Tomato Parmesan Galette with a Rosemary Cornmeal Crust
Tomatoes are having their final hurrah right now, the last of summer’s bounty gracing our kitchens until the chill of fall truly sets in and their abundance wanes. During these final warm days, I’ve been enjoying tomatoes in various forms (read: sourdough BLTs), but my favorite use so far has been this galette. Tomatoes and corn are great friends, as we know from the Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes, Roasted Red Pepper, and Corn that I shared earlier this summer. This time, I combined them in a delicious baked dish that comes together so easily with beautiful results.
The first step is creating the crust; a ratio of 2 parts all purpose flour to 1 part cornmeal is perfect here. I will once again sing the praises of my food processor, because you can easily pulse together the cornmeal and rosemary, eliminating the need to chop the rosemary finely. You can also pulse the butter and cold water right in, and make your dough in 2 minutes! Of course, I have instructions for how to do this by hand as well.
Now, somebody tell me, is it still a galette if you make it inside a cast iron pan? Or once a vessel is used to create the shape, does it become pie? Regardless, I opted to use a cast iron skillet to form the galette, which leads to deliciously crisp cornmeal edges and a very sliceable finished product.
And now perhaps the most important note: use the “good” cheese and olive oil. The filling of the tart is comprised of no more than ripe tomatoes, olive oil, and cheese, so it’s important to focus on maximizing their potential for amazing flavor. I opt for Parmigiano Reggiano, which is different from parmesan in that it is the “genuine” version, being imported directly from Italy. Anything labeled with the spelling “parmesan” is a domestic product, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad! Use whichever hard, salty cheese you love the most. Pecorino, grana padano, and even aged gouda would all be gouda here.
So while it’s still warm around here, I’m going to be picking up all the tomatoes and wrapping them up with love…in this case, a delicious, buttery crust. Sound good to you? Get the recipe below!
Tomato Parmesan Galette with a
Rosemary Cornmeal Crust Recipe
Serves 4-6
Prep: 20 minutes | Cook: 45 minutes | Cool: 20 minutes
Ingredients
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal (preferably stone-ground)
8 tablespoons (1 stick ) cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Leaves from 4 sprigs of rosemary (about 2 tablespoons finely minced)
3 tablespoons cold water
3 large, ripe beefsteak tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated parmesan (or pecorino, grana padano, or other hard cheese)
Flaky salt and fresh black pepper to finish
Method
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together flour, cornmeal, salt, and rosemary until rosemary is finely ground. Or, mince rosemary and mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl. Pulse in butter cubes (or cut in with two knives) until the mixture is sandy and butter is mostly mixed in with some larger pieces visible. Slowly add water and pulse (or mix with rubber spatula) until the dough just comes together when you press it with your hands. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 15 minutes while you prepare the filling.
Slice tomatoes into 1/4 inch thick slices and set aside.
Flour your work surface well. Remove dough from fridge and roll out into a rough circular shape, 1/8th of an inch thick. It’s okay if the edges are not completely rounded. Gently lift dough and place in 8 inch cast iron skillet or small pie dish, patching up any cracks if they happen and allowing edges to drape over the side for now. Lay half of tomatoes down to cover bottom, then drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil and 1/4 cup of cheese. Repeat to create a second layer with the remaining tomatoes, cheese, and oil. Gently press crust edges down onto tomatoes to form the galette.
Bake galette until edges are golden brown and tomato filling is bubbling, about 35-45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing. Finish with flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper, if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Best on the day it’s made, but can be stored in the fridge, covered, for up to 2 days.
