Heirloom Tomato Caprese and Corn Galette

A friend of mine posted a photo on Instagram a few weeks ago of this galette here. It was incredible. You can check it out here, so you know what I’m talking about and we’re on the same page. I loved it so much that I left him a comment telling him that I was going to steal it. So steal I did, and took about a week to recreate it, with some minor changes here and there and now I’m sharing it with you all because how could I not? This Heirloom Tomato Caprese and Corn Galette is like summer wrapped around a savory pie crust and you need to make it today because you won’t regret it, I promise you that. A switched it up with a black pepper and thyme crust, heirloom tomatoes, and a sun dried tomato pesto because nothing goes better with tomatoes than even more tomatoes, am I right? 

I always say that galettes are the food of the summer because they can be either savory or sweet and most often than not they’re made with summer berries or summer produce. It’s that epitome of farmer’s market meals because you can visit your local farmer’s market (or just local grocery store) and grab whatever looks fresh and vibrant in the produce section at the time and place it on a pie crust and call it good. It doesn’t get any easier than that. If you really want to make things easier for yourself, then by all means, use a store-bought pie crust and then just slice and arrange the tomatoes and cheese and corn on top. We won’t tell anyone. But really, if you can, try the black pepper and thyme crust yourself because it really is incredible. Also, a big thanks to Alex for the inspiration! 

Let’s start by making the pie crust for the galette. Since this is a savory galette, we’re going to see that through all the way to the crust and make a black pepper and thyme pie crust. In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, black pepper and fresh thyme leaves. Add the cold butter and cut in until it resembles coarse crumbs the size of peas. 

**Tip: Make sure the butter is super cold and that you work it into the flour rather quickly so that it doesn’t get too warm. The key to flaky crust is very cold butter. I like to dice the butter and then freeze it before using!**

Add the ice cold water, a tablespoon at a time, and stir with a rubber spatula until it comes together. Form it into round and then wrap with plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or overnight. 

**Note: If you want to make it ahead of time, you can keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for about 1 month. If it’s in the fridge, allow to sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before you roll it out. If it’s frozen, you can leave it in the fridge overnight to thaw out.**

While the dough chills in the fridge, let’s make the sun dried tomato pesto. It’s a seasonal tomato tart, and so I want to continue that tomato flavor all the way through to the sauce of the galette. In a food processor combine the basil, sun dried tomato, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, parmesan, pine nuts, salt and black pepper. Pulse to chop through and then stream in the olive oil until a chunky sauce forms. 

**Tip: For a more flavorful pesto, try using the oil the tomatoes were packed in. Then just offset the rest with olive oil!**

 
Roll out the chilled crust on a lightly floured work surface to a large circle about 1/2-inch thick. Trim the edges and then transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread the sauce in the center of the crust. Make sure to leave about a 1 1/2-inch border around the crust. 

Layer on the heirloom tomato slices, fresh mozzarella and fresh corn cut off the kernels. Make sure to layer it on top of the pesto, making sure to leave the border in tact so that you can fold it over. 

**Note: If heirloom tomatoes are looking great at the super market or farmer’s market, then by all means use a nice blend of different heirloom tomatoes or just red vine-ripe tomatoes will do as well!**

Bring down the edges onto the filling, and make sure to fold it every now and then so that you end up with a round/oval galette. Brush the edges with egg wash and sprinkle with black pepper and parmesan cheese right before baking. This will give the crust a bit more flavor and a great look to it. 

Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F oven until golden brown around the edges, about 30 to 35 minutes. Right when it comes out of the oven, drizzle the top with a bit of olive oil and then top with fresh basil leaves. Allow the galette to cool slightly before cutting and serving. It’ll make it easier to cut! 

 
I like galettes because they’re a lot easier to make than pies, with about half the time, and they’re fully customizable. As long as you have the crust down, which now you will, then you can fill and top them with anything you want! You want a pizza galette? Go for it! You want a breakfast galette with bacon and eggs and potatoes? Who is stopping you? Not me! You want a zucchini and kale with sausage galette? You be you, boo! 

If you want to make this ahead of time, you can assemble it and then cover it with plastic or foil and keep it in the fridge. Then you can brush the edges with egg wash and sprinkle with black pepper and parmesan and then bake it off right before serving. 

**Note: You can also just bake it off, and rewarm it in an oven for about 5 to 10 minutes before eating.**

Even though I’m an avid meat and chicken eater, and not a vegetarian at all, I like to have a vegetarian meal from time to time during the week. It makes my mamma feel better, and it makes my doctor feel better. So it’s recipes like these that make vegetarian eating a whole lot easier. Serve this with a tossed green salad and maybe some roasted veggies on the side for that ultimate healthy-ish meal. I mean sure there’s crust and cheese but there’s also lots of tomatoes and corn and that makes up for it, right?

My mom’s favorite thing on this planet is a caprese salad or sandwich and so this tart has her name written all over it. I served it to her when she stopped by right after I made it and she fell in love with it. So if it has her seal of approval, then you know it has to be good because she is very particular about her food. (Sorry mamma). 

The corn adds such a great texture to this tart and gives it a slightly sweet flavor along with the sweetness from the tomatoes, which balances it all out perfectly. So go to the super market or farmer’s market this weekend and add this to your must make list because you’re going to want to make it again and again. 

If you’ve never tried a savory galette before, but really love the sweet kind and think it would be weird to have a savory galette, don’t think that way! Stop thinking like that! This is a good way to start because there aren’t any crazy ingredients or flavors. A caprese? That’s easy. You know it. You got this. 

Heirloom Tomato Caprese and Corn Galette

This Heirloom Tomato Caprese and Corn Galette is a seasonal and savory galette. Homemade thyme and black pepper crust with tomato, mozzarella, basil & corn!

Servings 8 servings

Prep Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter, cold and diced
• 3 to 5 tablespoons ice water

Sun Dried Tomato Pesto

• 1 8-ounce jar sun dried tomatoes, drained and oil reserved
• 1 1/2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 to 6 tablespoons olive oil

Galette

• 3 to 4 heirloom tomatoes sliced
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella sliced
• 1 ear of corn kernels removed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 egg whisked with splash of water
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup fresh basil sliced

Instructions

• To make the crust, in a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, black pepper, and thyme. Add the butter and cut into the flour with your fingers, a pastry blender or potato masher until coarse crumbs form the size of peas. Stir in the water, a tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together. It'll be somewhat scraggy, but that's okay. Bring together and wrap with plastic, shaping it into a disc. Chill for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
• To make the pesto, combine the sun dried tomatoes, basil, garlic, parmesan, pine nuts, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and black pepper. Pulse until chopped through. While the machine is running stream in the reserved sun dried tomato oil and then add as much of the olive oil as needed to create a somewhat smooth/slightly chunky sauce. Give it a taste and adjust seasonings accordingly, adding more salt and pepper as needed.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• To assemble the galette, roll out the chilled pie crust to a large circle, about 1/2-inch thick. Trim the very edge to create a smooth and even round and transfer to prepared baking sheet. Spread the top with the pesto and layer on the tomato slices, mozzarella slices, and corn. Bring the edges of the crust towards the center, folding every so often to create a crust. Brush the edges with egg wash and sprinkle with black pepper and parmesan cheese. Bake until golden brown and crusty around the edges, about 30 to 35 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and sprinkle with fresh basil. Cut and serve hot or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Author: The Candid Appetite