I bookmarked Vermont Creamery’s really beautiful tomato galette earlier in the year and it’s been in the back of my brain all summer. And then, I watched Claire Saffiz make Pop Tarts from scratch and it got me thinking about the optimal savory galette crust, so I decided to make one this weekend. And it turned out so well, and my Dad gave me so many tomatoes, that I decided to make two more.
Ingredients
1 All Buttah, Savory, Parmesan Crust
3-4 tablespoons of Lemon-Basil Pesto
About 5 large tomatoes
This is a bit more involved and time-consuming than my usual 15 minute, 1-bowl salad “recipe.” If you set out to make it all at once, it will probably take about 45 minutes.
First, make the crust and put it in the fridge to chill — this can be done up to a week in advance
Second, slice the tomatoes evenly and salt generously and set them aside while you make the pesto and roll out the dough — salting them and allowing them to weep a bit will prevent your galette from being soggy
Third, make the pesto — this too can be done up to a week in advance
Fourth, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and roll out the crust into about a 14” so circle and transfer to a baking sheet, if you have parchment paper, I highly recommend using it
Fifth, I like to very, very gently and faintly press a 10”or 12” pot lid into the crust just so that I have good 10” or 12” guide for assembling and then use a flat rubber spatula or a pastry brush or the back of a spoon to brush pesto in the circle Spread the pesto within the guideline that you have made for yourself — if you have used a 10" pot lid, which is more common than a 12" one, it's easy to eyeball the additional 2" — and then place the tomato slices on top in concentric circles or neat lines
Finally, fold your edges, top with a few grinds of black pepper and bake for 35 minutes
Serves two as a main.
If you are able to prep your crust and pesto in advance — I made both over the weekend and put them both in the fridge — and then on Saturday and last night before dinner, slicing the tomatoes, rolling out the crust, and assembling the galette takes about 15 minutes.
When I make pesto, I use a bit less oil and it’s more of a paste than a sauce. So, if you use a store bought pesto to make this, make sure you really mix it really before you use it as pesto usually separates — the basil, cheese, and nuts sink, and the oil is on top. If you don’t mix it well, you’ll end up spooning 3–4 tablespoons of pesto flavored oil on to your crust, I have to imagine that will make the whole thing impossible soggy.