Galette, a free-form French pastry, includes some of my favorite elements: Handmade, rustic, plenty of butter, and filled with cheese and vegetables, this pastry makes a great addition to – or centerpiece of – any breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner. Flaky, warm and savory, this dish is sure to satisfy. Here’s how:

INGREDIENTS:

2 or 3 small or medium summer squashes (zucchini and yellow are pretty together in this dish, but either/or works, too)

1 pie crust

3/4 cup ricotta

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Slice the squash and place it in a colander, then sprinkle lightly with salt and let it set for 10 minutes to drain some of the juices. Preheat the oven to 400*. In a medium bowl, mix the cheeses, lemon zest and juice, olive oil, minced garlic, salt and pepper together. Roll out the pie crust and spoon the cheese mixture into the center, then spread the mixture out towards the edges, leaving about an inch of space all around. Arrange the squash slices in a concentric circle pattern on top of the squash mixture, then fold the edges up over the outer-most slices of squash. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and the edges are browned. Serve warm or cooled. Makes great leftovers, too! Enjoy!