Happy First Day of Spring!
Does it feel like spring where you live? Not here. We had snow in Washington, D.C. last night. And today, it’s just downright cold and dreary.
But I am ever optimistic that spring is really just around the corner. Blue skies. Sunshine. Daffodils. Open toes. Grilling out. A glass of white wine on the deck on a warm night. AND a light, lemony salad on buttery puffed pastry! How’s spring looking to you now?
I’ve adapted this recipe from the one I’ve been eyeing in several editions of Fine Cooking. The flavors are so straightforward and light. A simple spinach salad with some earthy mushrooms and buttery toasted pine nuts are tossed in a little olive oil and lemon juice. That’s it. And that’s perfect. Well . . . . . almost.
Sure, we can put that delightful little salad in a bowl. But why? When we can layer it on a warm, cheesy, salty bite of puffed pastry! Brace yourself, friends!
Your kitchen will smell heavenly. So try to resist the urge to slice into this and start eating before you can top it with your salad. But hey, if you must; I’m your friend and I will never judge! The feta, lemon, dill and spinach. . . . . all great spring flavors. But you can certainly use different types of cheese, herbs and greens to change this up. As a matter of fact, you may see a version of this for every season here. It’s that good and that easy.
The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup of crème fraiche
- 2 Tablespoons of chopped, fresh dill
- Zest of 1 lemon
- salt and pepper
- 1 sheet of frozen puffed pastry
- 1 cup of crumbled feta cheese
- 5 ounces of baby spinach
- 1 cup of thinly sliced mushrooms
- ¼ cup of toasted pine nuts
- 3 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, crème fraiche, chopped dill, lemon zest, a pinch of salt and about 10 grinds of pepper.
- Tear off a piece of parchment paper to fit a rimmed baking sheet.
- Place that paper on your counter and unfold your puff pastry dough on top of it.
- Use your rolling pin to roll out the pastry dough to about 10 x 12 inches.
- Move the parchment with your dough back on to the baking sheet.
- Wet the edges of the dough with water and fold over a ½ inch border.
- Spread the feta evenly over the surface of the dough.
- Starting from the center, slowly pour the egg mixture over the cheese, being careful not to slosh onto the border.
- Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes.
- Look for the pastry to be puffed and brown on the edges and the filling is golden brown.
- Slide the galette onto a cooling rack. Cool until the galette is still warm but not hot.
- Cut into 4 rectangles and place on serving plates.
- In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil and lemon juice with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Add the mushrooms and stir.
- Add the spinach and pine nuts and toss to coat.
- Arrange a handful of spinach salad on each galette.
- Serve immediately with a lemon wedge.
Oh this is nice, very nice and springy! I just received a notice that we’re expecting a snow storm the end of the week so I may have to make this to cheer myself up. Your pictures are amazing!
Sandra Garth recently posted…Southwest Mac & Cheese
Thanks Sandra! Noooooo! No more snow! I may need to have a piece of one of your beautiful cakes to cheer me up! : )
Warmish weather here, and sunny, so it definitely seems like spring. Plus our lawn has greened up, and looks like it needs cutting! Anyway, love the idea of these feta dill galettes! Very creative. Good dish — thanks.
John/Kitchen Riffs recently posted…Asparagus with Savory Whipped Cream
Thanks John! Ahhh yes….I love springtime. Except for allergies and lawn care! I’m just glad the sun is shining! : )
This sounds so lovely. I am afraid though that the minute puff pastry comes out of the oven, I would be digging in. So, probably two separate dishes for me 🙂
Kris ~Big Rigs ‘n Lil’ Cookies recently posted…Almost Like Granny’s Chocolate & Peanut Butter Chip Cookies
Thanks Kris. I won’t lie. I didn’t top the other pastries with salad. I ate them like pizza! : )