Peaches and blue cheese may sound like a strange combination. But the sweet and sharp flavors pair perfectly in these savory galettes.
As soon as summer started, I knew I wanted to prepare a savory item featuring peaches. I was initially thinking peach and blue cheese pizza, but figured I’d try something different. Pie? Tart? Scones? I settled on galettes, hand-shaped pies that are baked on cookie trays. Free of the constraints of pie or tart pans, they can be shaped into whatever size you would like, and are conducive to multiple fillings. In fact, when I set out to prepare the peach galettes, I divided the pie dough into four pieces and filled some with spinach, feta, and leeks, inspired by the flavors of spanakopita, the Greek feta and spinach pie. In the fall, I plan on preparing galettes with apples, cheddar, and caramelized onions, and perhaps some with pumpkin.
Crust
For the galette crust, I used this excellent savory pie crust recipe from Martha Stewart – it’s buttery, salty, and peppery, perfect for balancing the sweetness of the peaches: http://www.marthastewart.com/333879/savory-pie-crust
I prepared one batch using a mini food processor, and created four small galettes. If you have a large food processor, feel free to double or triple the recipe if you plan on making a large number of galettes.
Peach Filling
Note: quantities will vary depending on how many galettes you plan to make and what flavors you prefer. The peach-to-cheese ratio is totally up to you, depending on whether you have a sweet tooth or crave salty foods. However, since blue cheese is very strong, a little goes a long way. For four mini galettes, I would recommend a total of 1-2 peaches and no more than half a cup of blue cheese.
Peaches, sliced
Blue cheese (such as gorgonzola), crumbled
Fresh mint (optional)
Chopped walnuts (optional)
Directions:
1)Prepare Martha Stewart’s savory pie crust (scaling up the recipe if needed.)
2)Slice peaches, and cut slices into quarters. Crumble blue cheese. Set peaches and cheese aside.
3)Divide pie crust into whatever size pieces you would like (I divided it into 4 pieces), dust lightly with flour, and roll until about ⅛ inch thick. Place blue cheese and peach slices into the center of each round, and sprinkle with chopped mint leaves and walnut pieces, if you are using them (I recommend it, since they add nice flavor, but no need to run out and buy mint or walnuts if you don’t already have them.)
4)As if making pizza, leave a 1-2 inch border of crust around the filling. Gathering the crust with your fingers, fold it over the peach mixture, one section at a time (see photo.)
5) Bake at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes (smaller galettes may bake a little faster, larger ones a little longer), until crust begins to turn golden brown. Little cool for a couple minutes, then serve.
[slideshow]Liana Grey is a trained baker and educator based in New York City. She blogs about baked goods from around the globe at www.kitchenchem.com.
