Savory Sourdough Galette with Caramelized Onion, Tomato, and Sharp Cheddar Cheese

One of my favorite things to make, but only when local tomatoes are ripe, is a caramelized onion and tomato pie. I usually make a standard pie crust and then fill it with caramelized onions, gorgeous local tomatoes, and some form of goat cheese or blue cheese. I had this in mind as I had local Colorado onions and tomatoes in my kitchen, and was in the process of making sourdough bread.

Sourdough has become my hobby since the pandemic had me looking closely at costs and I could not justify a $10 loaf from the local bakery. After some unsuccessful attempts I found The Perfect Loaf and have been using his sourdough recipe and making successful boules. The Perfect Loaf has a recipe for a peach galette with sourdough starter used in the pie crust. As soon as I saw this recipe I knew it was time to make my pie- in the form of a galette.

I followed The Perfect Loaf’s recipe exactly for the crust and the link is here: Sourdough Galette

I caramelized a local white onion in olive oil and a touch of salt, pepper, and thyme from my garden.

It’s super easy to make a galette. Roll out the crust and return it to the fridge to be sure it remains cold- especially in the summer.

We had no goat cheese in the fridge but we did have a sharp crumbly cheddar, and that flavor goes well with tomato and caramelized onion, so I used that instead. The bottom layer was onion, then cheese, then freshly sliced tomatoes.

You need to leave room around the edges to fold them up for the classic galette shape. Fold them up and press them together to seal the seams. Brush with egg for a beautiful browning effect. Bake, and enjoy.

I followed The Perfect Crust’s directions exactly except for the filling. And, rather than sprinkle sugar on the egg washed crust I added a little more salt. So again, I direct you there for the recipe: The Perfect Loaf Sourdough Galette

This is one of my all time favorite dishes now. I have an extra crust ready to go in the freezer.

Jackfruit Quesadillas

If you haven’t tried jackfruit yet, I’d like to suggest you find some and experiment for your next meatless Monday or any day you want to enjoy a filling, vegetarian, meaty substitute. Here in Denver we can buy plain jackfruit in a can at the local Asian grocer. I also saw plain frozen jackfruit there. I prefer it plain (unseasoned) because I like to control the ingredients I add to dishes. But, there are some companies you’ll see in your local grocery store selling BBQ jackfruit and some other common saucy flavors near the tofu and vegetarian protein section. Just ask someone at the store to point you in the right direction!

Jackfruit is a tropical fruit that doesn’t have much flavor on its own. It has a texture, when cooked, that can pass for pulled pork or chicken. So think of this alternative the next time you’re making something that would have a shredded chicken or pork ingredient.

I drain the canned jackfruit and then break it apart before cooking.

There are some large round seed-like pods, but they’re not hard, so just go ahead and use all of it.

I like to break it into small pieces to be sure whatever sauce I’m cooking it in penetrates every nook and cranny. As with tofu or tempeh, it’s just bland on its own. Maximizing where the flavor/sauce goes will make each bite better.

This time I made jackfruit quesadillas. I picked up a locally made salsa at the mercado down the street and added some to my jackfruit.

This salsa de piña was SPICY. Whatever salsa you have will do. Use something you like.

Cook the jackfruit on medium-low for 15 minutes or so and then assemble your dish. In this case, I made quesadillas.

I enjoy quesadillas because each piece can be loaded up to your liking.

Extra salsa, avocado, and squash blossoms made for a fun snack.

Or, guacamole, sour cream, and cortido (an El Salvadoran slaw) make yummy combination as well.

Basically, the bottom line is jackfruit is versatile, inexpensive, filling, and vegetarian. It’s worth exploring in dishes that usually call for chicken or pork.

Savory Watermelon Summer Salad

THIS is what summer dreams are made of!

I love watermelon- grilled, juiced, frozen into ice cubes for cocktails- it’s versatile. A savory summer salad is a fun way to enjoy the quintessential summer melon.

For this recipe I used a small seedless watermelon, so it made enough for 5 or 6 side salads. Just serving two people? Cut back, or make the whole thing and eat it over a few days. I seasoned and “dressed” the watermelon separately and then assembled the salads individually so none of the greens were left soaking in the citrus juice. There are also a lot of possible substitutions: Don’t have arugula? Spinach could work. No shallot? Try a red onion. No idea what cotija cheese is? Try a chevre or feta cheese. It’s versatile, so play around and enjoy something new.

Ingredients

• One seedless watermelon
• juice of 2 limes
• 1/2 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• Arugula
• basil
• mint
• squash blossoms
• cotija cheese
• olive oil
• salt
• pepper

Cut up the watermelon into bite sized cubes. Add the chopped shallot, squeeze lime juice on top, sprinkle paprika, and toss to coat. Portion into a bowl and add some arugula, basil, mint, slices of squash blossoms if you have them, and some cotija (or feta) cheese. Drizzle some high quality olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Carrots and Mac N Cheese

Mac n Cheese is one of my all time favorite comfort foods. But, let’s be honest- it’s not healthy. This version cuts out a lot of the cheese and other dairy like milk and butter and adds in purred carrots for the mouth feel of a baked mac n cheese. I made a short video explaining this dish, so take a peek here: You Tube

Ingredients:

• 5 large carrots
• 1 yellow onion
• olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• ziti noodles, macaroni, etc- I used 1/2 of a box for 2 people
• 2 cups grated cheese
• optional chopped kale

Preheat oven to 350

Peel carrots and cut into inch long pieces. Peel and quarter onion and break up the layers. Arrange the carrots and onion on a sheet tray, drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast until golden ~ approximately 30 minutes.

Boil the pasta, drain, return to the pot and drizzle with olive oil to prevent them from sticking.

When the carrots are roasted, puree in a food processor with a little water until they are smooth.

Assemble all of the ingredients in a baking dish, reserving a little cheese for later, and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Add the remaining cheese and bake for another 5 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!