Zucchini Galette-w/Asparagus Option

Zucchini Tart & Asparagus Tart

Thank you goes to Smitten Kitchen's Deb Perelman for this recipe. You must check out her wonderful website and her cookbooks. I spend lots of time with both getting inspired.

1 round of pie dough (1/2 recipe Art of the pie double crust pie dough-recipe here)
1 large or 2 small zucchinis, sliced into 1/4 inch-thick rounds
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium garlic cloves, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup (about 2 oz) grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup (2 oz) shredded mozzarella
1 tablespoon slivered basil leaves
 
Glaze: 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon water

1. Spread the zucchini out over several layers of paper towels. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and let drain for 30 minutes; gently blot the tops of the zucchini dry with paper towels before using. 
2. In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil and the garlic together; set aside. 
3. In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta, Parmesan, mozzarella, and 1 teaspoon of the garlicky olive oil together and season with salt and pepper to taste. 
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
5. On a floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 12-inch round. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet or onto a piece of parchment paper place on the baking sheet. 
6. Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the bottom of the galette dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Shingle the zucchini attractively on top of the ricotta in concentric circles, starting at the outside edge. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of the garlic and olive oil mixture evenly over the zucchini. 
7. Fold the border over the filling, pleating the edge to make it fit. The center will be open. Brush crust with egg yolk glaze.
8. Bake the galette until the cheese is puffed, the zucchini is slightly wilted and the galette is golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with basil, let stand for 5 minutes, then slide the galette onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

 
Alternatives

• Asparagus instead of zucchini. Cut asparagus into thin slices at a sharp angle. Follow step one in recipe. After drying with a paper towel, spread evenly over the ricotta mixture. Finish galette as directed.
• Shredded zucchini instead of sliced. Shred your zucchini on a box grater or in a food processor using the shredding disk. After shredding, place the zucchini on a cotton dish towel and squeeze out as much water as possible. Heat a pan with 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 cloves of minced garlic. Cook for 1 minute then add the zucchini. Cook until the zucchini is softened, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Combine the softened zucchini with the ricotta filling in a bowl. Spread onto the rolled out dough and complete the above recipe from step 7.
• Cook these vegetables to release the moisture before arranging on top of the ricotta filling. 
  • Mushrooms with rosemary
  • Leeks with mint
  • Roasted butternut squash cubes (about 1 pound) with sage
• Add 2 cups cooked, finely shredded chicken breast onto the filling and top with a vegetable that has been prepared to reduce moisture. Note: It’s important to shred or cut the chicken fine to make cutting the galette even.
• Cooked ground beef seasoned with herbs
• Cooked bacon, chopped.
• Shrimp, raw, placed artfully with the top layer of vegetable
• Add 2 tablespoons of Liz's Gremolata to the cheese mixture to add a bright lemon flavor
• Use a variety of herbs to flavor the tart-basil, parsley, thyme, dill, or tarragon 
• Cheese alternative to mozzarella in the ricotta mixture
  • Gruyere
  • Stilton
  • Cheddar
  • Feta