Last night I sat with Riley at the coffee table and colored with crayons. He scribbled and mostly wasn't watching what he was doing but somehow managed to make 98% of his markings on paper and not the table. I sat there drawing a picture of Elmo, thinking about how relaxing that moment was. There was a pivotal moment after dinner when I was faced with a fork in the road. One direction lead me to a kitchen full of dirty dishes, while the other lead to crayons. I chose crayons because the dishes will always be there. But Riley will not always be 20 months old with a bunch of crayons saying, "Mama, sit!"
I think gardening has taught me something: not everything can happen right this very second. This is something many of us forget with our smart phones and fully stocked grocery stores. But pulling a tomato off a plant in your own back yard after waiting for weeks or months for the perfect color and size is infinitely more fulfilling.
Yesterday, I took one of my homegrown tomatoes and sliced it thinly, layered it over homemade ricotta cheese, and wrapped it all up in a flaky whole wheat crust. Just before we ate, I picked some fresh basil from the garden and sprinkled it over the top. It was so perfectly satisfying and just what a summer dish should be. The colors were gorgeous, the flavors were bright and clean, and the ingredients were simple and few.
So, we ate our tomato galette and then colored with crayons. It was the perfect end to a lovely summer weekend.
Heirloom Tomato Galette
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 5T unsalted butter, placed in the freezer for 30 minutes-1 hour
- 1/4 cup ice water
- 1 egg white, lightly beaten
- 1 medium heirloom tomato, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 recipe whole wheat pastry dough
- chopped fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and butter. If you froze the butter (which I highly recommend) use a medium-large sized cheese grater (not a microplane) to grate it into the mixing bowl.
- Using your fingers, combine the dry ingredients with the butter until the mixture resembles small crumbs.
- Using a tablespoon, slowly add the ice water 1 scoop at a time. Do this until the mixture holds together well and is not dry or crumbling.
- Gently knead the dough until it comes together completely. Gather the dough into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for half an hour and up to 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough in a circle that is about 10 inches in diameter. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta with the egg. Season with a little salt and pepper. Spread the ricotta mixture in the center of the dough, leaving a boarder of about 2 inches. Layer the tomato slices over the ricotta. Gently fold the edges of the dough over the outer edge of the tomato slices, pressing lightly to seal. Brush the top of the crust with a little heavy cream.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the tomatoes look just barely cooked. Sprinkle with the basil and serve.
