Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese Galette

There is always a bit of magic involved when selecting the perfect recipe to pair with a beautiful bottle of wine, or vice versa. Balancing flavors on the palate, with the fruit notes and acidity of specific grapes is a skill that I have found grows with practice and a generous dose of intuition. Grenache, a grape that is making a big splash in Waitsburg this weekend, is a cellar option that is celebrated for its versatility in food pairings. I have always loved red grenache in particular with fall flavors – roasted meats, warm spices and heavy flourishes of herbs are made for the smoothness found in a glass. Here the combination of aromatic herbed goat cheese with sweet butternut squash and pistachios baked in a rustically folded pastry crust, make for a delightful autumnal meal to share with a bottle you might pick up at this year's Grenache Fest.

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

½ cup ice water

8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

For the filling:

4 ounces fresh goat cheese, at room temperature

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped (divided)

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leave, chopped

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

2 cups butternut squash, peeled and finely sliced (about half a squash)

½ red onion, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon fresh sage, minced

1 teaspoon paprika

¼ cup pistachios, shelled and coarsely chopped

1 egg, beaten

Directions:

First make your crust. Combine the flour sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Have a measuring cup of ice water ready. Cut the butter into small squares and add to the bowl of flour. Working quickly, use a pastry cutter or your fingers to cut the butter into the flour, until the mixture has the texture of gravel, with some irregular and large pieces of butter throughout. Start pouring about half of the ice water, mixing gently with a fork to start forming clumps. Slowly add more water as needed until the mixture just starts to form a shaggy dough and can hold together when gently pressed together. Dump dough out onto a floured surface and gently pat into a disc shape. Wrap dough in plastic and let rest in the refrigeratorz for at least two hours.

When ready to start assembling, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a small mixing bowl, combine the goat cheese, 1 tablespoon of parsley, and thyme, mixing with a spatula. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Set aside.

In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the sliced squash, red onion, olive oil, sage, paprika, and the other tablespoon of parsley. Season generously with salt and black pepper to taste, tossing mixture to evenly coat in the oil.

Remove the crust dough from the fridge and work quickly to keep it very cold. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a 12- or 13-inch diameter, and carefully transfer it to the prepared baking sheet. Use a spoon to dollop the goat cheese mixture in the center of dough, gently spreading the cheese into a thin round layer, leaving about a 2-inch border around the edges. Next, arrange the squash and onion in a single, slightly overlapping layer over the cheese. Sprinkle the chopped pistachios over the top, then fold the crust edges up over the filling, crimping and tucking as you go. (The center will still be open on top, see the photo above.) Brush the edges with the egg wash and season with small pinch of salt and pepper.

Bake the galette until. the crust is golden, and the squash is cooked tender, between 35 to 50 minutes. The tops of the squash will start to get a little charring. If the crust starts to brown too quickly while the squash cooks, cover the edges lightly with foil. Allow the galette to rest on the baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes before transferring to a cutting board. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes:

The key to this recipe is to slice the squash thin enough that it roasts tender while the crust bakes. I used the neck half of the butternut squash to give me uniform half-moon slices, sliced less than a ¼-inch thick.

Instead of goat cheese you could substitute a cows-milk ricotta, mascarpone, or another fresh farmer-style cheese. Pecans or hazelnuts would be lovely in place of the pistachios. Or for those with nut allergies, you could substitute with pumpkin seeds.

Serve as a side-dish with roasted meats such as pork loin or lamb chops, or as a wonderful centerpiece to a vegetarian feast. A crisp salad on the side is perfect to balance the richness.

Enjoy