CAPRESE GALETTE

The Summer Season brings us many joys. Of those joys, the humble tomato is one of them. The tomato is a versatile fruit and can be found in many of our favorite foods and condiments. For this recipe, I was inspired by one of my favorite salads, the Caprese, which is just a simple combination of sliced, ripe tomatoes, sliced fresh mozzarella, and pesto. I then baked that awesome combination in a French pastry dough that I infused with herbs and cheese. The combination of flavors is extravagant. I could eat this for any meal of the day. Besides being very flavorful and filling, it is also very light. Try yours today!

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Wait time: 40 Minutes

Bake Time: 1 hour                                               

Ingredients:

            For the galette

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup fresh basil, chopped

¼ cup fresh oregano, chopped

¼ teaspoon salt

1 stick of unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces

2 tbsps red wine vinegar

3 tbsps cold water

1 large tomato or 2-3 Roma tomatoes, sliced into ¼ inch slices

1 cup of pesto (see ingredients and instructions below on preparing pesto)

1 16oz package of sliced mozzarella, or a 1 pound mozzarella ball sliced into ¼ inch slices

1 egg yolk

3 tbsp milk or heavy cream

1 cup grated parmesan or manchego cheese

            For the Pesto

2 cups fresh basil leaves (no stems)

2 tablespoons pine nuts, walnuts, or hazelnuts, toasted

4 large cloves garlic

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

To make the pesto

  • Before working on the pesto, begin work on the galette pastry. See below
  • Add all the ingredients together into the food processor and process until it forms a smooth paste.

To make the galette

  • In a food processor, add the flour, herbs, salt, parmesan or manchego cheese, and butter, and pulse for 5 seconds to blend it
  • Mix the cold water and vinegar in a glass. Slowly add the water, little by little, and pulse until the pastry starts to come together. When you touch it, you should be able to press and mold it. It should have the texture of wet sand
  • Transfer it to your work surface and roll it into a ball and flatten it into a disc. Plastic wrap it and refrigerate it until it is chilled. While the dough is chilling, prepare the pesto
  • Once chilled, sprinkle some flour on your work surface and roll out the dough to a 14 inch oval. Make sure you work quickly so that the dough remains cool. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
  • Spread and smooth out the pesto across the surface of the dough, leaving a little more than an inch for the crust
  • Layer the tomato and fresh mozzarella by placing alternate slices on the pesto. Drizzle more pesto on top
  • Fold the crust part of the dough up and over sort of forming a tucked wall. Mix the yolks and the milk or heavy cream to make an egg wash. Using a brush, spread the egg wash across the outside. Add in the middle rack of the oven and bake for about an hour or until the pastry has browned and crisp
  • Let cool before serving. Garnish with some more chopped, fresh basil
  • Enjoy!

Margherita Pizza

Margherita Pizza 2

Margherita Pizza

The Margherita pizza is a traditional Neapolitan pizza originating from Naples, Italy. This is a widely popular type of pizza and it is so simple to make, using only the simplest and freshest ingredients. Best part about this pizza is feeling satisfied but not overstuffed after eating it.

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 20 Minutes

*Use prior dough recipe*

Ingredients

1 16oz can of peeled Roma tomatoes

1 tablespoon of salt

1 tablespoon of black pepper

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tablespoon of oregano

1 teaspoon of sugar

1 teaspoon of oil

1 cup of fresh mozzarella

1 cup of chopped, fresh basil

5 cloves of garlic

½ cup of olive oil

Instructions

For the sauce

  • Blend the tomatoes into sauce
  • Add the salt, pepper, garlic, oregano, sugar, oil, and half a cup of fresh basil into the sauce
  • Stir the ingredients

For the garlic oil

  • Combine the half cup of olive oil and the garlic cloves in a small saucepan and let it simmer over a low heat for 10 minutes
  • We will be using this oil to brush on the pizza as well as add some on top

For the pizza

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees
  • Take dough and place into a baking tray
  • From the middle of the dough stretch it out slowly towards the edges of the tray, in a square shape, to the desired size
    • Be careful not to stretch it out too much that it causes holes in the dough
  • With a ladle, take sauce and spread from the middle of the dough out towards the crust in a spiral motion
  • Cut the fresh mozzarella and place them in a 3X3 formation so that when we cut the pizza it will be in 9 pieces.
  • Place in oven for 15 minutes
  • Take out, take the remaining half cup of fresh basil and sprinkle it across the pizza.
  • Drizzle the garlic oil over the pizza, cut into 9 pieces, serve, and enjoy.