Being the hostess with the mostest isn’t always easy. I love dinner parties. I’ve always dreamed of having guests and lavishing them with trays of perfectly petite hors d’oeuvres. Plating meals consisting of fine cut meats dressed with proper garnishes and decadent sauces. Only to be complimented by the perfect side dish. Pairing proper wines that can only enhance the flavors of the elaborate meal placed before my guests.
The perfect dinner party, who am I kidding? Perfect, never. There is always something. Even if the cards are being drawn in your favor, there always seems to be that one thing. You forgot to pick up that one ingredient that would make your dish pop. You didn’t even begin to think about napkins. Oh and of course, while pulling that beautiful roast out of the oven it dawns on you that your friend is bringing a vegetarian date.
Just a small detail that you never want to leave behind, especially if you are trying to throw that perfect dinner party. Serving a vegetarian guest or having a meatless dinner at home can occasionally seem a little drab. Serving up a vegetarian guest a plate full of steamed veggies can suffice but doesn’t always leave you looking like the hostess with the mostess, which of course is what we are striving for here.
Perhaps a galette can fancy things up. What’s a galette you ask? A galette is freeform crusty pie dough filled with basically anything you would like. They can be sweet or savory. Presented during any course, dessert, main or even an appetizer. I love to make galettes filled with herbed goat cheese and veggies. This makes for the perfect vegetarian dish. Also giving you that added bonus of looking presentable for your party guests.
I like to make ‘mini’ galettes, enough for one person, at home and serve alongside a salad for a simple meal. But preparing a large galette can be fun too, layering your veggies or fruits in a nice design and slicing it up for guests to eat at their leisure.
Opportunities are always endless when it comes to making a meal.
Asparagus & Mushroom Galettes
Yield: 6 single serve galettes
Ingredients:
1 bunch of Asparagus, grilled or steamed
1 lb of mushrooms, sliced and sautéed
4 oz package of Goat cheese
2 T of fresh herbs such as Chives, thyme, oregano or parsley, chopped
½ T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
For the Dough:
2 ½ cups all purpose flour
2 sticks of unsalted butter, sliced into 1 inch pieces
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
½ cup water with ice
1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp of water
• Place half of the butter on a parchment lined plate and place in freezer for at least 30 minutes. Place other half of the butter in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• Place the flour, salt and sugar in a food processor. Add the refrigerated butter. Pulse about 10 times. Now add the frozen butter and pulse until mixture becomes coarse but still has large lumps throughout.
• Take the ½ cup of water with ice and measure out into another ½ cup leaving the ice out. Pour the ½ cup of water into mixture and pulse until combined. The dough should hold together when squeezed.
• Empty dough onto a piece of plastic wrap. Bring edges together to gather the dough, pressing it together to form a mass. Form dough into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 2 days, dough can be kept in freezer for up to 1 month.
• To prepare the filling, place the goat cheese, olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper and herbs in a bowl, mix until well combined.
• Sautee, grill or steam the asparagus and mushrooms being sure to season with salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and on a floured surface roll out dough until it is about ¼ inch thick. Using a bowl or a round object cut out, no smaller than, a 6 inch circle. Repeat until all six circles are cut out.
• Spread the goat cheese mixture in the middle of each circle, leaving a 1 inch border. Place a layer of asparagus on top of the goat cheese, cutting pieces in half if they are too long. Shingle the sliced mushrooms in a circle until the asparagus is covered.
• Fold the edge of the dough over, just covering the edge of the filling, starting with one side and working around until all sides are folded up. The center filling should still be visible.
• Place on a parchment lined sheet tray. Brush edges of dough with egg wash. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Drizzle with olive oil and serve immediately or at room temperature.
