It feels good to be back home! After over 3000 kilometers through the Normandy from Étretat to Mont Saint Michel then over to the Pays D’Auge and ending in Versailles and Paris, we are quite contended to be back home. After a little over two and half weeks of living in a RV the luxury of space is felt in every room but most of all in my kitchen. It was a sensational vacation: we hiked on steep cliffs, we relaxed under gorgeous cornflower blue skies, we swam in the ocean and we ate our weight in mussels, oysters and seafood.
There is a lot to tell and I look forward to sharing my travels with you soon. Back home we’ve eased into our routine but with new fervor and enthusiasm. I’m tackling my projects with a gusto, rolling with ideas and getting quite a bit done. I hope I can maintain this level for a while as it feels so good to be on this high.
The kitchen has been a buzz, probably because I missed it most during the vacation. While we had a nicely equipped little kitchen in the RV – the meals we made were quick, healthy with fresh produce and meats and seafood grilled mostly on the barbecue – or we ate out at the several great cafes, bistros and restaurants. I totally love the French attitude towards food – it’s hassle-free and very positive. The French view eating not just as a neutral act, but as culture.
The cuisine from each region in France differs greatly. The Provence region uses olive oils, tomatoes and herbs in many dishes. The Alps region is known for its cheese dishes, including fondue and raclette, while the Alsace region has a strong German influence which includes beer and sauerkraut. In Normandy, the food is influenced by butter, crème fraiche and apples. In most parts of France it is common for most people to take a two-hour lunch break. Most shops close at 12pm and reopen at 2pm or sometimes even 3pm, much to the surprise of my German husband! And then there is Goûter or quatre-heure, an afternoon snack for French children often made up of crepes, croissants, brioche, cookies or hot chocolate. A new tradition Soeren and I are carrying on back at home!
Did you know that ten billion baguettes are produced each year in France! By law, a traditional baguette can only have three ingredients: flour, yeast and salt, and must weigh 250 grams. We would always get our oven fresh baguettes in the morning with fresh croissants for breakfast and then buy more baguette at one of the several incredible boulangerie on our travels. And when it comes to cheese the French can enjoy a different cheese on almost every day of the year! During our travels through Normandy we indulged in several specialties from the divine Neufchâtel, Pont l'Évêque, Livarot and of course camembert. AOC, Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, is a labeling system for products like cheese, wine, chickens, olive oils, potatoes and even lentils. It serves as a guarantee of the origin of a product and its quality.
Coming back to the afternoon snack, this idea of Goûter which basically means to taste or sample has made us big fans. While Soeren’s favorite idea of Goûter is putting pieces of dark chocolate in a baguette we’re also pampering our tastebuds using the amazing produce available at the markets. From France we brought with us bags of Reine Claude plums. I did not bake with them they were eaten far too quickly. Our Weimar markets are filled with the last of summer fruit and vegetable while the early Fall produce are beginning to make their appearances. Zwetschgen plums are lined next to apricots and nectarines, blackberries share their space with the last of the strawberries, while mushroom varieties look cozy next to summer squash. I am still lingering a little longer in summer even though we’ve just welcomed September.
My galette uses the last of the gooseberry this season – juicy, tart and full-flavored I have combined both the zingier green gooseberries with the sweeter dessert red gooseberries here. Pairing them with ripe juicy nectarines adds an incredible syrupy flavor when baked in the oven. The crust is simply irresistible – flaky and buttery and brings out the aromas of the fruit perfectly.
Printable version of recipe here
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
For the flaky pastry
- 200g all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon fleur de sel
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 105g butter, cubed and cold
- 80ml ice water
- 200g gooseberries
- 4 nectarines, pitted and thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons muscovado sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 large egg yolk, beaten
- 1 tablespoon butter
Method:
- Make the flaky crust by combining the flour, salt, and sugar in a bowl of a food processor. Add the cubed cold butter over the top and pulse for a few seconds, just enough so that the butter is slightly broken broken up but there are still visible pieces.
- Pour the water evenly over the flour mixture, then process again just enough so that the mixture comes together.
- Transfer the dough into a sandwich bag, press into a flat disc and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- In the meantime prepare the filling by tossing the gooseberries and nectarine slices in the sugar and lemon zest.
- Once the dough is ready, sprinkle some flour on a work surface and roll out into a round about 30 cm in diameter. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Transfer the galette crust onto the baking sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C.
- Spread the fruit into the center of the crust leaving a 5cm border around the edges. Fold the edges of the dough up over the fruit mixture, pleating it loosely and leaving the center of the galette uncovered.
- Dot with butter then bake the galette until the filling is bubbling and the pastry is golden brown, about 25 minutes.
- Allow to cool slightly on a wire rack before serving with scoops of your favorite ice cream.
Notes:
Make sure the butter is very cold. I usually cube the butter and then place it in the refrigerator for a few minutes until I need it. This helps to form layers in the crust which contribute to overall flakiness. Make sure not to overwork the dough or it will become tough rather than flaky.
Verdict
Oh lala! What can I say - this fruity and flaky galette makes the perfect afternoon snack, dessert or even a naughty midnight treat.
Rustic fruity galettes are so simple and at this time of year when fruit is so plentiful we should be making galettes more often!
Last month I had the pleasure and the total excitement of being on TV again. This time the Deutsche Welle came over to film me, my photography projects and jobs, my recipes and discuss my path through blogging. It was a great afternoon. The show aired worldwide mid-August on the show DW-Shift “Virtual cookery circle”
Hope you enjoy the clip!
Indulge in these afternoon treats from What’s For Lunch, Honey?:
Apricot Saffron Cake | Chocolate Banana Breads with Pistachios, Pink Praline and Au Naturel | Dimpled Mirabelle Plum Foccacia with Lemon Poppy Seed Butter |
All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2013 Meeta Khurana Wolff unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First
Good job, my darling! I promise you a big career on TV, for sure, haha! Looking good!
ReplyDeleteHugs, Sandy
TV star Meeta ... with my dislike of being in front of the camera it might not work out so well. Missing you!
DeleteWelcome back! Indeed, it always feels good to be back home after a long trip...
ReplyDeleteA divine galette. Gooseberries are some of my favorite fruits. They remind me of my grandparents who had gooseberry bushes in their garden.
Cheers,
Rosa
Yes I got these from my in-laws garden so juicy and ripe. I liked their pure tangy sweet flavor in the galette without too many fancy ingredients.
DeleteSchatzi! You're back :) So glad to hear you had a great trip. My first ever trip abroad was a road trip along the length and breadth of France so I have a huge soft spot for the idea of repeating this. Love Livarot cheese!! Your galette looks sublime - and gorgeous shots a always :)
ReplyDeleteWe should do that trip together. Would be fun! I love the Neufchatel but Livarot is a close second! Thanks!
DeleteYay! O I loved that clip! You look so cool! Ofcourse they should have paid a little more attention to the sunshine... Lol, but really good. Love it. Now this galette.... I just want a bit of that now. I haven't seen any gooseberries here!
ReplyDeleteHAHA! I am cool you should know that by now! Seriously it was a fun day and the team was pretty cool too. I would gladly share this galette with you if you were here!
DeleteThis looks absolutely delicious!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteWelcome home. Gooseberries are such an under-rated fruit - lucky you to be able to get and cook with such fine looking specimens
ReplyDeleteI know I look forward to their short season every year. They come and go so fast!
DeleteWelcome home, Meeta! LOVE the clip - such a great TV segment! And of course I love this Goosberry Nectarine Galette - perfect snack, indeed.
ReplyDeleteAnd happy beginning of September to you! :)
I am a bit melancholic about summer having ended ... far too quickly but lots of things planned for the next few months so I hope it will be a mild winter. Glad you liked the segment!
DeleteSounds like a great vacation you had, Meeta, and I totally agree about how the French attitude towards cooking and eating is inspirational. Good to have you "home" with such a gorgeous galette!
ReplyDeleteIt was a great vacation Denise. Had to make the home feeling a little more homey!
DeleteWe got back from a mini vacation last night as well and it is indeed great to be back home. Sounds like you had an amazing vacation. I would love that delicious galette for a weekend brunch. Last but not least, a great TV clip so I am sure the show was amazing.
ReplyDeleteLail good to see you ... vacations are great but coming home is satisfying. GLad you liked the TV clip
Delete