The Gloripus Galette

One of the easiest baked treats is the galette.Despite the fancy French name, it is one of the simplest pies to whip up and bake. Unlike some of it's" more complicated cousins, it can be made either savory or sweet.One week it can be made with your garden harvest, the next, with fruit from your local farmer's market.Either way you fill it it, a galette is truly special and different. Melissa Clark both explained and gave recipes for this in today's New York Times Dining section.She dedicated her weekly column, A Good Appetite to it.The galette or the Italian version, the crostata can be made by the most novice of home chefs.There's no sweating over making the perfect crust or filling.It's a very rustic form of tart and it's imperfections is what makes it so charming.As with any pie it is the crust that makes the whole dish.Ms Clark varies it for the two types however you could reinvent the recipe so that your crust is perfect for both savory and sweet.Her sweet crostata crust is rich.Think French tart instead of American pie crust.She adds a large egg, along with heavy cream and unsalted butter.There's also lemon juice and zest add to give it a nice flavor and aftertaste.For the savory sort ,she goes wholesome with rye and whole wheat flour.There is still the richness of egg butter and cream but without the sugar. One of the best things about galettes is their fillings. You can create anything you want .Ms Clark recommends using berries , stone fruits or figs.A fig filling doesn't require as much sugar because the fruits are naturally very sweet.As with any pie you can mix fillings.Try blueberries with strawberries or with cherries.Raspberry season is coming up.Think of a galette bursting with fresh picked ones.Galettes can also be filled with sliced apples and pears.A cinnamon apple galette is the perfect fall dessert, especially when served with freshly whipped cream.For any of the berries,stone fruits , such as peaches and nectarines as well as the figs, Add three to four tablespoons of cornstarch.This thickens the filling.For savory ,think tomatoes, eggplants, onions or zucchini or all together as one filling. The vegetables should be cooked before filling. Ms .Clark recommends roasting them for thirty minutes before adding to the galette.They will also cook up while baking.She recommends adding chili peppers to the semi cooked veggies to give them spice and then sprinkle the filled tart with goat cheese and thyme.You can also add meat such as ham or bacon.I would go Provencale , with tomatoes , black olives and anchovies as a filling.The web has recipes for a spinach galette.This is a versatile veggie because you can also thrown in goat cheese , bacon or mushrooms. A galette is a great way of getting into baking.It is easy to whip up and the finished product is rustic yet elegant.Make it with a savory veggie filling for a weekend supper or with fruit for a luscious dessert that's easy and quick Either way a galette is such a treat ,fun to create and fun to eat.