Dinner Together: Savory sweet potato galette makes for hearty fall meal

There’s nothing like a little nip in the air to help invite cooks back into the kitchen after a summer of salads and grilling.

Or, perhaps I’ve been looking for an excuse to roast vegetables so I could make this galette recipe again.

Galette sounds fancy but it’s really just a free-form crust that is folded to hold all of those roasted and caramelized veggies, plus a few other goodies.

I first made this recipe last winter, and we hauled it out on a cross-country ski adventure and reheated it over the warming hut fire on the Mt. Spokane Nordic ski trails.

The original recipe calls for butternut squash, but really any roasted vegetable will do. This time, I used sweet potatoes for a beautiful fall offering. The crust comes together quickly and is tough enough to hold all that filling, but tender and flaky at the same time. If crusts are intimidating, consider using a pre-made pie crust instead.

This savory tart is surprisingly hearty. Serve it with a salad topped with pears, dried cranberries and walnuts for a fall supper. Or, tuck this recipe away and make one as an appetizer for one of your holiday meals or as the main course for vegetarians.

For eaters who do not or cannot eat gluten, there are great galette crust recipes to be found online. Or, make mini galettes using the par baked gluten-free pizza crusts at Trader Joe’s.

The original recipe appeared in “The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook,” by Deb Perelman.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Caramelized Onion Galette

For the pastry:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (including 1/2 cup whole wheat flour if you like), plus more for work surface

1/2 teaspoon salt

16 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup sour cream or full fat Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1/3 cup ice water

For the filling:

About 2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes cut into 1/2 inch pieces

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons table salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon butter

2 large sweet onions, cut in half and then thinly sliced in half moons

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

2 cups grated Italian Fontina cheese

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons of chopped fresh sage

1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 teaspoon water

For the crust: Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Add the whole sticks of butter and using a pastry blender break up the bits of butter until the texture is like cornmeal with the biggest bits the size of pebbles. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, vinegar and water. Pour this over the butter-flour mixture. Stir with a spoon or rubber spatula until a dough forms, kneading it once or twice on the counter if needed to bring it together.

Pat the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic and chill it in the refrigerator for 1 hour or up to 2 days.

For the filling: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Pour 2 tablespoons of the olive oil onto 1 large or 2 small baking sheets, spreading evenly. Lay the potatoes on the baking sheet in one layer. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and black pepper. Roast for 30 minutes or until tender, turning the pieces occasionally so they brown evenly.

Set aside to cool slightly. Leave the oven on.

While the potatoes are roasting, melt the butter and the remaining olive oil in a heavy skillet, and cook the onions over medium-low heat with the sugar and the remaining teaspoon of salt, stirring occasionally, until soft and tender, about 25 minutes.

Stir in the cayenne pepper, if using.

Mix the sweet potatoes, caramelized onions, cheese and herbs together in a bowl.

To assemble, roll the dough out to a 16- or 17-inch round on a floured work surface. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spread the filling over the dough leaving a 2 to 2 1/2 inch border. Fold the border over the squash and cheese, pleating the edge to make it fit. The center will be open. Brush the outside of crust with the egg yolk wash.

Bake until golden brown, 30-40 minutes. Remove from the oven, let it stand for 5 minutes before sliding onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Yield: 8 servings