Roasted Beet Galette with Ricotta

Rain, rain, go away...Remember that one?  Actually, as a gardener, I tend to embrace the rain and worry when the ground is too dry because there has not been enough rain.  But it is winter, and there is rain today, so no need to worry.  Time for a "should-less day."  Time to try a new recipe and bake a Roasted Beet Galette with Ricotta.

There are other songs about rain, belonging to a more mature life now, like "The Beauty of the Rain," by Dar Williams.  A rainy day playlist would be fun.  Dear reader, what songs would you recommend for the list?  Perhaps you would like to make a roasted beet galette with ricotta while they play in the background during your next rainy day.

And you know the light is fading all too soon
You’re just two umbrellas one late afternoon
You don’t know the next thing you will say
This is your favorite kind of day
It has no walls
The beauty of the rain
Is how it falls, how it falls, how it falls

Excerpt from "The Beauty of the Rain," by Dar Williams

Rainy days remind me of being housebound in a tiny apartment when I was a kid.  After all the board games had been played, books read, and tv had been watched, when my brothers and I could no longer sit still, my mom would ask us if we had "ants in our pants."  I wonder if people today still use that expression.  I imagine it comes from going on a picnic on a sunny day, and having your picnic blanket and food invaded by armies of ants.  All of a sudden you would notice that you actually had ants in you pants, and would have to stand up and shake them out.

No need to worry about that, if one is having an indoor picnic on a rainy day.  So let's embrace this rainy day we are having and start cooking our Roasted Beet Galette with Ricotta.  We can even kick back a bit and read a book on the sofa, after the crust is made and set to rest in the refrigerator, while the beets roast in the oven.

Once you try this recipe, use it as a model on which to make any savory galette you may crave.  Your only limit is your own imagination.  This recipe takes you to the runway, and now it is time to take off and fly!  Enjoy!

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Roasted Beet Galette with Ricotta

I decided to add ¼ cup buckwheat flour to the mix instead of the entire ¾ cup unbleached all-purpose flour, because, why not? I had the buckwheat flour in my freezer, and I thought it might add more taste to the crust of this Beet Galette. Be creative with the flour you use. Subbing in some rye flour is also a good idea. Also, as my mom used to say, "do as I say, not as I do." I recommend putting a sheet of parchment paper on your baking sheet, not aluminum foil which I used and as shown in the photo. And do oil the parchment paper before laying your rolled crust in the pan, prior to filling and folding.

Course Main Meal: Savory Galette

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes

Servings 8 servings

Author Adapted from "Roasted Beet Galette with Ricotta," on naturallyella.com

Ingredients

• BEETS
• 1 pound mixed red and golden beets
• 1 tablespoon 15 ml olive oil
• ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
• CRUST
• ¾ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup whole wheat flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons butter chilled
• 2 oz cream cheese chilled
• ¼-1/2 cup of ice water
• FILLING
• 1 cup ricotta
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 egg yolk and white separated - reserve yolk for egg wash of crust before baking
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream or water
• ¼ cup crumbled goat cheese
• Black pepper for serving

Instructions

1. Bake the beets by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F. Wash the beets well, and trim as necessary. Coat them in olive oil, and sprinkle with a bit of salt. Wrap them in foil and place them on a baking sheet or roasting pan. Cook undisturbed for 45 minutes to 1 hour. You will know they are done when a thin-bladed knife pieces one with little resistance. Note that depending on size, they may cook at different rates, so remove each one when done. I try to buy beets that are of equal size so they will cook in the same amount of time. After the beets have cooled, peel them and slice into ¼-inch (6-mm) slices.
2. I uses a food processor to make the crust. But you may certainly make a crust by hand. Combine the flours and salt. Pulse in the butter and cream cheese until the dough is in slightly larger than pea-size pieces. Pulse in 1 tablespoon of the water, and continue to add water and pulse until dough starts to come together. Remove from the food processor and shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes. I like to flatten the disk of dough a bit before wrapping in in the plastic wrap, to give me a bit of a head start when I proceed to roll out the dough. Remember to rotate the dough as you roll it out. You may do this by just turning the board around as you roll the dough. Be sure to flip the dough as rolling so it does not stick to your board. Of course, flour the board a bit before rolling.
3. To make the filling, mix together the ricotta, rosemary, salt, garlic, and egg white, in a medium bowl. On a surface lightly covered with flour, roll the dough out to a 12- to 14-inch (30-35.-cm) circle. Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the crust, leaning a 2-inch (5-cm) edge. Layer the beets evenly in a circular patter, covering the ricotta. Fold the edges of the crust over the outer edge of the beets, pleating as needed to make an even circle. (The center of the galette won't have any dough over it). Brush the olive oil over the beets. Combine the egg yolk with the heavy cream or water and brush the outer edge of the crust. You might want to grate some parmesan cheese and sprinkle it over the dough after it is folded, just to give your galette some extra oomph taste wise. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes at 400 degrees F, until the crust is golden brown. Allow to cool slightly and sprinkle with goat cheese and black pepper before serving.