Rustic Galette With Winter Vegetables

Galettes, or free-form pies, are beautiful because they are imperfect. As someone who has struggled with attaining the perfect pie crust shape time and time again, the galette is a slightly more forgiving yet equally delicious circular centerpiece. While summer’s bounty of berries and stone-fruit make sweet pies spectacular, hearty winter vegetables in a flaky crust make a comforting savory meal that disappears just as fast. Try it with root vegetables, greens, or any other vegetable hiding in the fridge. Then just fold, bake, and delight in the uneven edges of your all-in-one winter meal.

This recipe has been adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook’s “Butternut squash and caramelized onion galette”

Makes: 2 9-inch galettes, good for 16 small wedges or 8 large pieces.

Prep time: About an Hour

Crust:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/4 cup full-fat greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup ice water
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar

Filling:

• 3 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 small butternut squash
• 2 leeks, chopped crosswise into fine rings
• 1/2-1 lb mushrooms of choice (cremini and oyster used here), chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme
• 1 cup grated white cheddar

Optional:

• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Instructions:

First, roast the butternut squash. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel squash and cut it in half to scoop out the seeds. Cut the squash half into quarters and coat lightly with olive oil. Place on baking sheet or pan and roast for about 30 minutes.

While squash is roasting, mix flour and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together yogurt, water and vinegar. Use a pastry cutter or the tips of your fingers to combine butter with flour and break up into smaller and smaller pieces. Continue until the butter-flour mixture resembles rough cornmeal with pea-sized butter bits. Pour yogurt-water mixture into flour mixture and mix with a spoon or spatula, working the dough minimally and gathering it together with the spoon or your hands. Knead a few times if necessary to get the dough into a ball. It will seem somewhat crumbly. Divide into two halves for 2 9-inch galettes, transfer dough to plastic wrap, and refrigerate. It will solidify more in the refrigerator.

Heat olive oil and melt butter in a large flying pan or skillet. Sautee chopped leeks and mushrooms until soft, about 5-8 minutes. Set aside to cool. When squash is cooked and a fork passes easily through the flesh, place in bowl and puree with a potato masher or fork. Add salt and pepper to taste.

When leek/mushroom mixture is cool, combine with grated cheese and thyme.

Remove galette dough from refrigerator. On a floured surface, roll each portion gently into a circle about 12 inches across with a rolling pin. If dough begins to break apart when rolling, pause and re-form edges, pressing dough together to maintain a rounded shape. Continue to move dough on the floured surface to prevent sticking. Transfer both rounds to baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

Spread quash mixture in a circle in the center of each round, creating a thin layer with about 2-3 inches of dough all around. Top with even layer of mushroom/leek/cheese mixture while still leaving the border. Working in a circle, fold dough inwards so it overlaps 4-5 times. The center will be open.

(Optional) Brush crust lightly with egg to create a shiny glaze.

Bake for 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven, let sit for 5 minutes, transfer to serving plate, then serve.