Tomato and Goat Cheese Galette

I've had a busy week, traveling and working, and this post is long overdue. I'll try to make up for it! Here goes...

This summer, I've fallen completely, head over heels in love  .  .  .   with goat cheese! I've been wanting to try goat cheese for a long time and so when I met a local cheese maker at the farmer's market who had the most wonderful selection of cheeses I knew my time had come. I decided to just go with the plain chèvre, simple and basic, but by no means boring. As I savored my first bite, eyes closed and taste buds exploding, I knew my life had changed. From this point on, goat cheese must be part of my life.

Because I had such a beautiful goat cheese to play with, I knew I had to make something extra special with it. This turned out to be a colorful, delicious galette. With the farmers market exploding with fresh fruits and  vegetables, this tart was the perfect way to utilize the seasonal bounty. I used onions, tomatoes and spinach, along with the goat cheese and the feta (which I had to use because I didn't have quite enough chèvre for the galette). It turned out to be the perfect choice. Fresh, flavorful and beautiful. It really can't get much better than this.

A perfect summer meal

The cast; spinach, caramelized onions, grape tomatoes,

goat cheese and feta

My favorite part, the cheeses

Gorgeous onions

Fantastic tomatoes

Cheese! (again)

Fresh spinach

Let it wilt a bit

Grab your dough

Roll it out

Start building the tart, onions first

Then cheese

Spinach is up next

Really pile it on

Top with the tomatoes

Fold in the sides

Ready to bake

Ready to eat

Pâte Brisée
From Tarte Du Jour
Ingredients
basic pastry dough (yeilds enough for 2 tarts/galettes/pies)

• 300 grams flour (2 cups) I like to weigh my flour for more accuracy 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 14 tablespoons unsalted butter - chopped 
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons ice water 

Directions
In a food processor add the flour and salt and pulse until combined. Add the chopped butter and pulse until the butter is in small pea sized balls. Add the water and pulse until the dough just comes together.

Put the dough out to a floured surface and make into a large mound and cut in half with a pastry scraper. I like to weigh the halves so that they are equal. Put each half onto a square of wax paper and form into a disk. Wrap with the paper and chill for at least one hour.

If you are freezing at this time, then wrap again in foil and freeze. Let dough defrost in the refrigerator before use.


Tomato and Goat Cheese Galette
From Tarte Du Jour
Ingredients

• pâte brisée- basic pastry dough 
• 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced 
• 3 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped 
• 5 cups spinach 
• 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes sliced in half 
• 4 ounces goat cheese 
• 1 egg white, beaten 

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Roll out dough on a floured surface into a 13" circle. Do not force or stretch the dough. Transfer the dough to a cookie sheet either lined with parchment paper or a Silpat. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Sauté the thinly sliced onions with the olive oil until soft and translucent. Stir in the fresh thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside in another bowl. Add the fresh spinach to the pan with another tablespoon olive oil. Cook until just wilted.

Place the caramelized onions in the center of the dough and spread out so that there is about a 2 inch border showing. Crumble the goat cheese over the top of that and then spread the spinach on top of the goat cheese. Arrange the tomato halves on the spinach and lightly salt and pepper. Fold over the edges of the dough (making 5 folds, one fold at a time) and pressing lightly on the corners to gently seal the tart. Brush the beaten egg white on the 2" dough border. Bake for 25 minutes or until crust is golden brown.