It’s squash season! Know how I know? This.
Yep. I harvested this 8 pound+ monster summer squash from my garden. And that was one of 4 harvested that day. Actual size: 8lbs. 12.1 0z. My nephew was smaller when he was born. Just sayin’.
Garrison Keillor, the host of the radio show, Prairie Home Companion, about the small, fictional town Lake Wobegon says, The town is so small that people lock their car doors at church only in July during the zucchini harvest—to prevent others from adding a bag of squash to the front seat. Yep.
With that kind of yield from my garden, I have to get creative with the squash. I love making zucchini soup, bread, and this tart is one of my all-time favorites. It’s adapted from a recipe in Better Homes and Gardens magazine. You’ve probably seen those pretty little apple tarts shaped like roses in pastry shops. I thought it would be fun to try a larger version. It’s not at all hard, looks very fancy, uses a fair amount of squash (key!), and this galette is seriously delicious.
Lemony Ricotta Zucchini Galette
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1 – 2 medium zucchini
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1 – 2 yellow summer squash, both thinly sliced (3 1/2 – 4 cups)
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Salt
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1 unbaked piecrust (you can use store bought)
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3/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
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1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
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1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
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1 clove garlic, minced
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1 tablespoon olive oil — separated
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2 teaspoons lemon zest (finely shredded lemon peel)
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1 tablespoon lemon juice
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1/4 teaspoon salt
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1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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1 egg yolk
- Fresh dill — chopped
Directions
Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Then, using a mandoline (or sharp knife and patience), slice squash thinly, on a diagonal.
Sprinkle zucchini lightly with salt. Transfer to a colander; drain for 15 minutes. This helps remove some of the moisture, so you don’t have a soggy galette. Pat dry with paper towels.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Meanwhile, on a large piece of lightly floured parchment paper, roll pie dough to a 12-inch circle. Transfer parchment and dough to a large baking sheet; set aside.
For ricotta filling, in a medium bowl whisk together ricotta, Parmesan, mozzarella, garlic, 1 tsp. of the olive oil, lemon peel, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Using a spatula, spread over dough, leaving a 1-1/2 inch border.
Take one of the smaller zucchini half-ovals, and roll it in a sort-of-spiral or tube, with the round edge facing up. Place in the center of the galette.
Add half-ovals around the center ‘rose,’ working toward the outside edge tilting up, and alternating colors.
As you go, fill in layers with more “petals.” I also add folded or curled ones to give the galette a more organic look. Continue until the cheese is covered.
When the surface is covered to your liking, drizzle squash with remaining 2 tsp. olive oil. Gently fold over pastry edge, pleating as necessary.
In a small bowl, whisk egg yolk and 1 tsp. water. Lightly brush pastry edges with egg mixture. Transfer galette to oven. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Sprinkle with dill weed. Serve warm or at room temperature.
I’ve even added carrots to the galette (and baked in a pie plate when I took it to travel), to add some more color. Click here for a printable version of the recipe.
I’m pretty happy I have this baby! Enjoy.
2 Comments
Amy Salling
July 16, 2017 at 1:21 pmIt only took me a year but I finally made this beautiful dish. Made two, actually– in one I added steamed, chopped spinach to the ricotta. Haven’t tasted yet, but gorgeous out of the oven!
Tamara Berg
July 16, 2017 at 2:46 pmSo happy you made it! It’s a fave at my house, hope you like it. Thanks for sharing!