Cooking, baking, and really all kitchen activities have become a bit more difficult to take on since bringing Margot home. In fact, as I’m writing this post, she’s napping cozily on my chest, supported by my nifty Boba wrap. Given her expected level of neediness in these early months, taking on difficult recipes is just not really an option — at least until I become more efficient with juggling chores and baby care.
Without considering this reality, Isaac and I over-committed to fresh produce in bulk from Costco, once again, and bought 5 pounds of strawberries. We’ve done a great job of munching on them with yogurt, but I needed to put a big dent in our supply. Sooo, I took on a simple strawberry galette this afternoon.
I love galettes. Once I learned how to construct them, they quickly became a favorite meal around here. I typically throw roasted vegetables and cheese in them to make a savory dinner, which is contrary to their reputation as ‘sweet’, but this time I prepped one that was true to form.
I try to keep store-bought pie crusts around because I really hate having to make my own from scratch; even when I had more time on my hands, I didn’t appreciate the extended process. I have no qualms about calling myself out as lazy on this. If you try out this recipe and want to try a crust from scratch, try this recipe from the Food Network.
Now for the recipe:
Ingredients:
2-3 cups fresh strawberries, depending on size
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 cup of sliced unsalted almonds, or unsalted chopped nuts of your choice — I used the pre-sliced almonds from the produce section that are made for salads
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon to dust
1 store bought pie crust
Ice cream or whipped cream to top
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Rinse strawberries, hull and slice thinly.
2. Gently toss the strawberries in the flour and sugar.
3. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and unroll pie crust on center of parchment paper.
4. Sprinkle 3/4 of the almonds directly onto pie crust, leaving a 2 inch margin clear around the perimeter of the pie crust.
5. Thinly layer strawberry mixture onto pie crust, again leaving a 2 inch margin clear around the perimeter of the pie crust.
6. Fold edges of pie crust up around the edge of the strawberries, pinching folds of the crust to itself as you rotate the galette. See the image below for reference. This step took some practice for me to get the hang of.
7. Lightly sprinkle cinnamon over the entire galette, then add remaining almonds to garnish.
8. Bake galette for 20-25 minutes, until crust is lightly browned and crispy.
9. Serve warm, topped with ice cream or whipped cream. Try Cookies and Cream ice cream: paired with the strawberries, it’s divine!
If you do decide to whip this up, throw caution to the wind and have it for lunch. I just did, and it’s making my afternoon all the more awesome.
There is something wonderful about having perfect timing. Last year, Isaac and I didn’t have it. We showed up two weeks too early to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in Mt. Vernon, WA to view the blooming tulip fields. To our credit, the festival lasts all month to allow for the temperamental flowers to arrive when they please.
Margot was a delight the entire day, she’s still newborn-enough to sleep through pretty much anything, as long as she has her binky. Which reminds me, we finally broke down and gave her a pacifier. She loves it, and we’re enjoying a less fussy baby. It allowed us to visit with the friends we traveled with and navigate the muddy fields of Skagit Valley with ease.
Yea Yea Pueblo 