Strawberry Rhubarb Galette

Periodically I revive the mid-afternoon coffee and cake habit that Ruedi and I picked up while on vacation. We call it cafe en kuchen, because it started in Germany, but carried on into other trips and at home. As much as I like to take credit for these notions, this isn't anything new. Nothing caps off an afternoon of wandering with a latte and sweet treat. I know this because cafes are full of wanderers like us waiting to dive into a tart or other delicacy along with their mid-afternoon coffee. When at home, I occasionally bake something we can dive into at 3pm (International cafe and kuchen time; 3:30 in Newfoundland). It feels decadent and my senses dip back into vacation mode as a result.
This weekend I experimented with a gingerbread and galette recipe and while both were successful, I only managed to get pictures of one of the results.

Thanks to one of my coworkers, I've been given access to an unending amount of rhubarb this summer. I made two galettes; he gets one of them. I'd suggest making two at all times. The galettes wind up being smaller than one anticipates and only serves four. If you want a second piece and have guests, you are out of luck!

Adapted From: http://the-salty-tomato.com

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup rhubarb, chopped in 1/4" pieces
• 1 cup strawberries, sliced
• juice and zest of half a lemon
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 t corn starch
• 1, 9" frozen pie dough, thawed
• 1 T milk
• handful of brown sugar

Method

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, combine the corn starch and lemon juice in a bowl until all the starch is dissolved. Add the rhubarb, strawberries, lemon zest and granulated sugar, stirring well.

Roll the pie dough out and place in a 9" baking dish. Pour all of the fruit mixture into the centre of the dough and fold the edges of the the dough over onto the fruit, leaving the centre exposed. Brush the edges of the dough with milk and sprinkle the brown sugar over top. Bake for 35 minutes or until the crust is golden.  Serve with enormous dollops of whipped cream.

The Picnic Lives

Yes, summer's still alive and well and I can't think of a better way to celebrate it than with vegetables. I found this Green Goddess sandwich recipe on the Bonjon Gourmet about a month ago and was enchanted by its layers of green vegetables wrapped in fresh bread.

Aside from an abundance of fresh ingredients, the magic of this sandwich is in the spread. Fresh herbs, lemon, garlic and some kick courtesy of a few anchovies make it a great fit with the vegetables. It also makes the spread appealing as a salad dressing when thinned a little with water. I've made these a couple of times and have swapped out the herbs in the spread for whatever combination I could find that was fresh.  As for the vegetables, I couldn't find any green tomatoes, so my green theme had to take a backseat. It still makes for a pretty little meal!

Adapted from: http://bojongourmet.com

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

Spread

• 1/3 cup basil
• 1/3 cup parsley
• 1/3 cup chives
• 2 cloves of garlic
• juice and zest of half a lemon
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 t salt
• 2 anchovies

Pickled Onions

• 1 white onion, sliced
• 1 cup vinegar
• 2 t sugar
• 1 t salt

Sandwich Fixings

• 1 tomato, sliced
• 1 cup pea sprouts
• 1 cup spinach leaves
• 1 avocado sliced
• 1/2 English cucumber, sliced
• 100g asiago
• 100g brie

Method
For the spread, combine all of the ingredients in a blender (Vitamix!) and puree. To pickle the onions, combine the onions and other ingredients and let sit for at least 30 minutes.

Assemble the sandwich with the suggested ingredients on the bread of your choice. Enjoy!