Summer Veggie Phyllo Galette

I am going to admit that a few weeks ago I couldn't have told a galette from a tart. Even now, one just looks lazier than another to me.

Tart: Try hard to make your crust look pretty.
Galette: Don't.

Some peasant in ancient France probably laughed at the people who assigned a name to her poor attempt at dealing with the excess crust hanging over the edge of her tart pan.

Whatever the reason for the existence of a galette, eating one is pretty nice (as are most things that involve pastry crusts). I heard about a vegetable version of this usually fruit-based food (recipe found here and modified to make my galette) and I thought it would be a good summer side dish. I also wanted an excuse to buy more phyllo dough, so I decided to make it a Summer Veggie Phyllo Galette.

What you don't see above are the three cheeses all melty underneath the veggies. Mmmmmmmmm.

It wasn't terribly hard to make, honestly. Read on to learn how.

Ingredients:

1 medium zucchini
1 medium summer squash
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese (either grated or, if fresh, chopped)
8 sheets of phyllo dough
additional olive oil for brushing the dough
1 egg yolk
1 Tbs. water
1 Tbs. butter, melted

Assembly:

Start by slicing the Zucchini and the Summer Squash into 1/4 inch rounds. Place all the rounds onto a double layer of paper towel and sprinkle with kosher salt. Allow to drain for 30 minutes.

While the veggies are draining, whisk the Olive Oil and the Garlic together in a small bowl.
Measure the Ricotta, 1/3 cup of the Parmesan, Mozzarella, and 2 teaspoons of the garlic oil into a medium bowl. Add Salt and Pepper as desired.

Mix the cheeses together until smooth.

You should preheat your oven to 400º right about now.
Grease a pie plate and place your first sheet of Phyllo into the bottom so that even portions hang over the edge (always be careful to avoid letting your phyllo dry out. That makes it easier to fold and mess with. I use a very lightly damp kitchen towel). Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with about a teaspoon of the remaining parmesan cheese.

Repeat those steps with the rest of the phyllo sheets, alternating directions if your sheets are rectangular.
When all 8 sheets have been brushed and cheesed, press the three-cheese mixture into the bottom.

See how my towel is keeping the excess dough moist?

Pat the tops of the zucchini and summer squash with a dry paper towel. Shingle the veggies in concentric circles atop the cheeses.

I had a few pieces left over - save them for another day.
Drizzle the remaining garlic oil over the veggies.
Now. Very carefully fold up the extra dough to create about a 2-inch covering around the edges. The center should be exposed.

It's not the cleanest looking thing, but the taste, people, the taste!
Whisk together the Egg Yolk and the Water to create an egg glaze. Brush the exposed phyllo with the glaze (watch for pooling - mine pooled a bit and then those areas got really dark in the oven).

Bake your galette in the center of the oven for 30 minutes or until the phyllo is browned and the veggies start to wilt a bit. Remove from the oven and brush the phyllo with the melted butter. Pop it back in the oven for 2 minutes or so. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Remove the galette to a serving plate and serve hot, warm, or even at room temperature.