Rustic Eggplant, Tomato, and Herb Feta Galette

This tasty little number will have friends and family satiated all summer long. We love a good veggie galette as it is an ideal way to take advantage of all those farmers market veggies! Eggplant and tomato are one of those classic duos, like pie and ice cream, peanut butter and jelly, salt and pepper! They've got a thing for each other, they like taking long walks on the beach, sharing margaritas, and always bring out each others best! Creamy, meaty eggplant paired with the acidic sweetness of the tomato is dynamite! And, then, you add in all that luscious feta! Forget about it! All you need is to pour some wine, relax and savor summers bounty.


Rustic Eggplant, Tomato and Herb Feta Galette
Serves 6-8
 
1/2 batch of your favorite pie dough or store bought, enough for one disc

Filling
6-8 oz. soft feta cheese, plus 1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1 large Eggplant, sliced into ¼ inch rounds
½ onion, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
½ pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, plus a few leaves for garnish
Olive Oil for sautéing eggplant and vegetable, about 1/2 cup
1/2 tsp. sea salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon
1 tsp. pepper
1 egg, beaten
 
 
Preheat oven to 400
Take your sliced eggplant and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Let it sit on paper towels for about ten minutes.
 
Place half your olive oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat.  Lay in your eggplant and sauté until soft and beginning to brown. Remove and set aside. You may need to do in batches and use more olive oil as eggplants are little sponges.
 
Add more oil to pan and add the onion, garlic, and the rest of your salt and pepper and sauté until soft and beginning to brown. Remove and set aside.
 
In a blender or food processor place 6-8 ounces of feta, milk, lemon zest, and parsley. Blend or pulse until creamy.
 
Roll out your dough on a well-floured surface.  Trim sides to get as close to a circle as you can then save the scraps. Move dough onto a parchment lined baking tray preferably without a lip.
 
Spread your feta cheese mixture gently on the dough, keeping a 2-inch rim around the side. Place rounds of eggplant. Top with your halved tomatoes, parsley and the remaining feta.
 
Brush with egg wash and start at twelve o’clock, folding the dough in. Work your way around the tart and use the egg wash to seal your folds. You will get about 6-8 folds resembling an octagon or hexagon.  You can stop here and brush with egg wash. Or, reroll scraps and have some fun with cookie cutters, using the egg wash to help stick your shapes to the tart. When done decorating, brush with egg wash.
 
Bake for 40-50 minutes until cheese begins to melt and dough is brown.  If it browns too quickly cover with foil and keep baking.