For years, I shied away from eating beets. I wanted to like them for their beautiful color…but didn’t like the taste. That changed when my friend Sara L. moved into my building. She insisted I try her roasted beets, and that was all it took; I was hooked and am now willing to try beets in a variety of dishes, like this show-stopping side dish. I served it to guests, one of whom had three slices. I know who will be calling me for the recipe…
For the Pastry
1¼ cups all-purpose flour, chilled in the freezer for 30 minutes
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
8 tablespoons (1 stick) Crisco
¼ cup Tofutti sour cream
2 teaspoons vinegar
¼ cup ice water
Filling
1 8-ounce container Tofutti sour cream at room temperature
1 egg
1 garlic clove, crushed
½ teaspoon salt
Vegetables
4 small Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium beet, peeled and thinly sliced
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon coriander
½ teaspoon black pepper
Glaze
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
2 parsley cubes, defrosted
1 tablespoon oil
- Prepare the dough. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Cut Crisco into small pieces and add to flour. Add sour cream, vinegar, and water, and mix with your fingers to create a soft dough. Do not overwork the dough.
- Flatten dough, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, prepare the filling. In a
small bowl, combine sour cream, garlic, egg, and salt.
- Prepare the vegetables. Preheat oven to 400ºF. On a baking sheet, toss potatoes with half the olive oil and spices. On a second baking sheet, toss beets with remaining olive oil and spices. Spread in a single layer. Bake for 30 minutes or until vegetables are soft and cooked through.
- Assemble the galette. Oven temperature should remain at 400ºF. Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out on parchment paper to a 12-inch round dough. Spread Tofutti mixture evenly over dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Layer potatoes and beets attractively over the filling in concentric circles, starting at the outside edge. Fold border over edges of the vegetables, pleating the edge.
- Transfer parchment paper with galette to a baking sheet and bake until galette is golden brown, 30-40 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the glaze. Combine garlic, parsley, and oil. Brush on top of galette immediately after removing from oven. Let stand for 5 minutes before removing from baking sheet. Transfer to platter and serve hot.
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
