Blueberries and basil are a match made in heaven. Add chèvre cheese, and it’s even better! This simple country pastry has the perfect balance of savory and sweet. It works well for breakfast, dessert, or as an appetizer.
On the Ingredients
- Blueberries may be Maine’s famous berry crop, but there’s another excellent reason to love them. They’re often called a superfood because of the nutrients packed in their tiny package. In fact, they’re one of the most nutrient-dense berries. Antioxidants are abundant in blueberries, especially low bush or wild blueberries. Specifically, they’re high in polyphenol antioxidants called flavonoids, which are known to protect against free radicals which cause DNA damage. This means blueberries may help slow aging and reduce the risk of cancer. Blueberries may lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease. The antioxidants in blueberries may also affect areas of the brain that are essential for intelligence, helping to maintain brain function and improve memory. The anthocyanins in blueberries may help improve insulin sensitivity. (Read more about the health benefits).
- Chèvre is a soft goat cheese with a distinct creamy but crumbly texture and tangy flavor. Not only is it delicious, but goat cheese is also rich in nutrients. It also contains less lactose than cow milk cheese, making it more digestible for some who have lactose intolerance. Goat milk also mainly contains A2-type casein rather than A1. A1 can cause bloating and digestive discomfort like lactose does. (Read more about goat milk cheese).
- Basil is a member of the mint family and is a highly aromatic herb. Native to warm regions, like central Africa and Southeast Asia, basil is now grown worldwide. Fresh basil loses its flavor when cooked too long; thus, it is often the last ingredient added. When dried, the taste changes subtly, becoming milder and somewhat sweeter with a scent reminiscent of fresh hay. In this state, it is often used in Italian-inspired Americano cooking, especially for sauces, soups, and pasta dishes. Its most commonly paired counterpart is oregano.
Blueberry Basil and Chèvre Galette
Servings
4
servingsPrep time
30
minutesCooking time
40
minutesTotal time
1
hour10
minutesBlueberries and basil are a match made in heaven. Add chèvre cheese, and it’s even better! This simple country pastry has the perfect balance of savory and sweet. It works well for breakfast, dessert, or as an appetizer.
Ingredients
2 cups blueberries
1 tbsp cornstarch OR potato starch
1 tbsp sugar OR monk fruit sweetener
2 tbsp minced basil
1 egg
1/4 cup plain chèvre cheese
Directions
- Prepare your pie dough by following our recipe for Simple Pie Dough, found on the Co-op’s blog, or your own.
- Cover the dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Rinse the blueberries and put them in a mixing bowl. Toss the berries with potato starch or cornstarch, sweetener, and basil.
- Roll out the pie dough to a thickness of 1/16”. Carefully transfer the pie dough to a cookie sheet (or large baking pan). Pile the blueberries in the center of the pie dough circle, leaving about three inches of dough around the edge.
- Fold the extra dough in around the berries one section at a time, creating a pinwheel pattern. The center area with the berries should remain open.
- Beat together the egg and water, then use a pastry brush to apply the egg wash to the pie dough. We use the extra dough to cut out blossom shapes, then use the egg wash to stick them to the top of the pie dough.
- Sprinkle with sugar or monkfruit sweetener. Bake the galette for 30 minutes, then remove it from the oven. Crumble the chèvre cheese oven the exposed blueberries. Bake for another 10 minutes.
