Heirloom Tomato & Pepper Galette

vegan ~ plant-based ~ dairy-free ~ egg-free

Serves: 8
Total Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy
Author/Credit: Jessica Williams/Vegan Rescue

Herby, Flavorful, with some Heat!

Galette… a French rustic free-form open-faced dish. A Galette can be sweet or savory.  …and…. this, Heirloom Tomato & Pepper Galette, version is heated, lol! My husband’s co-worker (Lindsey) and her husband (Taylor) graciously gave us some long hots from their garden. These were so delicious and flavorful, I used them ALL in this recipe. I listed these peppers below in the ingredient list with a note to adjust according to your desired heat level.

Long Hots!

Long Hots are long, thin green Italian peppers. Regionally we have always referred to these peppers as Long Hots, rather than long hot peppers or hot green peppers. Calling them “Long Hots” – I believe is a South Jersey/Philadelphia region term. Additionally, Long Hots also have an unpredictable heat level, some are hotter than others, hehe. These beauties are wonder roasted. They can be served as appetizers, roasted and placed on a sandwich, or used to top a dish.

For this recipe (Heirloom Tomato & Pepper Galette):

I allowed these beautiful peppers to take the lead in this dish. I saw these Long Hots and immediately wanted to create a dish with Italian flavors. This Galette is packed with various herbs (Basil, Oregano, Rosemay), garlic, and fresh tomatoes. This dish also has three cheeses! Classically, a Galette is meant to be free-from – where you place your pastry/dough on a cookie sheet, fill it and then roll the edges. However, for this recipe – I layered this inside of a cast iron pan because it used a lot of ‘wet’ veggies.

Veggies:

The vegetables I used in this dish hold a lot of water. Because I wanted to keep the integrity of the tomatoes, I allowed them to drain on a paper towel before layering them into the dish. Simply, slice your tomatoes – place them on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt. The salt helps to draw out the liquid. You can allow them to drain for 30 minutes. As I was creating this dish, I was photographing and taking videos – so, I believe these sat closer to an hour. For the peppers and onions – the trick I used was roasting them to draw out some of the water. I chopped up one of the peppers to top the dish. Otherwise, roasting them really brings out the sweetness.

Also, since I was already roasting for this recipe – I roasted two heads of garlic! Any other garlic lovers out there? I used two heads and could have roasted the whole head, but I decided to peel and roast the cloves separately to keep some of the structure. Roasting the whole head can make the garlic almost creamy or buttery.

For the cheeses:

I used vegan cheeses in this recipe and added lots of herbs to the cream cheese layer. Violife Smoked Provolone also added a nice layer creamy layer. Rather than baking in the Feta, I chose to top the dish with it after baking. I wanted to keep the creamy consistency of the Follow Your Heart Feta cheese.

This dish is truly delicious and flavorful. As with most of my recipes… it is also versatile. You can adjust the heat level/peppers, use different cheeses or try this recipe with different veggies. At the end of the day – I really hope you …. Enjoy!

Heirloom Tomato & Pepper Galette

Ingredients:

1 small handful/bunch (fresh herbs), chopped:
Basil
Rosemary
Thyme
Oregano
1 Puff Pastry sheet, thawed (15-20 minutes)
Smoked Provolone (I used 4 slices of Violife Smoked Provolone)
7-8oz of Vegan Cream Cheese (I used Violife)
Feta Crumbles, adjust amount to top (I used about 1/4 Cup of Follow Your Heart)
Italian Peppers (Long Hots)
1 Sweet Onion, sliced
2 Heads of Garlic, peeled
2 Heirloom Tomatoes
1 Pint of Cherry Tomatoes, this can also be adjusted
2 Tsp Onion Powder
Salt/Pepper to taste

Directions:

-Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare a cast iron pan (12-inch) by lightly brushing with Extra Virgin Olive Oil. (Alternatively, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper for a traditional rustic variation).
Prepare your vegetables
-In a baking dish lined with parchment paper, add the sliced Onions, Garlic, and whole Long Hots (peppers). Drizzle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, add salt/pepper, and roast for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.  Note: You can remove the seeds from the Long Hots after they have roasted.

-Next, slice your Heirloom and Cherry Tomatoes. Place them on a paper towel, add salt and allow your tomatoes to drain while your other veggies are roasting.
-Meanwhile, prepare your herbs. Be sure to remove the Oregano/Thyme/Rosemary from the stem and chop.

-In a bowl, add your Cream Cheese, chopped Herbs, and Garlic Powder. Stir together to combine. Note: When the roasted veggies finished – I added half of the Roasted Garlic to this cream cheese mixture.  

Next, layer your Galette! This is the easiest step and completely up to your preference. For this recipe:
-Place your thawed Puff Pastry sheet on the bottom of your cast iron pan. Add the Cream Cheese layer, add Onions/Cherry Tomatoes. Top this with slices of Provolone, add more Onions, followed by the Heirloom Tomatoes. Next, add the remaining Cherry Tomatoes and Long Hots!
-Finally, roll the edges of the puff pastry over and brush lightly with Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
-Bake at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes. Remove and allow it to cool slightly and top with Feta to serve.
-Enjoy!