Lemony Rustic Summer Berry Galette

“All in all, it was a never to be forgotten summer — one of those summers which come seldom into any life, but leave a rich heritage of beautiful memories in their going — one of those summers which, in a fortunate combination of delightful weather, delightful friends and delightful doing, come as near to perfection as anything can come in this world.”

—L.M. Montgomery, Anne’s House of Dreams

Galettes, also called crostatas, are simple free-form tarts. I love their rustic quality and how no 2 galettes are the same. They hold such artisanal appeal for me and offer a more relaxed approach to dessert.  This berry version gets a triple burst of lemony flavor from a fragrant lemon balm* studded crust and berries tossed in lemon zest and lemon juice.  Any lemon herb could be substituted for the lemon balm. Roll the crust of your choice out on parchment paper so it is easier to transfer it to a baking sheet holding onto the parchment paper edges. The galette will be baked on the same parchment paper.  For the best success, add the berry mixture once the crust has been transferred to a rimmed baking sheet.   Serve warm with vanilla ice cream for a lovely summer dessert.  One of my edges was not quite folded over enough and some of the fruit juices ran.  It was still delicious!  Bake up this simple tart and savor a slice of summer.

• Servings: 4 to 6
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• 1 pie crust of your choice, purchased is fine
• 2 tablespoons of lemon balm or any lemon herb, chiffonade cut
• 6 cups of blueberries
• 2 cups of raspberries
• 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons of flour
• zest of 1 lemon
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• coarse sanding sugar

1. Roll out your pie crust on parchment paper cut just slightly wider than your crust. Carefully transfer to your baking tray.
2. Press the lemon balm into the crust and sprinkle more on top.
3. In a large bowl, toss the blueberries with the lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar and flour.  Heap in the center of your prepared crust, leaving 1 inch of pie crust all around without any filling.  Stud the top of the blueberries with the raspberries.  Fold the edges of the crust over, ensuring the filling is contained in the crust.
4. Sprinkle the folded edges of the crust with the sanding sugar and dust the berries with a bit more.
5. Bake at 400 F for 45 to 60 minutes.  Let cool on the baking sheet at least 15 minutes before handling.  Carefully lift the galette by the edges of parchment to slide it onto the serving plate.  Use scissors to cut away the flanges of parchment paper.  Enjoy warm with vanilla ice cream.