Buckwheat galette …WHB
This post should actually be called “what I learned on my vacation, part 1″. That’s because I never ate a buckwheat galette until going to Paris and now it’s all I think about. Wow, do I have some ground to make up. But isn’t it always the case…you’re chugging along through life, you go on vacation and BAM, you learn all kinds of new things and return home wondering how you can possibly live anywhere that doesn’t have a crepe stand or creperie restaurant at least every five blocks… or whatever it is you become obsessed with. Obviously I’m currently obsessed with crepes…since I’ve been home I’ve made nutella and banana crepes for the guys every morning and last night I turned my attention to the savory side…a buckwheat galette.
First off, my crepes aren’t round, they’re rectangle because I have an electric griddle that is perfect for this and it’s a rectangle. Secondly, buckwheat crepes aren’t called crepes, they’re galettes and they can’t be made on a whim…the batter has to age overnight in the refrigerator…I’m just telling you up front because I didn’t know that until I read the instructions (duh!). Third, you need buckwheat flour…and that’s where we get to the good part.
Buckwheat isn’t a grain at all…it’s a seed and it’s related to the rhubarb family. The seed is similar to the sunflower seed in that it’s a single seed within a hard shell. The inner part of the seed is white, the outer layer is green or tan, and the hull is brown or black…which explains the appearance of buckwheat as a dark, rather coarse flour with a nutty scent and flavor. All of which makes it the perfect post to add to Weekend Herb Blog, hosted this week by Kalyn herself.
My recipe for the buckwheat galette comes from David Lebovitz and while I didn’t change it this time I think I’ll add more butter and salt the next time. I filled it with cheese, bacon, chunks of potatoes, creme fraiche, red onions, and parsley. The inspiration for the filling was a galette I ate in Paris that had that exact same combination. Served with a side salad, a glass of vin rouge, well it was almost parisian.
There was leftover batter and filling ingredients so this morning when I was cranking out the banana nutella crepes for Alex and Dex I whipped up another galette for GH and topped it with an egg. That’s another thing I learned on vacation…the french put eggs on lots of things like galettes, croque monsieur (which turns it into a croque madam….funny, huh?), salad, pastry…etc. It does have the way of making a nice sauce…the broken yolk pouring down into the gooey fillings.
It’s time for some linky love. Erin over at Cooking and Eating in the Windy City recently gave me the “You Make My Day” award (hereinafter referred to as the Clint Eastwood Award) and while I’ve not had the time to pass it on, nor have I had the time to catch up to the memes that have been sent my way, I do appreciate the attention. Erin has a killer picture/recipe of Braised Chicken with Shallots, Garlic, and Balsamic vinegar that I’m hoping to try out next week.
Weekend herb blog No. 109 - recap
I can’t believe all the good food that my fellow herb bloggers made this past week…you’re a busy group. This was a tough job because every time I sat down to work on the recap I got hungry.
Basil
- Marinated baby bocconci with proscuito from Pam’s blog The Backyard Pizzeria
- Roasted Tomato Soup with Ground Beef, Sausage, Garbanzos, Macaroni, and Basil from Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen (creator and Queen of WHB)
- Seared Scallops over Baby Greens & Apple Cider Vinaigrette from Ruth at Once Upon A Feast
- Penang gai from Kevin’s Closet Cooking
Pam’s offering would make a great appetizer for thanksgiving, Kalyn’s cooking is so healthy yet totally tasty looking, Ruth’s luscious looking greens are accenting some perfect scallops, and Kevin’s thai curry looks delicate but I bet it packs a punch.
Bay
- Tomato, Chorizo and Chickpea Stew from Y at Lemonpi
- Chicken etouffee from me here at What Geeks Eat
Y’s bay is fresh and homegrown, while mine is dried.
Beets
- Spicy beets and peas curry from Kalva at Curry in Kadai
- Roasted Beets with Celery Root Skordalia from Laurie at Tastes Like Home
Kalva claims you can’t beet (and she’s funny too) her recipe and Laurie’s recipe for skordalia made from celery root sounds intriguing.
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Shallots from Sarah at Cucina Bella
- Chinese cabbage salad from Gretchen at Canela & Comino
- Minestrone from Kate at Thyme for cooking
- Orecchiette With Rapini and Crispy Bread Crumbs from Peter at Kalofagas - Pursuit of Delicious Foods
Sarah featured tiny little cabbages enhanced by bacon and shallots, Gretchen taught me about sacha inchi oil which is very high in omega 3, Kate revealed she can’t help herself…she’s compelled tomake huge pots of soup (so am I!), and Peter made my favorite kind of food…quick, easy, inexpensive but luxurious in taste and texture, and healthy.
Chestnuts
- Herbed Chestnut Dressing or Stuffing from Eva at The Chocolate Lady
- Roasted chestnuts from Genie at The Inadvertent Gardener
Eva gives us a timely dressing recipe and Genie gives us the lowdown on chestnuts and roasting them.
Chive, dill, onion, spinach and green chili
- Chive bread from Jennifer at Like To Cook
- Cipolline Borettane con Prosciutto and Aceto Balsamico from Haalo at Cook Almost Anything
- Celery roots in olive oil from Isil at Veggie Way
- Spinach, cheese and walnut baked risotto from Patricia at Technicolor Kitchen
- Pork and chili stirfry from Gay at A Scientist In The Kitchen
Jennifer has a great idea to add fresh herbs to bread…something I never remember to do, Haalo shows off some perfect little dense onions with proscuitto and balsamic, Isil uses dill as a subtle yet perfect accent to the celery root flavor, Patricia give us a rich risotto that is actually baked thus making it so much easier, and Gay gives us pork and chilis…what’s not to love.
Oregano
- Stuffed mushrooms from Elizabeth’s Blog From Our Kitchen
- Chicken-Apple Franks With Tomato Relish from Sher at What Did You Eat
- Halibut with White Wine and Oregano from Katerina’s Daily Unadventures In Blogging
Elizabeth’s tidy and versatile stuffed mushrooms will make a great starter to the Thanksgiving feast, Sher came up with the perfect lunch from a chore of cleaning her freezer, and Katerina’s delicate white fish is accented with the vibrant flavor of fresh oregano.
Porcini, prunes, and pumpkin
- Porcinis on toast from Anna’s blog Anna’s Cool Finds
- Roast pork with apples and prunes from Anna’s Morsels & Musings
- Pumpkin curry from Manisha’s Indian Food Rocks
Anna’s porcinis are simple, rich, and I envy her bountiful cache of fungi, the other Anna’s offering is a perfect pairing of pork with prunes and apples, and Manisha gives us pumpkin potato curry with spices guaranteed to warm you right up.
Rosemary, Sage, and Thyme
- Rosemary lamb with sweet potatoes from Windy at Windy’s Food Corner
- Chorizo and Squash Soup from Annemarie at Ambrosia and Nectar
- Vegan Sage Chili from Katrina at Cabbage and Kings
- Tourtiere (Meat Pie) from Mike at Mike’s Table
- Maple and black pepper chicken from Andrea at Andrea’s Recipes
- Roasted Chicken with Mediterranean Vegetables from Pam at Sidewalk Shoes
Windy’s roasted lamb is enticing and heart, Annemarie gives us an recipe for squash soup that wakes up the palate, Katrina’s chili is sure to warm, Mike’s meat pie…oh heavens, what a treat, Andrea’s pan sauce flavored with shallots and thyme puts her chicken over-the-top, and Pam’s chicken is a natural with that thyme.
Vanilla
Wicked way cocktail from Gwen at Intoxicated Zodiac…Gwen provides a much needed drinkipoo for all my hard blogging work.
Uncategorized
- Jennifer at A Lifetime of Cooking gave me so much information I couldn’t categorize her post…way to go Jennifer! I too adore Elizabeth David’s books.
- Susan at The Well Seasoned Cook gives us her Swedish Stuffed Potatoes and they look interesting.
- Jerry’s Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto with Cornmeal Encrusted Shrimp also deserves a peek.
That’s it folks…thanks to Kalyn for creating and nurturing this event and to all the participants…now I need that drink. The host for November 19 - November 25 WHB #110 is Truffle from What’s on My Plate. Send your entries to roshena (at) gmail (dot) com
