When my Nonna called me and told me she had bought a big box of peaches and she couldn’t eat them all herself, I expected that she’d have maybe a dozen peaches to give me. What I actually went home with was no fewer than 42 perfectly ripe peaches. And this was after I had stopped at the blueberry farm on the way to her house to pick nearly 5 pounds of blueberries.
I didn’t know that there were 42 peaches until I counted out 38 of them a day later and mentally added the four that Phillip and I had already eaten. (Three of those were Phillip’s.) As I started developing recipes to use up the peaches before they got too soft, I noticed that their numbers were dwindling rapidly. Phillip the Peach Thief was snagging one at every turn, and, for my part, I kept handing some of the smaller ones to Nolan because watching him eat a whole peach with no assistance is the cutest thing ever.
It isn’t quite summer until I’ve made at least one galette, so it was my first choice in recipes. I wish I could say that I planned this to look like my favorite summer flower, the sunflower, but it just worked out that way all on its own. I’m not that organized.
I’ve developed a bit of an obsession with buckwheat. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I fell in love with the flavor when I was attempting an ill-fated allergen-free tarte tatin several months ago. Because despite the fact that the tart fell apart, I couldn’t stop picking at the shards of the syrup-soaked buckwheat crust.
I took these photos in the 15 minutes while Nolan was eating his post-nap lunch, right before we rushed out the door to pick up my friend and her kids for a zoo visit. I even did a tripod shot of me sifting powdered sugar onto the tart, but when I later reviewed the photos, I realized that my cell phone was smack dab in the front of every one of those frames. Also, my eyebrows looked a little bit drag-queeny that day.
I didn’t leave before I had a piece of the tart of course, and I shoved a few slices into a container to take to my friend, because I’m super generous. I ate a slice for breakfast the next day and didn’t feel too bad about it because it’s fruit with minimal added sugar, and buckwheat is totes healthy. Oh, the lies I tell myself.
PEACH & BLUEBERRY GALETTE WITH BUCKWHEAT CRUST
- 1 cup (120 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (60 grams) buckwheat flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 10 tablespoons (140 grams) very cold unsalted butter, sliced
- 5-6 tablespoons ice cold water
- 4 medium peaches (about 1½ pounds total)
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar*
- ¼ teaspoon plus ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
- 1 cup (150 grams) blueberries
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar*
- 1½ teaspoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons almond meal
- Egg wash (1 large egg + pinch of kosher salt, lightly whisked)
- Confectioners’ sugar for dusting (optional)
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, buckwheat flour, sugar, and salt. Sprinkle cold butter slices over the top and use a pastry blender to cut in the butter so there are some large and small pieces, the largest being about the size of peas. Drizzle in 4 tablespoons of cold water and use a rubber spatula to fold it in. Drizzle in 1-2 more tablespoons of water, until the dough sticks together.
- Turn the dough out onto a work surface and form the crumbs into a loose rectangle. Starting at the end of the dough furthest from you, use the heel of your hand to smear the dough forward, continuing this process as you move down the rectangle. Gather the dough into a rectangle again and repeat the smearing process. Gather the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- When ready to bake, place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of your oven, set the other rack to the center position, and preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut a sheet of parchment paper to the size of a half sheet pan. Place the parchment on a work surface and lightly dust it with flour. Roll the crust dough into a circle that exceeds the width of the parchment by about 2-inches (about 14-15 inches in diameter). Slide the parchment with the rolled crust onto your baking sheet and place in the refrigerator while you make the filling.
- Slice peaches in half and remove the pits with a spoon, trying to keep things as neat as possible. Use a sharp paring knife to cut each peach half into 8 thin slices for a total of 64 slices. Place the peach slices into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle with brown sugar and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon and toss very gently to coat the peaches. In a medium mixing bowl, toss the blueberries with granulated sugar, flour, lemon juice, and remaining ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon.
- Remove the crust from the refrigerator. Sprinkle almond meal in the center of the dough, leaving a 1- to 2-inch border uncovered. Arrange the peach slices in two concentric circles over the almond meal, overlapping them slightly and leaving a circle in the middle for the blueberries. Spread the blueberries into the center of the tart. Fold the edges of the dough inward as decoratively or as “rustic” as you like. Brush off any excess flour on the edge with a pastry brush, then use the pastry brush to brush egg wash onto the edge of the crust.
- Bake for 45-60 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling slightly and the crust is golden brown. Cool for at least 4 hours before serving. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving, if desired.
- *My peaches and blueberries were pretty sweet, so I didn’t add a lot of sugar. If you think your fruit needs a bit of extra help, add some extra sugar.
