Fall is here.
Well, sort of. It’s not officially here, that won’t happen until the equinox on the 23rd, but unofficially… the weather is changing, the mornings are darker and crisper, clothing shops are stocking knit sweaters and everything under the sun in red-orange-yellow-and-brown (I think to think of it as seasonal camo)- heck, Starbucks even brought their pumpkin spice latte back already! (also, it’s snowing in Calgary. What???)
I don’t hate it. I mean, I could definitely do with more daylight. Putting on actual pants to take my dog, Hannah, out for her morning pee is kind of a pain. But there are perks…
The aforementioned snuggly sweaters that are so very cozy (and good at hiding muffin tops). The brilliant rainbow of leaves. The smell of fireplace and rain, especially when they happen at the same time.
And comfort food, of course. Ohhhh, how I love a good hearty stew. Or a warm soup. Squashes. Squash everything (we can lump pumpkin in that category, too- I’m told Aussies refer to all ‘squashes’ as ‘pumpkin’ anyway).
These particular squashes are from my very own garden which, of course, makes them extra delicious to me. Something about growing or catching or foraging for my own food provides me with so much happiness and satisfaction. (Enter again the fantasy where I quit my desk job and spend my days growing all my own food and catching my own fish and raising chickens and making preserves and… I dunno, basket weaving. Sustaining in peace.)
But for now, my little patch of squashes. The patch is little… the squashes are very much not. See here, a picture of me holding the squash I used in this recipe. I used half of it. The other half will go to something else, that’s how hefty it was. So use one small butternut or half of a large one 🙂
Back to the recipe. Galettes might be my new favourite thing. And as we know, I don’t bake. Baking = chemistry = eeep!
No, trust me. This is so delicious, so easy, so amazingly wow- it made me a believer.
I am going to galette the heck out of everything I can this season (mostly savoury ’cause, well, you know me…).
The crust is sooo tender. Easy to make. The perfect combination of stays-togther, soft, flaky and buttery.
As for the filling, you really can’t go wrong with a fresh, seasonal butternut layered with tart and creamy goat cheese- what’s more comforting that that? Walnuts add a textural element and toast nicely in the oven, bringing out the squash’s toasty, earthy flavours. Layer all that with some caramelized red onions, and we get that beautiful purple-yellow visual combo (love, love, love) as well as some sticky sweetness.
Butternut squash pairs classically with sage, but I used basil for this since we’re still riding that border between summer and fall here in Vancouver. Once we fully dive into fall/winter I will probably substitute sage, but for now the fresh basil available made this the perfect summer-into-fall flavour combo!
Finally, because butternut and goat cheese are both hearty and rich, adding a drizzle of acidity via the balsamic reduction is key. Just a touch of acid on the palette prevents the squash-cheese combo from being overpoweringly thick tasting and heavy.
| Butternut Squash Galette with Caramelized Red Onions, Goat Cheese and Walnuts | | Print |
- Dough:
- 3 Tbsp plain yogurt
- ⅓ cups ice water (with ice cubes in it)
- 1 cup flour
- ¼ cup cornmeal
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 7 Tbsp unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
- .
- 1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into ¼ inch thick slices
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 cup goat cheese
- ¼ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- Balsamic reduction
- Fresh basil or sage, coarsely chopped
- Remove the ice cubes from the ice water. In a small bowl, mix the yogurt and the ice water together and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar and salt. Work the cubes of chilled butter into the flour mixture until the mixture crumbles into pieces that range in size from 'bread crumbs' to 'small peas.' The smaller pieces make the dough tender, the larger ones make it flaky.
- Sprinkle the yogurt mixture over the dough, one tablespoon at a time. With your hands, gather the dough together- it will be very soft but try and resist the urge to overwork it, rest is key in this recipe. Trust in the dough! Wrap the dough in saran wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours (or freeze up to one month!).
- Heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss your slices of butternut squash in a bit of olive oil and lay down in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, until tender.
- Heat a bit of olive oil in a medium frying pan and add the thinly sliced red onion. Cook on medium-low for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and sweet.
- Once the butternut is out of the oven, lower the heat to 400 degrees.
- Roll your dough out on a floured surface, adding more flour as needed to prevent sticking. The crust should be about ⅛ inch thick and between 8 and 10 inches in diameter.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and transfer the rolled out dough to the parchment. Top dough with a layer of goat cheese followed by the butternut squash, then the onions, then another layer of goat cheese and finally the walnuts. Arrange galette filling ingredients so that the outer 2-3 inch border of the crust remains topping-free.
- Fold the topping free edges of the dough over towards the middle of the galette. The crust with naturally fold where it needs to, creating a lovely rustic edge pattern.
- In a small bowl, lightly beat an egg with a small drizzle of water. Brush the egg wash on the folded over edges of the galette. This step isn't 100% necessary, but it does provide a nice sheen and golden edge to the galette.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, until the crust is nicely browned. Let cool for 10 minutes or so before eating and top with a drizzle of balsamic reduction and a handful of fresh basil.
Just made it! It came out looking just like the picture. If I made it again, I would maybe whip the butternut squash with some salt and pepper so it had a little more of a creamy texture and a bolder flavor.
Overall though, amazing recipe. My boyfriend was pretty speechless. haha
Great idea, Chelsie! If you make it again with whipped butternut let me know how it turns out!
Just made this galette and it was wonderful! Used pine nuts and feta instead. The crust will be one of my frequent go-to’s for savory dishes.