Why bother with fussy pies and fluted edges when you can make a rustic French galette? This one has strawberries and rhubarb!

BUSY DAYS
I haven’t spent a lot of time in the kitchen making elaborate meals these days. To say I have been quite busy would be an understatement. Projects to be finished, deadlines to be met and preparations for my upcoming press trip to the Jura mountains in less than two weeks. And while we’re on the subject of press trips. While I cannot deny the fact that I am incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to travel to France to discover the country’s top producers, culture and landscapes, this is still work. A four-day press trip involves weeks of preparation, plus, of course, the writing of an article that is both amusing and informative. Press trips are not to be confused with vacations. You don’t sit back and relax. You enjoy, but also take note of everything you see/taste/hear/discover — all while trying look for potential angles. It is the best job in the world though!

EASY DESSERT
Busy days call for easy meals, and if I happen to have a little extra time, I might even bake something sweet for dessert. The last thing I want to do, however, is make a fuss. So when I was in the mood for pie yesterday and also happened to spot some beautiful rhubarb and strawberries at the market, I knew exactly what I wanted to make — a galette! Basically, a galette is a rustic pie with fruit in the center and the edges folded in toward the fruit. No need for a special pie dish and certainly no need to worry about pretty edges or lattice crusts! The beauty of a galette is in its simplicity. Those rough, crisp edges sprinkled with sugar and that fresh seasonal fruit!
The crust is super easy to make in your food processor. I don’t recommend ready-made pastry as it is not as firm and will most likely become much too soggy. Do bear in mind that some of the filling may seep out during cooking, and that this will make the galette a bit difficult to remove from the baking paper. Just let it cool completely and gently release it with the help of a spatula. Bon appétit!

 

Strawberry & Rhubarb Galette
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
For the crust:

  • 200g all-purpose flour
  • 125g cold butter cut into small cubes
  • 2 tbsps granulated sugar
  • One egg
  • 1 tbsp whole milk

 

For the filling:

  • 450g strawberries, cleaned & halved
  • 2 stalks rhubarb, sliced (not too thinly)
  • 2 tbsps flour
  • 1 vanilla pod (the seeds, save the pod for vanilla sugar)
  • 5 tbsps granulated sugar

 

To finish:

  • 3 tbsps ground almonds
  • 1 egg yolk, whisked
  • 1-2 tbsp granulated sugar

 

To serve:

  • Vanilla ice cream
  • Crème fraîche

 

Instructions:
Mix flour with butter in processor at low speed for about 20 seconds or until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the egg and pulse until the dough starts to comes together. Add the milk and pulse again until the dough comes into a ball. Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 190C. Roll out the dough on a well-floured surface to a circle of approx. 34cm. Carefully place on a baking sheet. Mix the strawberries, rhubarb, flour, vanilla and sugar. Dust the center of the pastry with the ground almonds. This will help absorb moisture. Evenly distribute the fruit over the center of the pastry, leaving approx. 5 cm free. Fold the pastry over the fruit. Brush the pastry with the whisked egg yolk and sprinkle with the sugar. Bake for approx. 40 minutes and allow to cool before removing from the baking plate. Serve with vanilla ice cream or crème fraîche.