I like to think of the savory galette as the new riff on the tried-and-true quiche. It’s much lighter and simpler with just cheese and veggies (sans the egg factor). Plus, there seems to be an influx of galette recipes this summer–both sweet and savory using a pastry puff or a homemade grainy crust–so I decided to try it for myself. For this one, I took the buttery puff pastry route and very pleased about it.
Very easy to assemble and quick to make, this recipe works as a summer main dish or as a hors d'oeuvres by cutting into smaller, bite-sized squares. I love that you can layer any medley of roasted or sautéed vegetables (or fresh fruit, for that matter) over the cheesy base (like goat cheese or ricotta).
When assembling, I used a creamy goat cheese with an herb mix for an extra kick of flavor. For the vegetables, I separately roasted a ratatouille-inspired combination of eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes with lots of fresh cracked pepper and kosher salt. Be sure to drizzle extra olive oil before placing the galette back in the oven so the veggies don’t dry out.
Roasted Vegetable & Goat Cheese Galette
INGREDIENTS
½ cup of herb flavored goat cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium eggplant, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 zucchini, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 plum tomato, cored and thinly sliced
1 package frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 large egg, beaten for brushing the pastry
Let the frozen puff pastry thaw for about 40 minutes at room temperature. Heat oven to 425ºF. Once thawed, carefully roll out pastry on parchment paper. Transfer on paper to a baking sheet. Lightly score a 1" border around pastry. Brush with beaten egg, then bake until golden and slightly puffed for about 10–15 minutes.
Spread out the sliced eggplant and zucchini in one layer on one sheet pan, and the tomatoes on another sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables, tossing zucchini and eggplant occasionally, 35 to 40 minutes.
Remove from oven when golden at edges. Spread a layer of goat cheese on the pasty and then add the vegetables. Return to oven at 425ºF for 15 minutes until golden brown. Add more olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes before slicing into squares and serve warm or at room temperature.
