RECIPE # 4860 TOMATO AND FETA GALETTE Mon. July 16, 2012 - NewsChannel5.com | Nashville News, Weather & Sports

HRANT ARAKELIAN / RUMOURS EAST

Tomato and Feta Galette  with Jalapeno Syrup and Aged Balsamic

Dough

1 ¼ cup whole wheat pastry flour

8 Tablespoons Butter cold butter

¼ cup all purpose flour

Pinch of salt and pepper

2 t cold Water 

Filling

2 pints grape tomatoes

1-2 cloves of garlic minced

2 Tablespoons minced shallot

3 sprigs of thyme de-stemmed

5-6 leaves of basil

1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and pepper to taste

8 ounces of good quality feta

Aged Balsamic for finishing

Fresh mint Minced 

Jalapeno Syrup

1 jalapeno pepper deseeded and roughly chopped

2 Tablespoons diced shallot

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

¼ cup spinach 

 (can be made several days ahead)

Combine the shallots, jalapeno pepper and sugar in a sauce pan and cook over medium heat until the sugar melts and browns slightly. Watch it carefully so the sugar does not burn.  Add the water and cook for several minutes until  a slightly thick syrup is formed. Taste the syrup and add more sugar as needed until its slightly spicy but not overwhelming. 

                Allow the syrup to cool slightly and combine it with the spinach in a blender. Puree until the spinach is broken down and the sauce turns green. Strain and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.  

To make the dough: Combine the whole wheat pastry flour, all purpose flour, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Then toss the sticks of butter in the flour. Remove the butter from the flour and use a box grater to grate the butter in to the flour. Then use your fingers to mix the butter until the dough looks like rough corn meal. Add the water and mix to combine. Do not over mix or the dough will become tough. Wrap in plastic and let it sit in the fridge for 30 – 40 minutes. The dough can be made a day ahead and kept cool in the fridge.  

To make the Filling: Pre-heat your oven to 350. Heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the shallots, garlic tomatoes and thyme.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook the tomatoes for a few minutes or until they soften and the juices become slightly thick. Remove from the heat and cool in the fridge for 10 minutes. Once the tomatoes are cool toss in the basil.

Divide the dough in to 4 or 8  (depending on how big you want the galettes) equal balls and roll them in to circles about 1/8 inch thick. Crumble the feta with your hand a little bit and divide it equally among the circles of dough, placing it in the center leaving about 1 inch of dough around the edges. Divide the tomato mixture equally among the dough once again leaving about 1 inch of space around the edges. Take the edges of the dough and fold them up pinching it as you go to make a very rough looking pie. Transfer them to a baking sheet lined with parchment and bake for 18-20 minutes or until the crust becomes golden brown.

To serve drizzle the galettes with the jalapeno syrup and the balsamic, garnish with some minced mint leaves. (makes 4 large or 8 small galettes)

Tips: Using the box grater to cut the butter in to the flour is an easy way to make the dough by hand, you can make the dough in a food processor. Just cut the butter in to small cubes and pulse it in to the flour. Be careful not to over mix the dough. The galettes can be made several days ahead of time and re heated when you need them. Just bake them for 15 minutes the first time., then for 4-5 minutes the second time just before you are ready to serve them.