Cherry Tomato & Caramelized Onion Galettes

Layered with homemade balsamic tomato & onion jam

I’ll be honest, my favorite baking season isn’t fall; it isn’t the holidays; it’s right now, when all of the peak summer fruits and veggies are waiting to be turned into delicious pies, crisps, upside-down cakes, compotes, and jams. I know it’s not exactly cozy inside, in fact my kitchen right now is downright muggy, but to me it’s worth it to make the most of summer’s bounty. This post is my last of the summer, and it’s my favorite, where the star of the season - the tomato - takes center stage in some stunning galettes. To make them, I cut my vegan flaky pie dough into individual rounds, then layer these with vegan chive cream cheese and homemade balsamic tomato and onion jam.

I want to pause here and just talk about how good this jam is, because it combines the aforementioned star of the season with one of my favorite condiments, caramelized onions, which, yes, are in my book a condiment. Balsamic vinegar lends sparkling sweetness and acidity, while warm spices add depth, and ginger and red pepper flake bring the heat. It is marvelous, and you will find yourself, as I have, spreading it on far more than these galettes.

But back to the galettes. So after the cream cheese and the jam, they’re topped with an adorable array of heirloom cherry tomatoes, in purple, red, orange, and yellow hues, then baked to flaky perfection and finished with some fresh basil. I mean, you can’t have tomatoes and balsamic vinegar without basil. They make for a lovely lunch with a green salad or an impressive appetizer for your Labor Day cookouts this weekend. Both recipes are below, the jam for free subscribers and the full galette recipe for paid subscribers. Happy last weekend of summer! Wherever you are, soak up some sun for me.

Balsamic Tomato & Onion Jam

Makes about 1 cup

45 mins active time, 1 hour 45 mins total time

Ingredients

13 g (1 tbsp) olive oil

340 g (3/4 lb, about 2 medium) red onions, thinly sliced

680 g (1 1/2 lbs, about 6 medium) roma tomatoes, peeled, cored, seeded and chopped

50 g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar

110 g (1/2 cup, lightly packed) light brown sugar

60 g (1/4 cup) balsamic vinegar

15 g (1 tbsp) fresh ginger, grated

1 stick cinnamon

1/8 tsp allspice

1/8 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp black pepper

3 g (1 tsp) kosher salt (Diamond Crystal or see note below)

Instructions

1. Cook the red onions in the olive oil in a large pot over high heat until they begin to caramelize

2. Add 2 tbsp of water and continue cooking until they begin to brown again

3. Repeat step 2, continuing to add water as the onions brown, until they are completely soft and caramelized, about 15 mins

4. Add the tomatoes, sugars, vinegar, spices, and salt to the pot

5. Bring the mixture to a boil and continue cooking until the mixture is jammy, about 1 hour

6. Cool completely

7. Jam keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks

Notes & Variations

• Kosher salt: I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt, which has larger crystals than other kinds of kosher salt, normal table salt or fine sea salt. As a result, when measured by volume (teaspoons/tablespoons) it will add less "saltiness" than an equal quantity of the other salts. If you are not using Diamond Crystal, I recommend measuring your salt by weight, in which case you won't run into this issue. Otherwise, use half the volume quantity of salt

Things I Used

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Ingredients

Food52 Everyday Italian balsamic vinegar

Diamond Crystal kosher salt

Equipment

Henckels chef’s knife

All-Clad 8-qt stock pot

Microplane graters

The recipe for my cherry tomato & caramelized onion galettes is available for paid subscribers below!