Necessity is the Mother of Invention: Blueberry Lemon Galette

Last week, I was fortunate enough to have an opportunity to spend three days in New York City with my dear friend Courtney.  That visit deserves and will get its very own post, as Courtney and I have wonderful food traditions of our own, and had some amazing meals on this particular visit.  While I was gone, my husband did an admirable job of not only feeding, clothing and entertaining our daughters, but he also managed to instill in them the desire to tidy up the house, which is no small feat for him, as he has no such inclination of his own.  I am so fortunate to have a husband who not only understands but encourages me to go off to visit a friend a few days out of every year.  I think in these times, when women are so busy taking care of their families and working hard at their careers, it is important to take time just for yourself.  It is not selfish, it is necessary in order to carry out all our responsibilities well. It is wonderful to have the chance to sleep, relax, visit, explore, all on your own, and I always go back to my family with a renewed energy, appreciation and feeling more myself. Michael had a little help from my mom, who hung out with the kids for a few hours each day while he was at work.  In addition to the vast amount of shopping the girls and Grammie accomplished, they also went blueberry picking.  I came home to a beautiful mountain of blueberries, and as hard as we tried, we couldn't put a dent in them.  I knew I would have to do some baking.

When I posted last, I suggested making extra galette dough in order to make two galettes.  I took my own advice, but rather than making two savory galettes, I made one zucchini and goat cheese, and one with the blueberries.  I happened to have a jar of lemon curd in my pantry, so I rolled out the dough, spread a thin layer of lemon curd, and added the blueberries in a single layer to avoid the crust getting soggy with the juice of the blueberries.  I tossed the blueberries with a little instant tapioca, confectioner's sugar, and some lemon juice.  It was delicious, soft, creamy and tart, and the perfect way to thank my husband, my girls and my mom for all they do for me.  

For the filling:

2 cups fresh blueberries

1 tbsp. instant tapioca

1 tbsp. confectioner's sugar

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup lemon curd

Toss the first four ingredients together.

For the pastry: (Adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

1 ¼ all purpose flour, chilled in the freezer for 30 minutes

¼ tsp. salt

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces and chilled again

¼ cup sour cream

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Zest of ½ lemon

¼ cup ice water

Put flour and salt in a large bowl. Put pieces of butter in the flour mixture, and using a pastry cutter, cut it in until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. In a small bowl, mix together sour cream, lemon juice and water, and add to the butter flour mixture, mixing just until barely incorporated. Do not over mix dough. Pat the dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

To assemble:

Roll dough out on a floured surface until it is about twelve inches in diameter.  Transfer to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet.  Spread lemon curd in a thin layer over crust, leaving a 1 1/2 inch border all around.  Spread blueberry mixture evenly on top of lemon curd, and fold the border of remaining pastry dough over, pleating to make it fit.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until dough is golden.  Remove, let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, slice and serve.  The galette can be served warm or at room temperature.