Strawberry-Rhubarb and Ricotta Galette

Here is the recipe for one scrumptious galette as mentioned in Nosheteria. The recipe is for making one recipe of dough, but it doubles or triples really well; and can be frozen for up to one month.

Pastry Dough

A versatile sour cream dough, this pastry can be used to make savory galettes if you omit the sugar.

1 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 tablespoons sour cream
ice water (if needed)

In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt, and pulse until mixed. Add the butter, one piece at a time, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse sand. Chill the work bowl for 15 minutes.

Replace the work bowl and add the sour cream, pulsing until dough just comes together. Depending on the weather and humidity, you may need to add ice water, a tablespoon at a time, until dough comes together. Gather the dough, press gently to create a circle, and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Strawberry-Rhubarb and Ricotta Galette

Try to get a high quality, fresh ricotta cheese for this recipe. I used a nutty, sheeps' milk variety. It will probably be necessary to let the ricotta drain overnight. Simply place the ricotta in a fine mesh colander, place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.

2 cups rhubarb, sliced in 1/4 inch pieces
2 cups strawberries, sliced haphazardly
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup ricotta cheese, drained
1 teaspoon vanilla
40-50 scrapes whole nutmeg, or a generous pinch of ground
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon butter

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice up the rhubarb, and toss with 1/4 cup of sugar. Slice strawberries and then add them to the rhubarb with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and toss well to cover. In a separate small bowl, mix the vanilla, ricotta, and nutmeg, until well incorporated.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled pastry dough to a 14-inch round. Transfer dough to a baking sheet, and sprinkle the flour on top of dough, leaving a two-inch border for the crust. Add the ricotta cheese, spreading fairly evenly, with small mounds throughout the dough's surface. Take handfuls of the strawberry-rhubarb mixture, leaving the remaining juices, and place them evenly over the ricotta, leaving a two-inch border for the crust. Some juice will have exuded from the strawberry-rhubarb mixture, this juice will not be used, otherwise the tart will become soggy, not crisp.

Fold over the remaining edge of the dough, to form a crust, pressing gently to insure the galette crust stays closed. Dot the surface of the galette with the remaining tablespoon of butter, and bake for approximately 40 minutes. Cover galette with foil halfway through baking process if it appears to browning too quickly. Remove from oven, and let cool at least 10 minutes, before slicing. Galette should be toasty brown, with a crisp crust. Dust the edges of galette with powdered sugar if desired.

The Bourgie Succotash

Here's a recipe for a lovely summertime side dish, as mentioned in Nosheteria.

Serves 4

1 medium pepper, cut into 1/4 inch dice
3 ears of corn, kernels cut from cob
1 cup fava beans, shucked and ready to eat (lima beans are a good substitution)
2 tablespoons butter
Tabasco sauce to taste
salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, over high heat, melt one tablespoon of butter. Once butter has melted, add the bell pepper, and saute until peppers are soft. Add the fava beans and continue to saute, until heated through. Once the beans are heated through, add the additional tablespoon of butter, and the corn kernels. Continue sauteeing until corn is al dente, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and Tabasco, to add a bit of heat to the dish