Pear Berry Galette

 

One of the greatest things about being home in Oregon is the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables. The other day me and my brother, Pantelis, went berry picking in the West Union Gardens and got a pint of marionberries, a pint of gooseberries, and a half pint of raspberries for $1.80. Not only was it a great deal, but the scenery was absolutely beautiful, just rows and rows of fresh berries and rolling green hills in the distance. While I was home I also noticed that my parents' pear tree was looking a bit weighed down with fruit, so I, being the kind and thoughtful daughter that I am, decided to help them out and pick a few to include in this galette. This was my first time making a galette, but I was very pleased with the results. The crust is easier to assemble than one that has to be trickily laid into a pie pan, and it makes a great summer dessert (tastes amazing a la mode too!) The marionberries can be substituted with blackberries if you're unable to find any nearby. I wasn't able to bring my camera with me on my trip home, and only brought a few of my lenses, but my good friend Jade Sheldon let me borrow her Canon 5D Mark II, which was definitely an upgrade from my good ol' T2i. So a big thanks to Jade for letting me borrow her awesomely expensive camera and use it in messy food situations.

Ingredients:

Crust

3 1/2 Cups Flour

1 Cup Butter

1/2 Cup Water

3 Teaspoons Sugar

1 Tablespoon Honey

1 Teaspoon Salt

3/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg

Filling

4 Pears

1 Pint Pink Gooseberries

1 Pint Marionberries or Blackberries

1/2 Pint Raspberries

1 Egg, whisked

1/2 Cup Sugar

2 Tablespoons plus 1 Teaspoon Cornstarch

1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

1 Tablespoon Butter

1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1/4 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Begin by making the crust. Mix together all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Then cut the butter into pea-sized pieces over the dry ingredients. Add the water and honey to the bowl and knead the dough together with your hands until all of the ingredients are well-blended together and there are no chunks of butter left in the dough. Shape the dough into a ball, cover, and refrigerate it.

Now you can make the filling. Fill a medium-sized bowl with water and
add the lemon juice to the water. Peel the pears and cut them into 1/4
inch thick slices, making sure to cut out the cores. Place the slices in
the lemon water as soon as you slice them, as this will help keep them
from browning. Set them aside.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Take the dough out of the refrigerator and place it on a well-floured surface. Roll it out into a circular shape until it is about 1/3 inch thick. Transfer it onto a well-greased baking pan and set it aside.

Mix together all of the dry ingredients in a large flat bowl until completely blended. Drain the pear slices and pat them dry with a paper towel. Add the pear slices, berries, and vanilla extract to the bowl and toss them in the dry ingredients until they are evenly coated in the sugary mixture. Pour the filling onto the middle of the crust, leaving at least 3 inches of crust-space around the filling.

Fold the edges up over the filling and tear off any extra crust so that the crust border is no more than 4 inches wide, (this way you can expose more of the pretty filling). Cut up the teaspoon of butter into pea-sized pieces and evenly distribute them over the exposed surface of the filling. Place the galette in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, then remove it and lightly brush some of the whisked egg over the exposed surfaces of the crust. Place the galette back in the oven and bake for another 30 minutes, or until the crust is a nice and shiny golden brown. Remove the galette from the oven and allow it to cool for 45 minutes before serving.