Turn summer produce into a showstopper with a ratatouille galette

Come August, you’ll find farmers market stands laden with bright, juicy tomatoes, vfresh zucchini and various nightshades in peak form, and somehow, they all end up coming home with you. A ratatouille galette, with its flaky, buttery crust and layers of tender, roasted vegetables, is the perfect vessel for all that peak-season deliciousness.

Because the joy of summer cooking lies in its simplicity, this galette is assembled using store-bought puff pastry dough, the all-butter kind preferably. It’s one of the best ready-made shortcuts for producing an elegant dish with less work.

Ratatouille typically refers to the rustic Provençal dish of stewed eggplant, tomatoes and summer squash. However, in this dish, I lean into the version made popular by the 2007 Disney-Pixar film “Ratatouille,” where the most significant meal served is a confit byaldi, a more refined riff on ratatouille in which the vegetables are thinly sliced and arranged with care. It features the same core produce and flavors but with more finesse.

That same finesse makes this galette’s final product so stunning. Spread over a thin layer of zippy Dijon mustard, whipped herbed goat cheese fills the base before uniform and thinly sliced tomato, zucchini, squash, red onion and eggplant are shingled on top. This ode to summer makes for a gorgeous presentation and a delicious bite at any time of day. While it takes a good bit of time, nothing is overly complicated, and the impressive result is well worth the effort you put in. (If you have a mandoline, it makes much quicker work of slicing the vegetables.)

When preparing this recipe, the most important step is salting the produce before assembling the galette. This minimizes the risk of a leaky final product. Be sure to have at least a few sheet pans on hand for salting the vegetables and baking the galette.

One other important point to remember as you prep: When using frozen puff pastry, it’s important to fully defrost the dough before rolling it out, so it doesn’t crack or tear. Move the puff pastry from the freezer to the refrigerator at least 4 hours before using it. From there, use the pastry within 24 hours of defrosting. As you roll out the puff pastry, be sure to dust the parchment paper, dough and rolling pin with flour to prevent sticking.

To make it your own, I encourage you to play around with the tomato and squash varieties in this galette. It is an ideal canvas for most summer produce.

Ratatouille Galette

INGREDIENTS

3 medium tomatoes, any variety (1¼ pounds total)

2 medium red onions (1 pound total)

1 (6-to-8-inch) eggplant (8 ounces)

1 (6-to-8-inch) yellow squash (8 ounces)

1 (6-to-8-inch) zucchini (8 ounces)

Fine salt

4 ounces fresh goat cheese (chevre), softened

2 ounces plain cream cheese, softened

1 garlic clove, finely grated or pressed

½ cup tender fresh herbs, such as basil, parsley or chives, roughly chopped

all-purpose flour, for dusting

1 (14-to-16-ounce) package frozen puff pastry, defrosted (see Where to buy)

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 large egg

1 tablespoon water

extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

STEPS

Using a mandoline or a very sharp knife, cut the tomatoes, onions, eggplant, yellow squash and zucchini into very thin slices, about 1/8-inch thick. (Cut the tomatoes and onions parallel to the equator.)

Line several large sheet pans with towels; reserve one pan for assembling the galette, below. Place the sliced vegetables on top, and lightly sprinkle with salt on both sides to draw out moisture. Cover with more towels to absorb the released juices. (To avoid using so many pans, you can double up layers of sliced vegetables if you use clean dish towels or a double layer of paper towels in between.) Let the vegetables sit for about 30 minutes to draw out the maximum moisture.

While the vegetables rest, position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees. Now is also a good time to make the goat cheese filling and prep the puff pastry.

In a small food processor, pulse together the goat cheese, cream cheese and garlic for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the mixture begins to come together. Scrape down the bowl, and pulse again until the mixture is well combined and fluffy, another 30 seconds to 1 minute. (Alternatively, in a large bowl, beat the mixture with a flexible spatula.) Scrape the mixture into a small bowl and fold in the chopped herbs.

Place a large sheet of parchment paper on the counter and dust it with flour. Set the puff pastry on the parchment, lightly dust with more flour, and roll it into a 12-by-14-inch rectangle. Slide the parchment paper with the pastry onto an empty sheet pan.

With the tip of a sharp paring knife, score an approximately 1-inch border around the pastry, being careful not to cut all the way through. Gently poke the inside of the rectangle with the tines of a fork, evenly and all over. This will prevent this area from rising while the tart bakes so you get a clean border.

Using a butter knife or a small offset spatula, spread the mustard in a thin layer across the inner section of the pastry, taking care not to go over the border. Then spread the goat cheese mixture over the mustard, taking care not to go over the border.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water until combined, and brush the border of the tart with it.

Assemble the tart by shingling the vegetables in rows, layering them in an overlapping pattern like just-fallen dominoes. Use any order you like, but we followed a pattern of tomato, yellow squash, zucchini, red onion, eggplant. We do, however, recommend alternating which side you start each row. The number of rows and slices you use will vary depending on the size of the vegetables, but expect 3 or 4 rows, using 15 to 20 slices of each type of vegetable total. (See Notes for tips on using extras.)

Once you are satisfied with your design, drizzle the vegetables with oil and sprinkle lightly but evenly with salt. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the pastry is deep golden brown and the vegetables visibly shrink and are cooked. If the pastry edges start to get too dark, loosely tent the crust with foil. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for about 10 minutes before serving, or let cool completely and serve at room temperature.

Yield: 8 servings (makes one 12-by-14-inch galette)

Notes: If you have extra sliced eggplant, zucchini, squash and onion, toss them with olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast on a sheet pan while or after the galette bakes. Use the extra tomatoes on salads (especially Caprese) or sandwiches.

Make ahead: The frozen puff pastry needs to be defrosted in the refrigerator at least 4 hours in advance of making the galette. The zucchini, yellow squash and eggplant can be sliced, salted and refrigerated for up to 2 days in advance; the onions and tomatoes are best sliced the day you plan to bake. (The eggplant may oxidize, but it will look fine after baking.) The goat cheese mixture can be made and refrigerated for up to 2 days in advance; bring to room temperature before using.

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat in a 350-degree oven for about 10 minutes.