Hope you guys have had a good week and are ready for the weekend! We certainly are. It was Duncan’s birthday on Wednesday and we are having some friends over to celebrate, which we are looking forward to immensely as we have not seen them in over a year.
Duncan is particularly excited as being able to celebrate this birthday this year makes a nice change. Last year he was in bed with Covid for his birthday and the year before that, while we went away to Devon for it, he got bad news about a job he was really keen on. He got through all the stages of the interview process to be told, the day before his birthday, that it’s a no and the reasons seemed quite vague too. It was very raw and he felt a little low even though hiking in gorgeous Devon cheered him up a little. I’m planning on making one of his favourite cakes – a new, improved version of my walnut and coffee cake (which I shall post soon, promise) and an alternative little one for my friends’ 4 year old as she is already pretty energetic and I don’t think coffee would be advisable 😉 , plus a pastitsio and a big green salad for lunch – that’s probably all I can muster in the time I have and there might be some leftovers of this zucchini galette too if we don’t devour it all by then! I was hoping to release this recipe before Easter but I ran out of time. Still, it’s a very timely dish that is perfect for any gatherings like picnics or garden lunches, which as lockdown lifts and more and more people get vaccinated we will all be keen on, I imagine. It’s really easy to make and quite versatile so you can easily replace zucchini with charred asparagus or a mound of garlicky spinach. What is really nice about a galette is how easy it is to make, there is no need for a tart case or any time consuming shaping, yet it delivers the satisfying crunch of pastry against the softness and indulgence of the soft and creamy centre. I used spelt flour as it makes a delicious savoury pastry and some homemade dukkah as I like little pops of flavour here and there. You can use some crushed hazelnuts and fennel seed mixed in with salt instead too. I also opted to heap an entire grilled zucchini on top at the end because it looks really pleasing but you can opt for a lower effort option and cook thinly sliced zucchini rounds directly on top of the galette. Whatever you choose, make it and I bet you that people will be fighting for scraps!
150 g / 1 heaped cup cashews, soaked in boiling water for at least 30 minutes 30 ml / 2 tbsp lemon juice + zest 1 lemon 120 ml / ½ cup almond milk 4 roasted garlic cloves (½ head) or 1 raw clove ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp pepper 1 tsp white miso paste a handful of mint or basil leaves (optional) 2 courgettes / small zucchini 1-2 tsp olive oil
DECORATION (optional)
roasted and crushed hazelnuts a drizzle of wild garlic or basil pesto or olive oil
ASSEMBLY
