RELIEF! and galettes. but mostly relief.

Such unbelievable RELIEF.

This galette was fresh out of the oven yesterday when I heard shouting outside – I refreshed the front page of the NYT for what felt like the umpteenth time that day even though it was only 830am and saw the incredible news on the front page. SO GLAD it was eaten in celebration. Major, major healing and work to be done, but for now just…. relief. An exhale that felt like it went on for an uncountable length of time, making up for four years of metaphorically held breath. Finally.

Now that I’ve cried some tears of joy at finally seeing one of the last major glass ceilings shattered into tiny little shards, I can get back to doing what I do here: talking about food!

I actually made two galettes: one was for an auction donation from the Lamplighter’s gala, that was dropped off post-Biden/Harris speech and happy tears; the other was eaten at what turned into an elated celebration of relief with C and our fam pod.

The two are essentially the same galette but with one big difference – one is made with apricot jam (a fave of mine, and a common galette ingredient around here); the other is filled with an apple blueberry compote that I made earlier this week. I’m including recipes for both. The compote was the happy outcome of getting suckered into a pint of subpar, out of season blueberries at whole foods…. I KNOW they aren’t that good right now, but they were on sale so I bought them anyway and then discovered they were basically crap to eat out of hand. However…. they were perfect for making into jammy compote, along with a couple apples just past their prime. I ate this on toast or in yogurt for a few days, and then added the rest of it to the galette – superb use of it, highly recommend. If you’re going to go this route, just plan accordingly and make the compote a few hours or the day before so it has time to thicken and cool.

In other news, it’s gotten COLD in the city the last few days. Lost my game of chicken with myself earlier this year – I finally turned the radiator on tonight (much earlier than in previous years where I’ve made it to December, ha) – it’s happily clanking and hissing away in the corner. Relatedly, it’s excellent at keeping food warm!

On that note, I’m going to go relax next to the radiator with my book, a significantly reduced load of existential angst about the fate of the country, and a HUGELY increased level of excitement for the first ever Madame Vice President. Happy Sunday!

Apple, Blueberry and Ginger Galette

Whole wheat, refined sugar free. A Wait are those Cookies original. Yield: 1 galette, serves several (in this case, 6 slices + 2 for breakfast leftovers)

for the crust:
1 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c cornmeal
1/2 tsp sea salt
4oz/1 stick of unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla
2-3 tbsp ice water

In a food processor, pulse together whole wheat flour, cornmeal, and sea salt. Add in cubed butter and pulse until it resembled coarse sand. Add vanilla and almond extract, followed by the fice water 1 tbsp at a time until the dough starts to come together. Turn it out onto a board and knead it into a ball. I like to roll it immediately since it’s most pliable (see below for tips) – typically I haven’t had trouble with this dough sticking. I roll it between two sheets of parchment paper and use the bottom one to bake the galette on; makes an easy transferral method between cookie sheet & cooling rack. If you’re not rolling immediately, stuck it in the fridge on a plate. Can be made ahead the night before if need be.

For the fruit:

apples, sliced (I used roughly 4 small ones – a mix of lady alice & granny smith)
1/4 c apple blueberry compote* OR 2 tbsp apricot jam
1 egg, beaten, for egg wash
sprinkle of coconut sugar
dabs of butter for finishing

*if using the compote – make it ahead & let cool before using; recipe below

Preheat the oven to 425. Roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment paper until it’s about 1/4″ thick. Spread the compote or jam in a thin layer over the middle of the dough. Pile the fruit in the center, leaving a border of about 3″. Fold up the sides of the dough over the fruit. Brush the dough with an egg wash and sprinkle with a little coconut sugar. Dot fruit with butter if you like, though it’s not strictly necessary. Pop in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, until the crust is lightly browned. Remove to a cooling rack and let cool completely before slicing and serving. Store leftovers in the fridge overnight – it’s great for breakfast :)

Apple & Blueberry Compote

1-2 c blueberries (no need to be exact)
2 small apples, diced
1″ piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced)
2 tsp tapioca starch

Simmer blueberries, apples and fresh ginger together until bubbling – the apples will soften, and the berries will pop. Stir in tapioca and cook at a low boil for a minute or two more, then remove from heat and let cool completely before using. Leftovers keep well in the fridge, and are excellent on toast or in yogurt.