Serious Eats: Recipes
Cook the Book: Tomato, Zucchini, and Leek Galette with Roasted Garlic Goat Cheese
[Photograph: Caroline Russock]
Emeril Lagasse is not a chef whose cooking style struck me as particularly delicate. I'd always thought of him as the "Bam!" guy whose mission to kick-it-up-a-notch resulted in food that was, well, kicked up. But the recipes in Farm to Fork couldn't be more understated, elegant even. It's almost as though Emeril has kicked it down a notch in his new book, letting the farm-fresh ingredients speak for themselves without need for any aggressive seasonings.
This Tomato, Zucchini, and Leek Galette with Roasted Garlic Goat Cheese is a perfect example of Emeril's newfound reverence for fresh produce. Ripe summer tomatoes, zucchini, and leeks are seasoned with just a touch of salt and white pepper, layered on a bed of herbed goat cheese and puff pastry. It's a gorgeous and simple dish that lets the true character of the ingredients come through with all of its summery goodness.
The galette that emerges from the oven is light and puffy, looking almost like a thick crusted pizza. But one you slice into it the puff pastry is all flakes and butter, crisp on the outer edges and softly melding with the goat cheese and tomatoes in the center.
The top layer of zucchini is sprinkled with shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano that browns in the oven making little crunchy-chewy rounds. Of course this wouldn't be a real Emeril recipe without a little bit of garlic, but this time the sharp flavor is tamed by roasting, and mixed into the tangy goat cheese for a bit of sweetness.
Win Farm to Fork
As always with our Cook the Book feature, we have five (5) copies of Farm to Fork to give away this week.