Cherry Bomb Galette
Holy guacamole! Is it already June? We are almost half way through 2016. Every year, I get so excited when June comes around. Why? Because June, July and August are peak produce seasons and all of the farmers markets are back! If you want the best quality ingredients, shop local and support your local farmers. When in comes to food, especially produce, fresh usually equals quality. Unless it is home grown, you cannot get fresher produce than at your local farmer’s market. I am preaching here, but most of us do not show enough appreciation for our local farmers. And this week at my local farmer’s market, I found both sweet, dark cherries and the ever-evading… sour cherries! That is super exciting to me. It is so difficult to find fresh sour cherries around here. With that, we are making a galette. A Paleo Cherry Bomb Galette.
What is a Cherry Bomb Galette? It is a sweet, sour cherry galette with a hint of sweet basil. I know what you are thinking. Sweet basil and cherries? Really? Yes, really! The flavor profile actually pairs really well with one another. Devin actually came up with Cherry Bomb Galette because it is an explosion of flavors, like the firework. Sweet, yet savory notes. It is genius! If you have never made a galette, it is as simple as it gets. It is basically a lazy man’s pie or a pie for those who do not own a pie dish. Let me show you how easy it is. Let’s get baking!
Paleo Cherry Bomb Galette:
Dough:
1¼ Cup – Otto’s Natural Cassava Flour
½ Cup – Almond Meal
Zest of 1 Lemon
½ Cup – Gold Nugget Ghee (Cold, Cubed)
1 – Pasture Raised Eggs
2 Tbsp – Honey
3 Tbsp – Ice Water
Filling:
1 Cup – Fresh Organic Dark Sweet Cherries (Pitted, Halved)
1 Cup – Fresh Organic Sour Cherries (Pitted)
1 Tbsp – Fresh Sweet Basil (Minced)
2 Tbsp – Kasandrinos Balsamic Vinegar
Juice of Half a Lemon
2 Tbsp – Honey
¼ Cup – Coconut Sugar
2 Tbsp – Otto’s Natural Cassava Flour
Optional:
1 – Pasture Raised Egg
1 Tbsp – Water
Colored Sugar Spinkles
1 Large Scoop – JÖne’s Vanilla Bean Gelato
Ingredients, oh yes, ingredients! The most important ingredient in this Cherry Bomb Galette is…? You guessed right! The most essential ingredient are the cherries. Go find the best cherries you can find. Make sure that the dark sweets are sweet and the sour is so tart that it makes you squint. As I have said time and time again, fresh quality ingredients are crucial. One last thing before we get started. Do NOT use dried sweet basil instead of fresh. It does not have the same effect. Let’s make this Cherry Bomb Galette.
Dough Instruction:
In a food processor, pulse the almond meal and cassava flour together until they are well blended. Add in the lemon zest and ghee and pulse until everything is well incorporated. While blending, add your honey, eggs and 1 tbsp of water at a time. Add enough ice water for the dough to not crack while kneaded. On a silicone mat, roll the dough flat, wrap it and chill in fridge for half an hour. While the dough is “chilling”, let’s make the filling.
Filling Instructions:
The filling for the Cherry Bomb Galette is super easy. Other than the coconut sugar and 1 tsp of the minced basil, mix everything in a mixing bowl. Allow the cherries to soak in the balsamic mixture until the dough is chilled and rolled out. To assemble is also very simple but first preheat your oven to 400ºF. Roll the dough out on a silicone mat. I would roll it out in a round, as thin as you can. I got it down to a little less than ¼-inch thick. Transfer the dough over to a well greased and floured cookie sheet. To finish the filling for the Cherry Bomb Galette, strain the cherries, toss it in the coconut sugar and the remaining minced sweet basil. Pour the cherries onto the rolled out dough in a single layer in a circular format. I like to leave a 3 inch border to fold over. After folding the edge over, the following is optional. Whip 1 egg with 1 tbsp of water. Brush the egg wash over the fold over on the dough and sprinkle pretty crystal sugars on it. If you don’t do sugar, skip that entire step. Pop it in the oven for 30-45 minutes until the filling is bubbling in the center. If the dough is nice and golden before the filling is bubbling, go ahead and tent it with foil. Once the Cherry Bomb Galette is finished baking, set it on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Of course this is also optional but I think it should be mandatory and that is to serve the galette with a big scoop of JÖne’s Vanilla Bean Gelato. There you have it, my Paleo Cherry Bomb Galette. Until next time, eat up my friends!