Savory Tomato Galette + Salad

Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment or a silpat non-stick mat (if you are making this for fewer than 4 people and cutting it in half, you only need one sheet, and one crust. You can freeze the second pie crust).

Use a flat work surface - a clean non-tile counter is fine, or a large cutting board - and sprinkle a bit of the flour around. Lay the first piecrust on the surface and unroll it. Roll the dough out a little larger and thinner but keep the shape using more flour as needed. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with second crust.

Tear or slice the basil leaves. Slice the tomatoes into ¼” thick slices.

Very thinly slice the onion, “French Cut” or julienne - this is thin strips cut along the grain of the onion. Cut the ends off, then cut it in ½ and place the half cut side down. Instead of cutting perpendicular to the ridges, start near the cutting board on a slight angle, and slice along the ridges, changing the angle of your knife as you go until it’s straight up and down at the top then angled in the opposite direction as you slice down the other side (check out Instagram stories under the TIPS highlight to see Chef Alison cut one). You should end up with even strips.

In the center of each pie crust spread out the onion evenly. Leave a 2” border all around the edges of the dough. Sprinkle on about ½ of the basil. Next, layer on the tomatoes, shingling them to look beautiful and overlapping a little bit on all sides so it's very full but never 2 slices high.

Sprinkle the filling with most of the teaspoon of salt, leave just a pinch aside.

It’s time to fold. Choose a spot, doesn’t matter where. Carefully fold the edge onto the filling, ideally you want about a 3” section folded up and over the filling in a straight line. Gently press the crease to secure. Move clockwise to the next 3” section of dough and fold it over - this will make a pleat OVER the first piece. Move the next 3” section and repeat again. Continue around the pie, folding over all of the dough.

PRO TIP - when you get to the last piece, you can swap the order of the folded pleats so no one can tell where you started or finished. Lift the left side of the first fold, and press the right side of the last fold under it. A more simple version is to simply press the final piece down in place and you’ll see both sides of this section on top. Very minor detail but the engineers and artists among us will know what we’re talking about!

Drizzle the teaspoon of olive oil over the whole pie, using a pastry brush or the back of a teaspoon to make sure the crust is coated. Sprinkle the remaining pinch of salt directly over the crust. Crack some black pepper over the whole pie, focusing on the crust too. Finally, sprinkle all but a Tablespoon or so of the parmesan across the whole pie, making sure some lands right on the crust.

Place in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, rotating the pans once or twice for even browning.

If you haven’t already made salad dressing, do that now: use a little mason jar and add the ¼ cup red wine vinegar, ¼ teaspoon honey, ¼ teaspoon dijon mustard, ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper and 1 teaspoon of salt. Shake to combine. Add the remaining olive oil (which should be about ¼ cup or so). Shake again to emulsify. Toss lightly with salad greens.

When done, remove it from the oven and top with fresh parmesan and the remaining basil. Transfer to a cutting board and slice in large wedges. Serve with salad.

This tastes great at room temperature too and as a party appetizer cut in smaller slices!