This savory summer galette is perfect as an appetizer or a light lunch. The fresh zucchini is layered with caramelized onions, heirloom tomatoes and feta all wrapped in a flaky buttery crust.
This french take on a tart is one of the easiest ways to make an appetizer or light lunch for a gathering. The beauty of this galette is it can be made savory or sweet and if you don’t have time to make your own pastry dough, a store-bought is always an option.
This recipe is a perfect way to enjoy zucchini and if you have extra to use up. Just adding a few ingredients to bring out the summer flavours of the caramelized onions, garlic, zucchini, feta and heirloom tomatoes.
WHAT EXACTLY IS A GALETTE?
Whether you refer to this recipe as a tart or galette, basically they are both very similar. A galette is known to the French cuisine and was first orginated in France. It is a pastry base that are topped with either sweet or savory fillings. Then the edges are folded in to create a beautiful yet rustic pie shape looking bake. In Canada, the French best describe this as a large cookie.
A tart is an open-faced pastry that has a decorative or straight edges and shaped into rounded, rectangle or square. They are often sweet but anymore, savoury has taken a stand for many of the tarts and galettes.
The pastry dough is one you would use in a pie, it is a buttery rich dough that is flaky. The ingredients are flour, salt, cold butter and ice water. There are many variations of this delicious tarts/galettes, including gluten-free made with buckwheat flour, almond flour, oat flour or rice flour are used. Most often the pastry doughs use regular all purpose flour or pastry flour. The sweet tart or galette will add sugar to the flour mixture and the crust before baking and herbs added to the savory tart/galettes.
INGREDIENTS FOR THIS RECIPE
- Pastry dough: flour, salt, unsalted butter, ice water with vinegar or store-bought dough is always an option
- Zucchini or also know as courgettes: you will need 2 medium size zucchini’s
- Onion: one medium cooking onion is caramelized adding a sweetness to this galette
- Garlic: a wonderful pungent flavour
- Heirloom tomatoes: are abundant right now and have a delicious sweet flavour to them; I choose 2 difference heirloom tomatoes for added colour, you will have extra tomato left to enjoy in a salad or on it’s own
- Feta: balances the sweet and salty flavours; Parmesan cheese can be substituted
- Basil: dried and fresh is adds a pungent flavour from sweet to spicy
- Extra virgin olive oil: always use a good quality evoo for best results
HOW TO MAKE THIS DELICIOUS SAVORY GALETTE
PASTRY DOUGH: You will need to make the pastry dough first as it needs to rest in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes.
- First, combine flour and salt in a medium bowl.
- Remove the cold butter from the refrigerator, and cut into cubes and add it to the flour bowl. Using a your hands, break the butter into the flour until it becomes crumbly.
- Gradually add the ice water and vinegar mixture a little at a time, stirring the dough around the bowl with your hands to bring the dough together. As soon as it is moist enough to gather together, then form the dough into 1 large disc.
- Tightly wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerate for minimum 30 minutes or overnight. Handle the dough as little as possible.
FILLING:
- Using a mandoline, slice zucchini on paper towel. Sprinkle salt over the zucchini slices and set aside. After about 10 minutes, pat dry. This helps to release any moisture.
- Meanwhile, on medium heat, melt butter and add olive oil to a medium skillet. Add onions and saute for 20 minutes, add garlic and cook for another minute, long enough to release it’s aroma. Set aside to cool.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking pan with parchment paper.
- Roll out pastry dough to a 12 inch circle, then transfer to baking pan.
- Start layering the galette with the caramelized onions and garlic leaving 1-2 inches from the edges. Then add the zucchini slices making sure they overlap creating a circular design.
- Add dry basil, add half the feta, tomato slices, remaining feta and drizzle with olive oil.
- Fold the edges in creating a pleat design. Brush with egg wash and bake for 35-40 minutes.
- Once the crust is golden in colour and the zucchini, tomatoes and feta is baking through, remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil. Enjoy!
SOOO DELICIOUS
One of the BEST savory galette you could make! It is flavourful, light, healthy and super delicious!! It has great textures and flavours and what a perfect way to enjoy summer zucchini! This tender veggie takes on all the flavours you add to this tart. Feta cheese adds a salty and delicious flavour that finishes off this galette perfectly!
HELPFUL TIPS
- This recipe calls for homemade pastry dough and it’s because I have been making pastry dough for years! It is a family favourite and works every time, so flaky and delicious! However, you can easily use store-bought pastry dough for this recipe.
- When it comes to slicing the zucchini, you can always use a chef’s knife, just make sure it’s sharp or a mandoline. They come in all kinds of sizes and prices.
- Once the dough is rolled out, place it on a baking pan with parchment paper before adding the toppings. Believe me, I have forgotten to do this step a few times and it can to a bit of a challenge to get it on the baking pan once all assembled.
Did you make this recipe? I would love to hear your comments……..
STORING
STORING: when storing leftovers, I would suggest in a container with a lid to avoid drying out. This savory galette will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator and warm in the oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes.
Savory Zucchini Tomato Galette with Feta
Equipment
- baking pan
- mandoline slicer
Ingredients
Pastry dough: (or store-bought pastry dough)
- 1⅓ cup flour
- 12 tsp salt
- 6 tbsp cold unsalted butter
- 4-5 tbsp ice cold water
- 1/2 tsp vinegar
Filling:
- 2 medium zucchini, ⅛-¼ inch slices
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1-2 heirloom tomatoes, sliced
- 1/3 cup (2 oz) feta, crumbled
- extra virgin olive oil
- fresh basil
Instructions
Pastry Dough:
- Combine flour and salt in a medium bowl. Cut the cold butter into small cubes and add to the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender or your hands and break the butter into small crumbly like texture. Gradually, add the vinegar and ice cold water mixture, stirring the dough around the bowl with your hands to bring the dough together. As soon as it is moist enough to gather the dough together, form it into a large disc and tightly wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerate for minimum 30 minutes or overnight. Handle the dough as little as possible, as over mixing will cause the dough to become tough.
Filling:
- Using a mandoline, slice zucchini on paper towel. Sprinkle salt over the zucchini slices and set aside. After about 10 minutes, pat dry. This helps to release any moisture.
- Meanwhile, on medium heat, melt butter and add olive oil to a medium skillet. Add onions and saute for 20 minutes, add garlic and cook for another minute, long enough to release it's aroma. Set aside to cool.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking pan with parchment paper.
- Remove the pastry dough from the refrigerator and roll it out on a lightly flour surface to a 12 inch circle. Then transfer to the prepared lined baking pan.
- Start layering the galette with the caramelized onions and garlic leaving 1-2 inches from the edges. Then add the zucchini slices making sure they overlap creating a circular design. Add dry basil, add half the feta, tomato slices, remaining feta and drizzle with olive oil. Fold the edges in creating a pleat design. Brush with egg wash and bake for 35-40 minutes until the crust is golden.
- Once the crust is golden in colour and the zucchini, tomatoes and feta is baking through, remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil. Enjoy!
