In Montana where I live, we cherish local produce from our short growing season. Each year it seems like our farmers’ markets around the state get bigger with more people seeking out vegetables and herbs grown locally. I even hear of more friends taking a shot at growing their own produce in their backyard. 

There are few things more prized from the bounty of late summer than tomatoes – eating them in a fresh salad, slicing them into a BLT, or making our favorite salsa. As a “New World” ingredient, tomatoes quickly have found their way into the cuisines of just about every part of the globe. There are good reasons why. 

I think we all have some strong memory connected to tomatoes. For me it is my grandparents and parents canning them this time of year to preserve their summer goodness for the long Montana winters. We know the days of backyard tomatoes are numbered. There have already had some cool nights in August, but we keep our figures crossed that our delicate vines can last another week. 

I can think of a lot of great ways to celebrate the bright bursts of summer flavor we get from tomatoes, but almost none top this tomato galette. These rustic versions of tarts can be savory or sweet, with this galette firmly in the savory camp with hints of sweetness from caramelized onion and fennel and some nice cherry tomatoes. 

If a French person and an Italian person had a baby, it would be this delicious, summery tomato galette. At our house, we wait all year to make it, and it’s never let us down. It allows tomatoes to be the star ingredient.  

Over the years I have drawn from a variety of recipes, taken the best elements and lessons learned, and put it into this unique recipe. The butter levels, caramelized onion and gruyere cheese would please the French; the mozzarella, fennel, tomato and basil please the Italians. It’s bright, cheesy, savory, a bit sweet, and herby. 

TOMATO GALETTE RECIPE

Crust: Combine 2 cups flour, 12 tbsps unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon kosher salt in food processor. Pulse the ingredients together a few times, then gradually add in ½ cup of ice water while pulsing until it forms a ball. Wrap it in plastic and let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour. 

Filling:

1/2 cup shredded gruyere

1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella 

1 medium onion

1 fennel bulb (If you can’t find fresh fennel, go ahead and just use one large onion for this recipe)

2 tbsp butter

16-18 ounces of cherry tomatoes

1 beaten egg with 2 tsp cream for egg wash

Slice the onion and fennel into strips and start to sauté with butter in a pan covered with foil on medium low. Check periodically and add a few tablespoons of water and stir so any brown bits start to caramelized the ingredients. Cover again. Repeat again and again over a half hour to hour or until the onions and fennel are brown and reduced into a fourth of their original volume with no remaining liquid.

Roll your dough to 1/8” thickness and feel free to trim to get a circle. Place the dough on a parchment-line baking sheet. Spread all the cheese down first in the center of the crust, then the caramelized fennel and onion, followed by the tomatoes. 

Fold and crimp the dough up to form a barrier so no contents will escape the galette. Brush the crust with the egg wash. Bake for 35-40 minutes in a 425 F oven or until nicely golden brown, rotating the pan halfway through. 

You should let it rest for ten minutes since the tomatoes are far too hot to eat immediately. Top with torn fresh basil and shaved parmesan cheese just before serving.