Food Network Facebook Live Episode 7: Summertime Galette with Heirloom Tomato, Sharp Cheddar + Fresh Thyme

I'm such a sucker for summertime food. From drippy rocket pops to decked out hot dogs on the grill, I melt at the thought of it. Literally. But with all the junk that comes with grill-outs and pool parties, there's also some super delicious produce that screams of the season, too.

Down here in Florida, tomato season is just beginning and we're getting the prettiest, tastiest tomatoes we've had all year. You might have seen on my insta-story the 10 lbs of organic sun golds that my neighbor brought me a few days ago. We had so many that I had to make a big batch of sweet and smokey tomato jam... which will definitely be making an appearance on the blog soon! It's insane how crazy they're growing... I can't even eat them fast enough! That's part of the reason I'm obsessed with this summertime galette. They're the perfect way to use up lots of cherry tomatoes or other overflowing produce that you might have on hand.

If you've never had a galette before,  it's basically like a large tart or an open faced pie that's super easy to make. Trust me, if you read about my feelings from last weeks post about baking, you will understand why I love galettes so much. They're easy as pie cake but without any of the measuring nonsense yet they look like they took all day. All you need to do is get a premade pie crust from the grocery store (or make your own if you're a baller), let it get room temp, and then fill it with a bunch of fresh fruits or vegetables. After about 30 minutes in the oven, you'll have a tasty pastry treat that looks fancy AF.

When I was making this on The Food Network's Facebook page today, a lot of people asked me if we could swap out tomatoes for something else and my answer was ABSOLUTELY! Totally feel free to use this recipe as a base and then fill it with whatever you want! Just remember, if you're using fresh produce, make sure that it's not too watery - this will make the pie crust soggy and gross looking. Also, if you'd like some other flavor combos to try, my favorite are:

• Cinnamon + brown sugar roasted pears with rosemary and white chocolate
• Spinach, feta and caramelized onions with greek seasoning
• Nutella with caramelized bananas and salted caramel ice cream
• Ham and gouda galette that I posted a while back.

There are literally billions of variations which is another reason why it's so fun!

RECIPE: Heirloom Tomato and Sharp Cheddar Galette

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pre-made pie crust, room temp and pliable
• 1 cup sharp aged cheddar cheese (I used Wisconsin's Red Apple Cheese)
• 2 cups heirloom cherry tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 egg white, beaten
• sugar, salt, and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prep: Cut tomatoes in half and salt them. Lay cut tomatoes on paper towels or in a strainer and let the excess water drain out. Either prepare your favorite pie crust recipe or let the store bought variety thaw out and reach room temp.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Place a piece of parchment paper onto a baking sheet and place your pie crust in the middle. Add cheese in the center of the dough, leaving about a half inch around the circumference. Place tomatoes, interior side up, all around the middle of the pie crust, leaving another half inch between the edge of the cheese layer. Carefully fold ½ inch of the outer pie crust up on top of the cheese and repeat around the entire edge of the pie crust.
3. Brush the outer folded crust with the beaten egg white and sprinkle entire galette with a pinch of sugar, a few pinches salt and pepper and the thyme leaves. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the pie crust is golden brown and cooked through. No need to serve immediately... but it does go really well with a roasted corn salad!