Rosemary, Goat Cheese and Fig Galette

This week I'm out of town for the Better Homes and Gardens Stylemakers Event in NYC, lucky me. And to change it up a bit, I'm asked some of my favorite bloggers to guest post for me. I'm pretty picky and like to create my own content, so I'm only bringing you top notch, quality bloggers here guys.

I'm so pleased to introduce you to a blogger you need to know. Today Julianne is going to bring you a gorgeous recipe for a Rosemary, Goat Cheese and Fig Galette, sounds amazing, right? 

Hello Oleander and Palm readers! I am so honored that I was asked to share a recipe here. My name is Julianne and I write over on Fern and Fog, where I try to highlight the beautiful, everyday moments in our lives: a lively family meal, quiet moments of retrospect or artful endeavors.  

Cooking in my home can be lively or quiet, artful or just messy, but all-in-all, an adventure which my whole family must partake in. Usually I can create something edible. In this case, I cooked up something truly delicious.

I have recently given figs a chance. Growing up I never ate a fig, if I did I had no clue what it was. Now I see figs everywhere and in the town where I live people eat them as nonchalantly as a basket of strawberries. I was told by a sweet persuader who thought I might be irked by the way they look, “take a bite, but don’t look at the center.”  I followed those directions and was pleasantly surprised at how mild and subtly sweet they were, and the center only looks slightly like a brain.

I am now completely curious about how to cook with them. Upon research I discovered some pairings that complimented these sweet little fruits: honey, earthy prosciutto or a little goat cheese. Thus came the rosemary, goat cheese and fig galette.

Sometimes I impress myself. It’s crazy. A galette is a free-form crusty cake, basically a really rustic pie. I appreciate making something that is a little less than perfect and calling it “rustic”.

Rosemary, Goat Cheese and Fig Galette

2 large onions (1 ½ pounds), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 sprig rosemary, more for garnish

Pinch sugar

1 teaspoon sherry vinegar

¼ cup milk

1 egg

Flour for dusting

¾ pound prepared puff pastry or pie dough

1 pint fresh figs (3/4 pound), stemmed and cut in half lengthwise

5 ounces goat cheese (I used Cypress Grove’s Truffle Tremor)

2 tablespoons pine nuts

Honey for drizzling (optional)

1. In a large skillet over low heat, melt butter with oil. Add onions, rosemary and sugar. Cook, tossing occasionally, until onions are limp and golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, scraping any browned bits from bottom of pan.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and egg until smooth. Stir in the onions that have just been caramelized and about 4 ounces of crumbled goat cheese. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line an 11 by 17-inch baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry to a 9 by 12-inch rectangle. Transfer to baking sheet.

3. Use a fork to spread onion mixture evenly over pastry (let excess egg mixture drip back into bowl), leaving a 1-inch border. Arrange figs, cut-side up, in even rows on onion mixture (if they don’t look perfect, that’s ok! It will add to the rustic theme). Scatter cheese and pine nuts over figs. Use a pastry brush to dab edges of tart with egg mixture. Gently fold over edges of tart to form a lip and brush with more egg mixture.

4. Bake until pastry is puffed and golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve, sprinkled with rosemary needles and drizzled with honey, if desired. Cut into wedges and serve at hot, warm or at room temperature.

Yield: 8 servings.