We’re finally getting some cool days and that means the tomatoes in our little garden will be slowing down. I snuck a few to make this very Easy Rustic Tomato & Caramelized Onion Galette.
Easy Rustic Tomato & Caramelized Onion Galette
Fair warning on this recipe: it’s really easy to make, especially if you use a packaged pie crust, but it does take some time. Most of that is in the oven time, for the tomatoes, onion & garlic to roast and for the galette to bake.
About Easy Rustic Tomato & Caramelized Onion Galette:
You gotta love a recipe that’s easy and absolutely stunning, although my pics never seem to live up to what’s in front of me. And the flavor? Well, the tomatoes and red onions are drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with sea salt and then the onions get a little boost from some red wine vinegar.
And of course, there’s garlic but what takes this over the top is the rich, creamy goat cheese and a few sprigs of thyme. And even frugal me pulled out the sea salt for this recipe, just to spark up the gorgeous crust on this galette.
Easy Rustic Tomato & Caramelized Onion Galette is perfect as a starter or app & can be a light dinner. I’d suggest adding a simple green salad to go alongside. I want to note that I’ve been making this for ages and I’m unsure of what my inspiration or source is or if I just combined a whole lot of different recipes with my own touches, which I’m prone to do!
ingredients for Easy Rustic Tomato & Caramelized Onion Galette; olive oil is missing
Preparing the Vegetables for Easy Rustic Tomato & Caramelized Onion Galette:
To make this Easy Rustic Tomato & Caramelized Onion Galette, break it down into steps and overlap the steps to save some time:
First, cut your onions pole to pole and toss them in the microwave with a drizzle of water, covered with vented plastic wrap to jump-start them. While that’s going, start on the tomatoes, cutting in half top to bottom and removing the seeds and any hard areas.
Toss them onto a sheet tray face up (line with foil) and toss on a packet of garlic drizzled with olive oil. Add the onions. Drizzle the onions with red wine vinegar and tomatoes and onions with olive oil, and sprinkle sea salt over both.
Roast veggies, paying attention after about 35 minutes, and after that, sirring more often as needed, removing any cherry tomatoes (which cook faster) sooner. This is a long cooking time but can drastically vary depending on your oven.
The Pie Crust & Assembly:
While the veggies are roasting, prepare your pie crust.
- If you use storebought, you’ll want to roll it out a little more but you will be somewhat limited by size.
- If you make your own, you can basically go as large as your sheet pan (after the edges are crimped.) I’d suggest using this recipe that I use for Empanada Dough – it bakes up so flakey that you might be fooled into thinking it’s puff pastry. (If you see any bubbling as it bakes, just leave it. It will settle as it cools.)
The assembly is quick. Bread crumbs (or my Homemade Breadcrumb Topping), then garlic, onions & tomatoes (drain off extra juices) in that order. Finally, top it with goat cheese and sprigs of thyme (or a sprinkle of the leaves if you don’t have fresh). Brush the crust quickly with egg/yolk and water (try not to get too much egg was on the parchment) and sprinkle on some sea salt. Finally, bake it!
Saving Money on Easy Rustic Tomato & Caramelized Onion Galette:
If you’re looking for a deal on the pie crust, look for it around holidays when it’s most often on sale. Stash it in the freezer and thaw in the fridge overnight before using. You do have the option to make your own which may or may not be a savings but will give you better quality and the ability to make this a little larger.
The goat cheese can be potentially pricy, but Costco or Aldi are both great places to pick it up on the cheap. If buying from the grocers, look for “hang tag” coupons or check the website for coupons and watch for great sales. Goat cheese has a great shelf life but needs to be used quickly once opened.
Tomatoes are always best homegrown (and cheapest, once your garden is established, especially if you are looking for heirloom or colored) but watch for sales and check the farmer’s markets as well as Aldi if you have one. This time I used a couple of fancy tomatoes supplemented by homegrown. And it’s hard to see but there are a handful of homegrown cherry tomatoes, too.
Easy Rustic Tomato & Caramelized Onion Galette
Easy Rustic Tomato & Caramelized Onion Galette
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings or more for an appetizer 1x
- Category: appetizer
Ingredients
To roast tomatoes, onions & garlic:
- 1 1/2 large red onions or 2 medium-sized, sliced pole to pole
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil plus a teaspoon for the garlic, below
- 4 to 5 medium to large tomatoes or about 10 plums, cut in half lengthwise, most of the seeds, excess juice, and any hard areas removed.
- 1/2 head garlic, unpeeled, drizzled with a teaspoon of olive oil, and encased in a small bit of aluminum foil
- 1/2 teaspoon sea or kosher salt
For the Galette:
- 1 pie pastry crust, store-bought or homemade (see note)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
- roasted tomatoes, red onions & garlic (above)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons goat cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme, divided or several sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon water
- 1/2 teaspoon sea or kosher salt, or to taste
- red wine vinegar for serving
Instructions
To roast tomatoes, onions & garlic:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cover a sheet tray with aluminum foil for easy cleanup, set aside.
In a small, microwave-safe bowl, add onions and water. Cover with wax or plastic wrap, vent with a small slash, and microwave on high for four minutes. Drain.
Place tomatoes on one side of the sheet pan, the onions on the other, and drizzle the onions with the red wine vinegar. Drizzle both the onions and tomatoes with two to three tablespoons olive oil then sprinkle with salt. Add the garlic packet.
Roast in the oven until the cut edges & bottoms of the tomatoes begin to pick up a little light color, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, removing and turning from time to time and stirring the onions now and then. Pay closer attention after about 35 minutes; you will need to stir the onions more after that point. If you’ve used any smaller or cherry tomatoes, they will need to be removed sooner than the rest.
Remove the tray from the oven and give a final stir to the onions and loosen any tomatoes that may be sticking to the foil. Set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, open the garlic packet, squeeze out the garlic into a small bowl and roughly mash. Drain the juices off of the tomatoes. Do not turn off oven. When ready to proceed with the galette, increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
For the Galette:
Dust a large sheet of parchment paper lightly with flour. Roll out the pastry crust into a 15-inch circle. (See note.) This is a rustic galette, so the edges don’t have to be perfect. Piece back together as needed.
Sprinkle the center of the pie crust with bread crumbs, keeping about two inches of the outside edge clear. Layer on the onions in the center of the crust, leaving about two inches around the outside edge. Dot with the garlic, and place the tomatoes on top, cut side up. Scatter the goat cheese over the tomatoes, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of thyme.
Lift the outside edge of the crust, using the parchment paper to help lift, if needed, and fold over the galette. Lift another section and pleating in two-inch sections, work around the crust in the same manner.
Transfer, parchment and all, to a cookie sheet. Brush the edges with the egg yolk/water mix, being careful not to let the mixture seep heavily where the crust meets the parchment. Sprinkle the whole galette, including the edge with sea salt.
Bake the galette until the filling is bubbling hot in the center and the pastry is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool at least 10 minutes on the baking sheet.
Lift parchment and galette onto a serving platter. Use a thin spatula to very slightly lift the galette and slide off of the parchment if desired. Sprinkle with remaining thyme. Serve the galette hot, warm or at room temperature. Pass the red wine vinegar to sprinkle on top, if desired.
Note: If using a homemade crust, the galette can be made a bit larger. See the body of post.
Keywords: Appetizer, Bargain Meal of the Week, breadcrumbs, Cheese, galette, Goat Cheese, Pie, Pie Crust, Red onion, red wine vinegar, Tomatoes, Vegetarian Meal, Vinegar
_________________________________________
I’ll be sharing this recipe at Fiesta Friday 190, hosted by Shinta @ Caramel Tinted Life and Diann @ Of Goats and Greens.
Pingback: Easy Rustic Tomato & Caramelized Onion Galette | My Meals are on Wheels