Tomato & Goat Cheese Crostata
A crostata is essentially the same thing as a galette. What is a galette you ask? Both a crostata and galette are different from their counterpart, the tart. Typically a crostata (Italian) and a galette (French) are free-formed and have rustic appeal. The dough edges are traditionally crimped up around the filling, which can be either sweet or savory, then baked to a buttery crispy finish.
We recently visited Union Market in Waxhaw, North Carolina while checking on the progress of our new home. If you haven't been, I highly encourage a visit to this charming local farmers market. Their vibrant vegetables beckon to be put in your bag and their other products basically jump in by themselves (or at least that is what I tell Griffin). ;)
As you decide what to make for lunch this week or dinner this weekend, I encourage you to visit a new place and try something new!
Here is my prayer for you:
Father God, please watch over whoever is reading this right now. I pray that they would feel a physical manifestation of your Holy Spirit. Please help them to rely on you today, this very moment, and help them to trust you to write their story this week.
In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.
Tomato & Goat Cheese Crostata
Ingredients
For the pastry you can definitely buy store bought dough and use this. In all honesty, I did this because I'm still working on my crust making skills. IF making from scratch though follow these ingredients for the pastry:
1 cup all-purpose flour
Kosher salt
1/4 pound (1 stick) very cold unsalted butter, diced
3 tablespoons ice water
For the tart:
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
4 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts, spun-dried (or pat dried with paper towels)
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 lb heirloom tomatoes, cored and sliced 3/8 inch thick
Olive oil
4 oz of creamy fresh goat cheese (I chose mine from the HT cheese selection)
1 egg beaten with 1 tablesppon of milk (to perfect your egg wash)
Chopped FRESH basil leaves and/or chives for topping your beautiful dish!
Recipe
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
For the pastry (IF MAKING FROM SCRATCH), place the flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the diced butter and toss carefully with your fingers to coat each piece of butter with flour.
Pulse 12 -15 times, or until your butter is about pea size and then while you continue pulsing, add the ice water all at one time.
Finish pulsing the dough and watch it to know to stop just before it begins to form a ball.
Put the dough on a well floured board and form it into a "disk".
From here, use plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for ~45 minutes to 1 hour.
Heat your 4 tablespoons of butter in a saute pan (or any small pan) over medium low heat. Add your chopped leaks, the thyme, some salt and pepper and cook for ~8 minutes (or less) to make sure it's softened, but not browned too much.
Set this concoction aside for later use.
Slice your tomatoes, and put them on a plate and pat dry with paper towels. Then salt them well, add pepper, and drizzle with as much olive oil as your heart desires.
On a very-well floured board (cutting board or kitchen surface) roll your dough into an 11 inch circle and then put it on parchment paper.
Transfer the rolled out dough to a sheet pan.
Spread your cooked leeks on the pastry, leaving a small border untouched.
Crumble your goat cheese of choice over this evenly.
Then arrange overlapping tomatoes over the goat cheese.
Flip the edges of the pastry over the vegetables and crimp the sides so they stay tight.
Brush the edges with the prepared egg wash.
Bake for about 25 minutes or more depending on how crispy and finished you'd like your crostata.
Allow to cool and then serve with torn basil and/or chopped chives on top.
And as always, Bon Appetit!