new home of Abbotsford, B.C.. I’ve popped by their farmstore a few times now and absolutely love not only being able to get this delicious cheese right from the source, but actually chatting with their cheesemaker about the product.

Anyways, it’s clear I’ve tried to make up for lost time by attempting a novel here. Let’s get to the food, shall we? Without further adieu, I now present to you the fantastically flaky, sweet and savoury, absolutely delicious Heirloom Tomato and Goat Cheese Galette. Enjoy!

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Ingredients:

For the crust:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cold salted butter
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp. ice water

For the filling:

• a few heirloom tomatoes (quantity depends on size)
• 70 g. chevre (goat cheese)
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• sea salt & fresh cracked black pepper
• 1 egg, for eggwash

Directions:

• To make the crust, combine flour and salt together in a bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces, then add to your dry ingredients. Cut the butter in using a pastry blender until your mixture resembles large breadcrumbs.
• Slowly add in your 1/4 cup of iced water, stirring/tossing with a fork after each small addition of water. With your last tbsp. of water, target any bits of the mixture that are still dry. Once all water has been added, continue stirring/tossing for another 30 seconds.
• Dump out the dough onto a large piece of parchment paper, then bring the sides and corners of the paper together, pressing the dough into a tight mound. Remove the dough from the paper and work with your hands for just a few seconds (time for a few squeezes), then form into a disk. Return to the parchment paper, fold the paper around it to cover, then refrigerate for half an hour.
• When the dough is almost done chilling, preheat your oven to 400°F and quickly wash and slice your tomatoes. The galette should fit about 3 medium tomatoes, but you may need more or less depending on the variety (and subsequent size) of your heirlooms.
• Once the dough has chilled, roll it out on a lightly floured surface until it’s about a foot in diameter. Transfer to a piece of parchment paper and brush off any excess flour on the top of your dough.
• Leaving about an inch border, dot your dough with small chunks of your goat cheese. Next, add the slices of tomato so that you have a single layer (a little overlap is okay). Drizzle the olive oil overtop of the tomatoes and goat cheese, then season with a little salt (more can be added later, if needed).
• Fold over the excess dough and press down your creases to achieve the signature galette look (I like to make hexagons, but you can make yours more free-form if desired). Dust off any excess flour, then brush the top of your crust with egg wash (simply beat your egg with a fork for 30 seconds to prepare).
• Carefully transfer your galette – this is where the parchment paper comes in handy – to a baking sheet and toss in the oven for 35 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes (the juices will be very hot). Serve with some fresh cracked pepper and additional sea salt, if desired.

Serves 3-6 as an appetizer

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