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Stone Fruit Galette

Stone Fruit Galette


I sort of took last week off from blogging, writing, commenting, etc… It does not mean I took the week off from cooking or shooting but I had to focus on prepping the coming months. We celebrated a friend’s birthday, enjoyed the fireworks for the 4th of July while I already started shooting Fall and Thanksgiving features for a couple of magazines.

I thought shooting pumpkin pies and plump turkeys would make me crave the cooler weather of Fall but nope…did not happen. At the hand of a day spent in the heat of a covered porch or a well lit studio, all I wanted was to dive in some ice cream, grill a little and just put my feet up while sipping a gin & tonic.

Stone Fruit Love


I also made a commitment to be gentle of myself last week. A way to protect my time with friends and family before the chaos of the next few months. When I going over my schedule with my mother-in-law, she exclaimed in the sweetest Southern drawl "Da’lin…you made my head spin. Let me fix you some iced tea". Iced tea fixes everything. I am about 95% convinced of this by now.

Starting this week, it will be a few months of "crayzeeeee" until the Christmas holidays. Kicking things off when I head out to Alabama today for a real tasty two day shoot. Then it’s Scotland and Ireland, Washington D.C, Seattle, Canada, New Hampshire, more Canada and home for more shoots. There is time enough in between two planes for an anniversary, his birthday, a load of laundry and a few good meals with friends.

Stone Fruit Galette


A good mix of workshops and photo shoots. I was asked to submit a couple of bids for photography on cookbooks (which got accepted) and while I must wait a little longer to give you all the deeds on them, I am very grateful for the opportunities they provide. One takes me out of the country while the other lets me create a team with stylist and assistants I am friends with but also trust with my eyes closed. And the fun part? I won’t have to pay them in lollipops! All legit!! Ahahah!! Feels stupendous to be able to spread the love and create a team that inspires you and has the same need to create.

If only I did not have to have to crunch numbers, prepare bids and tally invoices. Always feel like it’s taking me away from creating, heading in the kitchen on a whim and just unplug and bake and write and blog. It’s a balancing act I am still trying to figure out. Everything I have done so far was to lead me to what I am doing now so it’s my responsibility to find the balance, the happy medium.

Cherries


And thank goodness for pies! Galettes, tarts, tartelettes… you name it. Where there is a crust and a filling, there is me, generally baking one or trailing not too far behind a piping hot generously filled pie.

They bring balance into my life. Or more precisely, the act of making a galette or tart forces me to stop. The action of rubbing flour and butter together gives me those five crucial minutes I needed to just take a moment. Rolling pie crust is incredibly good for stress relief. The moment you take a pie out of the oven. That wonderful "ahhhh…" that follows a sigh. Happy sigh.

Peaches


Then comes the wait. The ever so long twenty minutes to let that wonderful pie cool so you can go right ahead, grab a fork and dig in. If it’s for dinner with friends, it’s even harder to wait. But the rewards are well worth it. The smiles on other people’s face as you hand out a slice of pie. As long as I have served pies, I haven’t seen any furrowed brows yet…

Right in the middle of Summer, it would be criminal not to fill such a galette with all the stone fruits well abundant around at the market. Apricot, velvet apricots, peaches, cherries, nectarines, etc… Stupendously delicious. My new favorite word combination.

Baking With Stone Fruits


I love the simplicity of free formed galettes once in a while. It’s relaxing not to have walls and edges, trims and pie shells. Make dough, roll a rectangle, a square or a circle and fill. Pull the edges together and bake. Then dig in.

I am leaving some of that stone fruit galette in the fridge as I head out of town but you can be sure I am fixing myself a little slice for the plane ride. Or breakfast. It’s all about finding balance.

I hope the months ahead provide you with the same feelings of exhilaration, accomplishment, necessary adrenaline rush and relaxation. Hopefully with pie…

Stone Fruit Galette


All pictures © Helene Dujardin Photography.

Stone Fruit Galette:

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:
2 peaches, skinned, pitted and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 apricots, skinned, pitted and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 velvet apricots (or 2 large plums), skinned, pitted and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 Saturn peaches, skinned, pitted and cut into 1-inch pieces
3/4 cup cherries, pitted and halved
juice and zest of one lemon
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Your favorite pie crust. Or this one which I love.

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350F.
In a large bowl, toss all the prepared fruits with the lemon zest, juice and the honey. Mix well with a wooden spoon.
On a silpat or piece of parchment paper, roll the dough into a 10×15 rectangle (approximate). spoon the fruits right in the center, leaving about a 2-inch border on all edges. Fold the edges of the two short edges over the fruit, do the same for the long edges as if you were closing up a package but not quite closed all the way in the middle.
Brush the milk over the crust with a pastry brush. Sprinkle with the sugar and bake for about 30 to 40 minutes until golden brown.

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Comments


Marina@Picnic at Marina July 9, 2012 um 5:08 am

Aww, Helene… Pie is answer to any problems in my home… And there is nothing better than pie on the summer afternoon… Good luck with all your projects! 🙂


Antonia @ Health Inspirations July 9, 2012 um 7:18 am

What a wonderful recipe. We have some cherries left on our tree and fresh apricots in the fridge. I would love to try this. Fruits really do make the best summer desserts.


Judee @ Gluten Free A-Z July 9, 2012 um 11:16 am

your photography is so beautiful truly a work of art. Love the recipe too; a perfect summer pie


Winnie July 9, 2012 um 12:18 pm

So beautiful Helene! I love hearing about how you embrace each of your projects and how you feed your soul, as well 🙂


DessertForTwo July 9, 2012 um 12:58 pm

Oh gosh! You sound so busy, but I know you can do it all! Good luck 🙂 And don't forget the iced tea 🙂


Riley July 9, 2012 um 3:26 pm

This is so beautiful! I could eat that whole thing by myself it looks so delicious!


Jasmine Pahl July 9, 2012 um 3:26 pm

Ah Helene! I feel the drowsy days of summer in your words and can just about smell the sweet juices of that pie…stupendously delicious indeed.


Mary July 9, 2012 um 4:05 pm

Gallette is truly my favorite way to enjoy "pie" – and the simplest. It is often true that the most uncomplicated of desserts are the best.


Jennifer M Koskinen July 9, 2012 um 5:25 pm

What a lovely post – writing and photos! All the best in the upcoming craziness – can't wait to see updates!


Unknown July 9, 2012 um 5:53 pm

Congratulations on all your professional success including your upcoming projects and perfect galettes!


Amy | Appetite for Discovery July 9, 2012 um 7:34 pm

Oh Helene, your photos make my heart sing. Your blog was one of the first things that inspired me to take up food photography and each post motivates me even more to continue down that path and strive to be even half the photographer you are. Good luck with the next few months, sounds exciting! And oh how I wish I was attending one of those workshops…


Luisa July 9, 2012 um 7:55 pm

Helene!
I love your pictures. It makes me want to run to the kitchen and start baking.

Thanks for sharing.


Anonymous July 10, 2012 um 12:47 am

Wow!!! How absolutely inspiring… Lovely photos and mouthwatering recipes I can't wait to give a try myself! Happy Summer travels! Bon Voyage!


Sharyn Dimmick July 10, 2012 um 3:16 am

Perfect. Perfect. Nothing better than stone fruits made into pie — unless it's berries made into pie or berries and stone fruits made into pie.


Sharyn Dimmick July 10, 2012 um 3:18 am

Perfect. Perfect. Nothing is better than stone fruits made into pie, unless it is berries made into pie, or berries and stone fruits made into pie.


Beth Kirby | {local milk} July 10, 2012 um 3:38 am

Finding balance & living the dream… this post is incredibly inspiring to me. Really, really inspiring because while I can imagine the stresses of such a hectic pace (& the reality of paperwork drudgery…) you are doing exactly what I aspire to do with my life eventually! And I too love making pie/tarts/galettes above all else. It's intuitive…not fussy… just butter, flour, a little sugar, fruit.. and heat! I'm a southerner, so I guess it's in my blood!


susan July 10, 2012 um 4:48 am

This is gorgeous, Helene. I have been playing with galette doughs and I have been successful in taste, but not in the texture of the dough. I am going to try yours – cannot wait to create! Thanks for the inspiration.


Outline Amy July 10, 2012 um 12:46 pm

This looks delish! I love pies anyway, but this one contains more fruit that I've ever dreamed of, lovely recipe.


Amandine July 10, 2012 um 2:22 pm

Vos photos remplissent les yeux, Hélène.
Merci

Monia


Giulia July 10, 2012 um 3:33 pm

Good luck with all your projects! You are indeed a busy bee. I just got back from US and I already miss iced tea – we don't get it in Canada unless we make it ourselves. I love that in the US you can get it so readily in restaurants.


Helena / Rico sin Azúcar July 10, 2012 um 5:48 pm

Beautiful galette! I like summer (despite the hot weather) because of the all types of fruit we can enjoy.
Wonderful and yummy idea 😉


Jen Laceda | Milk Guides July 11, 2012 um 4:47 am

Stupendously delicious! I like that word 'stupendous'! My daughter's favourite book, Fancy Nancy, likes to use that word! Your tart looks stupendously delicious! Congrats on all the accepted bids! Was there any doubt that you would get it? You're so crazeeeee talented!


Jackie @Syrup and Biscuits July 11, 2012 um 1:45 pm

The simplest things are the best things. Love this rustic dessert.


Lumai July 12, 2012 um 2:33 pm

Hi,

I have long been subscribed to your blog and I am so inspired by your photography! I would love to take your course, so perhaps you could come to South Africa 🙂 I have a blog which I mostly focus on vegetarian and raw foods that I make : www.rawfoodreligion.blogspot.com.

Thank you for endless inspiration and beautiful photos.


kelly July 14, 2012 um 10:38 pm

Looks lovely. I want to say that I loved your book. Thanks for a very easy to understand and practical book. I didn't want to finish the book, it was like a good fried.

Kelly (Craft Until Your Art's Content)


kelly July 19, 2012 um 4:53 am

Sorry the above comment was supposed to say I didn't want to finish your book as it was like a good friend. Pardon the pun 'fried' I will be glad to get my reading glasses back!

Kelly


Andrew July 22, 2012 um 10:58 am

have peaches, have apricots and cherries – now I know what to make; and with the sun finally out in this part of the world 'summer' is in!


Anonymous July 25, 2012 um 6:12 am

Such pretty blues and peaches and oranges in this post! Very nice work.


diana cese August 1, 2012 um 2:48 pm

looks so rustic and delicious!


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