This heirloom tomato galette is the perfect appetizer for any ocassion. It is very easy to put together but looks as if it took you all afternoon to make.

I started looking for recipes to recreate Bill Clinton's inagural White House dinner. Our 1987 Monticello Vineyards "Jefferson Cuvee" Cabernet Sauvignon was served and featured as Bill's favorite wine. The White House dinner included a dried tomato galette, which I recreated but put my own spin on it. The crust recipe is my go-to savory crust to use and has been adapted from food writer, Aube Giroux. Aube, your savory crust is magical. The galette's toppings can be easily changed from heirloom tomatoes to earthy mushrooms, crunchy potatoes, salty pancetta or spicy chorizo. You will want to adjust your cheeses included in the filling to match your toppings. I would always use heirloom tomatoes if they are in season! 

You will want to make the crust first. This crust recipe is pretty easy and low maintenance but the final result is just fantastic: crispy, flakey, life changing. 

For the Pastry:
1 1/4 cup unbleached white flour 
1/4 tsp. salt
8 tbsp. (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup full-fat yogurt 
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup cold water

Grab a mixing bowl. Mix the flour and salt. Then, slice the butter into thick slices and mix (with a pastry blender or food processor) it into the flour mixture. In another bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients. Then, add the wet ingredients into the flour and butter mixture. Knead until everything is combined and you have a ball of dough. Cover in platic wrap or parchment paper and pop in the fridge. You can make the dough hours in advance if you please. I place the dough in the fridge and continue making the galette. Aube's crust recipe says to chill in the fridge for an hour. Although, once I am finished slicing and getting the rest of the galette's fillings together, the dough is chilled enough for everything to turn out well. 

For the Filling:

1/2 cup ricotta cheese 
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/2 cup grated pecorino romano
3 to 4 multi-colored heirloom tomatoes
1 tbsp. olive oil
Fresh basil

Get a mixing bowl. Combine and mix together the cheeses (ricotta, parmasean, and pecorino romano). Then add the lemon juice, olive oil and a bit of salt and pepper. Mix. Set aside. 

Next, slice your heirloom tomatoes. You want to have a medium cut of the tomatoes, not too thin so you will not be able to taste the tomato with each bite, but not too thick where the tomato overwhelms the bite. I love using different colored tomatoes to make the galette look very fun and colorful. After you slice the tomatoes, salt them! Heirloom tomatoes already have a nicer flavor than the watery tomatoes we can buy at any market. Salt them to bring out their fantastic flavor. Then turn the tomatoes over and salt the other side. Start with a few pinches of salt and go from there depending on how many tomatoes you have. 

Get a baking sheet and cover with parchment paper. 

Now, take your dough out of the fridge and place on a floured surface to roll it out. You do not want to leave the dough too thick because the dough has a lot of butter in it. The thicker the dough, the less crispy the crust can get. I would say roll the dough into a round of around 12 inches wide. Transfer the rolled out dough onto a baking sheet. Now you are ready to add the fillings. Spread the cheese mixture onto the dough leaving a 2 inch border all around. Then top the cheese filling with your beautiful tomatoes placing each side by side. Once the tomatoes are all laid out on the galette and the tomato colors look aesthetically pleasing, fold the dough crust inward so that the tomatoes are encased by the dough but exposed in the center. 

For the Glaze:
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. water

Make your glaze and brush onto the crust of the galette. Drizzle the tomatoes in the center with olive oil. 

Bake on 375F for about 40 to 50 minutes until the crust is golden brown. 

Remove the galette from the oven and let cool. While cooling, chop some fresh basil to sprinkle onto the finished galette. 

Slice and serve with a glass of CORLEY Pinot Noir. 

Enjoy! 

Katie Corley