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The Nightingale + Summer Vegetable Galette

August 22, 2016 by Megan Leave a Comment

Even though Kristin Hannah’s historical novel The Nightingale was one of last year’s bestsellers, I just now got around to reading it. I actually checked it out of the library a few times before but always put it down in favor of a shorter (and generally happier) selection. Thankfully, one of my book clubs - the sporadically-meeting one at work - chose it for our next meeting, so I finally had no choice but to pick it up, and I’m glad I did.

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Set primarily in France during WWII, The Nightingale tells the story of two sisters, Vianne and Isabelle. Though they take different paths, both sisters do what they must to make a difference in others’ lives, even while struggling to survive their own.

As with any novel set during a war, you shouldn’t head into this expecting an “enjoyable” read because it isn’t. In fact, just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse for the sisters, they inevitably did. The Nazis’ brutality came alive on the page.

Hannah certainly didn’t spare her characters any heartache or physical pain, but she wrote with such poignancy that tender moments became that much more tender and triumphs that much more victorious. Her writing painted a vivid picture of life in German-occupied France. Her descriptions of food, in particular, helped to contrast times of bounty against times of hardship.  

“Two years ago this pantry had been full to overflowing with hams smoked in ash and jars full of duck fat set beside coils of sausage. Bottles of aged champagne vinegar, tins of sardines, jars of jam. Now, they were nearly to the end of the chicory coffee. The last of the sugar was a sparkly white residue in the glass container, and the flour was more precious than gold. Thank God the garden had produced a good crop of vegetables in spite of the war refugees’ rampage.”

Throughout much of the novel, food was scarce but Le Jardin, Vianne’s residence, continued to provide. In a nod to her garden, I opted to make a French galette, or sort of rustic tart, filled with local summer vegetables. I found a recipe from Foodie Crush and made it my own.

I caramelized the onions for about an hour, but if you have the time, I’d recommend going longer. Mine weren’t quite as caramelized as I like them, but I was hungry and impatient. While they cooked down on the stove, I prepped the Michigan-grown tomatoes and zucchini, which were gorgeous.

I assembled the galettes with some pre-made trimmed pie crusts (time saver!) by brushing the edges with egg white and then coating the center with Dijon mustard. I topped each pastry with the caramelized onions, some neat rows of zucchini coins (sprinkled with thyme) and thinnish slices of tomato. A generous coating of crumbled goat cheese and some salt and pepper finished them off.

One more brush of egg white along the folded edges to add some color while baking and into the oven they went. After 25 minutes, they came out like this:

Summer Vegetable Galette
Summer Vegetable Galette
Print Recipe

Summer Vegetable Galette with Goat Cheese

Prep Time35 mins
Cook Time1 hr 25 mins
Total Time2 hrs
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: French
Keyword: vegetables
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 large yellow onion peeled, halved and sliced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 refrigerated pie crusts 1 box
  • 1 egg white beaten
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1-2 large tomatoes sliced
  • 2 medium zucchini thinly sliced
  • 3/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
  • Dried thyme
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat a large saute pan over medium heat and melt the butter and olive oil together. Add the sliced onions, season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and slowly cook the onions for about 1 hour (longer if desired), stirring occasionally until the onions are soft and caramelized. Set aside to cool.
  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Cut one of the refrigerated pie crusts into a square (removing the rounded edges, discarding or saving for later use), roughly 7” x 9”. Place the pie crust onto a large baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Lightly brush the pie crust with the beaten egg white, inward about 1” from the edges.
  • Spread 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard on the interior of each pie crust. Scatter the caramelized onions onto the mustard. Layer the zucchini slices over the onions (approximately 3-4 rows). Sprinkle dried thyme onto the zucchini. Top with the tomato slices.
  • Sprinkle the entire tart with goat cheese, as desired. I used about 3/4 cup of Provençal Herb goat cheese, which included basil among other seasonings. (You can use whatever goat cheese you prefer.) Season with salt and pepper.
  • Fold the long edges of the pie crust over and then the short edges on each galette. Brush the edges of the crust with egg white.
  • Bake the galettes for 20 - 25 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the vegetables are softened. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Adapted from: Foodie Crush

This post contains affiliate links. Full disclosure here.

Filed Under: book review, recipe Tagged With: appetizer, baking, book club, brunch, fiction, historical fiction, long read, lunch, vegetarian

Bridge Daughter + Zucchini Pancakes

August 11, 2016 by Megan 2 Comments

Bridge Daughter came to my attention when a friend, who happens to know author Jim Nelson, recommended it. Based on the concept alone, I knew I had to read it. Once I got started, I finished it in less than a day.

cover

A short dystopian novel, Bridge Daughter describes a world very similar to our own, with one exception - when a woman gives birth, she always gives birth to a bridge daughter. Fourteen years later, the bridge daughter gives birth to her actual child.

Hanna is one of the lucky ones. Raised by caring parents and taught to read, she grows up hoping to attend college and start a career. These dreams seem possible, until she learns that she, too, is a bridge daughter. Hanna must decide if she wants to accept her fate or become the woman she always dreamed she’d be.

A strong character, I found myself sympathizing with Hanna and rooting for her until the very end. The morning her mother forces her to make pancakes for breakfast, it becomes clear things are shifting for Hanna. Later on, pancakes are on the table again as her life takes another unexpected turn.

I’m sure Hanna made traditional breakfast pancakes, but since I decided to make them for dinner, I opted for a more savory recipe - adapted from Wonderland Kitchen's Pancakes with a Heart of Gold. An apt name, I think, as Hanna counts on the goodness of many along the way.

I began by finding my sifter so that I could get my dry ingredients together and shredding my small zucchini, so it would be ready to go.

After combining all of the ingredients to make the pancake batter, I heated my griddle and put the first one on. Here it is with some cheddar, pre-flip.

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I always find pancake-making a little precarious - a flip too early can create a mess, just as a misplaced turnover can end up folding the little guy in half...or off the griddle onto the stovetop. Fortunately, no pancakes were harmed in the making of this post, so I call that a success.

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Print Recipe

Zucchini Pancakes with a Heart of Cheddar

Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time10 mins
Total Time30 mins
Course: Main Course
Servings: 2

Ingredients

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 egg
  • 1 TBS olive oil
  • 1 small zucchini about 1 - 1 1/2 cups shredded
  • 2 scallions finely sliced
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 8 thin slices of cheddar from a block (I used sharp white cheddar)

Instructions

  • In a medium-sized bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Set aside.
  • Shred zucchini and blot well with paper towels to remove as much excess moisture as possible.
  • Beat egg into the buttermilk and add this mixture, the oil, zucchini, scallions, and lemon zest to the dry ingredients. Whisk together until just incorporated. Allow to rest while bringing your skillet or griddle up to medium heat.
  • When hot, grease lightly with a little butter. Drop batter by the roughly 1/3 cup onto griddle.
  • When dry around the edges and ready to flip, place a slice of the cheese on top of the uncooked side and turn in over in the pan. Continue in this manner until all pancakes are made. I got eight 6-inch cakes.
  • Serve hot topped with a pat of butter and a drizzle of honey.

Notes

Adapted from: Wonderland Kitchen
Yields approximately 8 six-inch pancakes.

This post contains affiliate links. Full disclosure here.

Filed Under: book review, recipe Tagged With: brunch, coming of age, dinner, dystopia, fiction, lunch, vegetarian

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The Hungry Bookworm brings together literature and food. Megan has an insatiable appetite for both.

As C.S. Lewis said, “Eating and reading are two pleasures that combine admirably.” Enjoy!

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