A few weeks ago, I had a blind date. Don't worry, Ryan was there too! Before I confuse you anymore, let me explain...
Over a year ago, I stumbled across Kara's blog and became a regular reader. One thing led to another and we discovered that she actually knew my brother-in-law and future sister-in-law, Erin. Eventually, I got tired of hearing from Erin how awesome Kara was (which I already suspected from reading her blog!) and I proposed that the three of us get together with our husbands (and husband-to-be). Though it took us over a month to find a date that worked for all three couples, we eventually found a day for our blind date and us girls began the fun part: menu planning!
We decided to stick to a French-themed dinner and ended up with quite a feast! These galettes were my contribution to the meal (I seem to have a galette theme every time we have Justin & Erin over for dinner, thanks you two for putting up with my obsession!). I loved having individual galettes this time--they were easier to serve since you didn't have to slice wedges, plus it's always fun to eat something miniature! The flaky pastry came together easily and was a great base for the lemony cheesy filling. All in all, a great Spring food and an even greater accompaniment to our other AMAZING dishes: Erin's French Onion Soup and Kara's Bacon and Eggs and Asparagus Salad (pictures below).
Oh, and for the record...Kara's just as wonderful as she comes across over the web...I couldn't have asked for a better future sis-in-law...and I can't wait for more food adventures with the two of them!
Individual Zucchini, Lemon, and Ricotta Galettes
from Epicurious (Bon Appetit October 2008)
Ingredients:
-2 cups all-purpose flour
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 1/2 sticks chilled, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
-4 tbsp (or more) ice water
-2 large zucchini, coarsely grated (about 5 2/3 cups)
-1 1/4 tsp salt, divided
-4 tbsp butter, divided
-4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
-1 cup finely chopped onion
-1 garlic clove, minced
-2 tsp fresh lemon juice (I used the juice from one whole lemon)
-1 1/4 cups ricotta cheese
-1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
-1 large egg
-2 tsp lemon zest
-1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Directions:
1. To make the crust, whisk the salt and flour in a medium bowl. Add chunks of butter and use fingertips to rub butter into flour, until coarse crumbs form. Add 4 tbsp ice water, 1 tbsp at a time, mixing with your hands after the addition of each. By the 4th tbsp, a dough should be forming (add a few extra teaspoonfuls if the dough seems too dry). Divide dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to two days (if you make ahead of time, let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before rolling out).
2. To make the filling, place zucchini in a colander set over a large bowl. Sprinkle with 3/4 tsp salt and allow to sit for 30 minutes, using a kitchen towel to squeeze excess water out of zucchini.
3. Melt 2 tbsp butter with 4 tsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds before adding zucchini and lemon juice. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is tender.
4. In a separate bowl, mix ricotta, 1/3 cup Parmesan, egg, lemon zest, 1/2 tsp pepper, and remaining 1/2 tsp salt. When zucchini mixture has cooled, add it to the ricotta mixture.
5. Line 2 baking pans with parchment paper. Remove dough discs from fridge and divide each into 3 pieces (6 total). On a floured surface, roll each piece out to 1/8-inch thickness. Transfer dough pieces to baking sheet and top with approximately 1/2 cup of the filling, leaving approximately 1 1/2 inches of a border.
6. Carefully fold up the border, pleating dough edges to create a round pastry. Repeat with remaining dough pieces. Melt 2 tbsp butter and brush onto dough rounds. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese and sea salt.
7. Bake at 375F for 15 minutes, until crust is golden and filling is set. Reduce temperature to 325F and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before removing from the pans. Serve warm or at room temperature.
