I took a shopping trip to Costco this past week and picked up a huge container of plums. Last time I bought plums there they were rock hard for days. In fact, they never really ripened. They were semi-sweet but were like crunching into an apple. This time I opened up the package and they were all soft. The kind of soft where you know if you don’t consume them pronto, they’re goners. So I decided on two things that I think will ultimately make my life easier in the future.
- Don’t buy plums at Costco anymore.
- When you forget that you shouldn’t buy plums at Costco anymore, and in turn have too many plums that are too ripe, make a plum galette!
A galette is a general word used in France to describe flat, free form crusts. They are misshapen, irregular, and sometimes blemished in spots, and yet I think galettes make some of the prettiest desserts known. There is a simple beauty in its imperfection. Don’t think for a second that I missed the moral illustration involved in that one statement and this gorgeous galette. I am the first to admit that I’m imperfect. I wear my emotions on my sleeve despite my efforts not to, I struggle when I feel out of control in even the smallest of situations, when I’m upset about something I would rather shove it aside and try to move on instead of dealing with it right away, I’m afraid of way more than I should be, sometimes I let worry overcome me, and on a physical level, the health of my body seems to want to reject anything that resembles perfection time and time again. And amidst all of these imperfections the beauty in me remains in moments of courage, opportunities for strength, shades of grace, and times of health. This beauty that remains…is Jesus. He is so, so good when there is nothing good in me.
Plum Galette (recipe courtesy of Epicurious)
Makes 8 servings
Pastry dough for a single-crust pie
2 tablespoons semolina flour (I used regular flour)
8 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 large black or red plums (1 1/2 lb), halved, pitted, and each cut lengthwise into 8 wedges
1 tablespoon confectioners sugar
3/4 cup crme frache or sour cream
1 tablespoon Armagnac or Cognac (optional)
- Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Line a large (17- by 12-inch) baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round. Transfer to baking sheet.
- Stir together semolina flour and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and spread evenly over dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Arrange plums, skin sides down, in 1 layer on top of sugar mixture, then sprinkle plums with 3 tablespoons granulated sugar. Fold in edge of dough to cover outer rim of plums, pleating dough as necessary.
- Bake galette, loosely covered with a sheet of foil, 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake until fruit is tender and juices are bubbling, about 5 minutes more.
- Transfer galette on baking sheet to a rack and immediately brush hot juices over plums using a pastry brush. Dust hot galette with confectioners sugar (sugar will melt and help glaze galette). Cool to warm or room temperature, about 30 minutes.
- While galette cools, stir together crme frache, Armagnac (if using), and remaining 3 tablespoons granulated sugar in a bowl until sugar is dissolved. Serve galette with Armagnac cream.