Rustic Tomato Galette

Serves 6

This savory entrée, inspired by rustic French freeform tarts, also serves nicely as an appetizer for as many as 10. The wholesome plant-oil crust tastes great, and the pastry is easy to work with. If it tears when you’re handling it, it’s a cinch to pinch it back together. Try it with a green bean and feta cheese salad.

Basic Pie Pastry

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. salt
½ cup canola oil
3 Tbs. cold water

Filling

5 large ripe tomatoes
1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)
½ tsp. minced fresh rosemary
1 Tbs. fine yellow cornmeal
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Prepare Basic Pie Pastry: Put flour and salt in large bowl; toss with fork. Make well in center; fill with oil and water. Blend briefly with fork, then—using wide, sweeping strokes—stir briskly, until evenly mixed. Dough will be dampish and oily.
Put dough on large piece of plastic. Flatten into 3/4-inch-thick disk; wrap in plastic. Let rest 10 minutes before using. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 400F.
To make Filling: Core, halve and seed tomatoes. Cut into 1⁄4-inch-thick slices. Cut small end pieces into small dice.
Roll pastry into 13-inch circle between two sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap. Peel off top sheet, invert pastry over center of parchment-lined baking sheet and peel off second sheet.
Mix garlic and rosemary in small cup. Sprinkle cornmeal over center of pastry, leaving 4-inch border. Make circle of overlapping tomato slices just inside cornmeal. Spread diced tomato inside circle of tomato slices, then cover dice and rest of center crust with more overlapping tomato slices. Sprinkle garlic mixture, salt and pepper to taste and Parmesan evenly over tomatoes.
Using spatula to help lift pastry, fold edge of dough over outer ring of tomatoes. If dough cracks, just pinch it back together. Bake 30 minutes. Reduce oven to 375F, and bake 15 minutes more, or until juice around tomatoes bubbles rapidly. Cool 10 minutes. Cut into wedges; serve warm.