This galette, filled with caramelized onions, fresh corn, basil, Gruyère cheese and heirloom tomatoes, is prefect for the end of summer. Serve it with a simple mixed greens salad or a cucumber-and-feta cheese plate for a light, vegetarian meal. Yum.
The recipe comes from the August 2000 issue of Fine Cooking Magazine, which was fantastic. Two of my all-time favorite recipes hail from that issue — from one article in fact — and I have been making them now for almost 20 years. I feel old.
I didn’t realize it at the time, but David Lebovitz, author of The Perfect Scoop, wrote the article and supplied the two fabulous tart dough recipes, one sweet, one savory. The sweet galette dough is used in this recipe as well as this one, and the savory cornmeal galette dough is used in the above pictured tart, and it is so tasty.
Once you make this tart once, you’ll see how quickly savory galettes can materialize how easily adaptable they are for all seasons. I suggest keeping the caramelized onions, the Gruyère, and some sort of herb, then swapping in whatever seasonal produce you have on hand for the corn and tomatoes. A favorite variation of mine is sautéed Swiss chard. More on this soon.
The original recipe for this tart calls for onions as opposed to leeks. I used leeks because I received a whole bunch in my CSA, but truthfully, I think this tart is tastier with onions. Use whatever you have. Gruyère is particularly tasty, but any cheese you have on hand will do.
Assembling these tarts is easy: Simply spread the corn and caramelized onion (or leek) mixture into the center of the dough; top with cheese; top with the tomatoes; then fold the edges up to make a free-form tart.

Tomato, Corn and Cheese Galette with Fresh Basil
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
Description
Source: David Lebovitz via Fine Cooking Magazine
Note: You can split the dough in half and made two small tarts or 1 large tart.
Ingredients
Cornmeal Galette Dough
- 1–1/4 cups (142 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (43 g) fine yellow cornmeal
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1–1/4 tsp. salt
- 6 T. (3 oz.) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
- 2 T. olive oil
- 1/4 cup ice water
Finishing the tart:
- 2 Tbs. olive oil
- 1 large white onion, thinly sliced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
- 1/2 bunch basil or tarragon, washed, dried, and coarsely chopped, (to yield about 1/2 cup); plus 10 whole leaves
- Kernels from 1 ear of corn (about 1 cup)
- 1 recipe Cornmeal Galette Dough (see above)
- 1 large or 2 medium ripe tomatoes (about 3/4 lb. total) cut into 1/3-inch slices, drained on paper towels
- 3 oz. Comté or Gruyère cheese, shredded
- 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Make the dough: In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt. Cut in the chilled butter using a stand mixer, a food processor, or a pastry blender until it’s evenly distributed but still in large, visible pieces. Add the olive oil and ice water and mix until the dough begins to come together. Gather the dough with your hands and shape it into a disk. Wrap the disk in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- To make the galette: Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan, preferably nonstick, over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 10 min. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic, chopped basil, and corn and cook for 30 seconds. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside to cool.
- Adjust an oven rack to the center position and heat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet, preferably one without sides, with kitchen parchment. (If your baking sheet has sides, flip it over and use the back.)
- Roll the dough on a floured surface into a 15-inch round, lifting the dough with a metal spatula as you roll to make sure it’s not sticking. If it is, dust the surface with more flour. Transfer it by rolling it around the rolling pin and unrolling it on the lined baking sheet.
- Spread the onion and corn mixture over the dough, leaving a 2-inch border without filling. Update 7-16-2014: Sprinkle the cheese over the onions and corn. Arrange the tomatoes in a single layer over the cheese and season them with salt and pepper. Lift the edges of the dough and fold them inward over the filling, pleating as you go, to form a folded-over border. Pinch together any tears in the dough. Brush the egg yolk and milk mixture over the exposed crust.
- Bake until the crust has browned and the cheese has melted, 35 to 45 min. Slide the galette off the parchment and onto a cooling rack. Let cool for 10 min. Stack the remaining 10 basil leaves and use a sharp knife to cut them into a chiffonade. Cut the galette into wedges, sprinkle with the basil, and serve.
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: French, American
Keywords: galette, savory, corn, heirloom, tomatoes, onions, basil
This is another recipe from the same issue of Fine Cooking, and it is so good. Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies. The key is to keep your oven at 375ºF; bake only 6 cookies on a sheet at one time; and remove them from the oven after 11 minutes — they won’t look done but they continue cooking on the sheet. For kicks, I added a little fleur de sel to the tops of these before baking. Here’s the recipe.
Rosa says
Beautiful galettes and cookies! I’m drooling and it’s not even 9am ;-p…
Cheers,
Rosa
Sophie says
The gallettes look fabulous & so tasty!!
I also adore your chocolate chip cookies,….Yummie all the way!!
Rena says
This looks wonderful! I’ve been dreaming about your peach galette recipe lately.
The Duo Dishes says
OMG. Wow. Overload. First of all, we must try the cornmeal dough idea. That would be so awesome for fall tarts and galettes! And of COURSE the cookies look irresistible. But do we really have to say that?
Maria says
Amazing photos! This is the perfect meal!
grace says
let it be known that i’ll never turn down a tart, galette, or pie for either the main course or dessert. what a gorgeous and tasty use of some great ingredients, and the cookies look perfect!
Daniel says
Thanks for posting such a beautiful and surprisingly easy recipe! This one goes into the must-try file right away.
Dan
Casual Kitchen
LeeAnn says
The galette is beautiful – and after reading the recipe I think I might actually be able to make it! Yay! Can’t wait to try it. p.s. Your photographs are amazing. 🙂
noble pig says
So beautiful and rustic looking!
Nicole says
If someone offered me this meal I would want to be their best friend forever. Sounds so delicious!
Alice Q. Foodie says
Wow, these both look amazing! I will be out of town for the next couple of weekends, can only hope that there will still be some tomatoes and corn left at the market when I get back so I can make this!! Your cookies look perfect. YUM!
Dana says
What a fabulous and seasonal galette recipe. It looks over the top delicious and yet so simple, just letting awesome flavors shine through.
Lauren says
You are one of my favorite foodbloggers. If you ever want to give a class on food photography, let me know and I’ll sign up STAT! This recipe looks so good, and I have a great source for heirloom tomatoes.
Bunny says
Oh how I love the galettes, they look magnificent! I’ve never made a savory version. It’s time to try one! And of coarse the cookies look scrumptious!!
Blond Duck says
Galettes and cookies…oh what a feast!
katie says
Wow, I have that same copy of Fine Cooking tucked away in my nightstand with that same tart recipe tagged. I was always a little hesitant to try it (since it didn’t include meat or potatoes-the only things mrChaos would eat in 2000). Yours looks gorgeous though, now I will have to go for it. I don’t think I will ever find such delicious looking tomatoes, however. Boo.
gammypie says
The salt on the chocolate chip cookies is the absolute best finish! I love the combination of the sweet and salty! Mmm…
Shannon says
oh wow, those tarts look amazing!
Manggy says
Uh…. You have your own restaurant, right? Because there’s no way you’re making food this awesome and not making money off it. Wow. I need those now!!
By the way, I think these are much prettier than fussy tarts 🙂
Foodycat says
I have everything I need to make this! Yum! That’s tomorrow’s dinner sorted.
Val says
Your camera is amazing! It really shows the vibrant colors of your food. Yum! A savory tart. Wish I was making that for dinner!
Phoo-D says
This looks beautifully delicious! I trust David’s recipes and the combination of ingredients will use up the last of my summer produce bounty. Thank you for keeping the recipe and sharing it again!
Erica says
Your pictures are amazing!!! That tart looks delicious.
Cathy at Wives with Knives says
Just when I thought I couldn’t eat another tomato this season I find this gorgeous tart. So tomatoes are on my farmers market shopping list for tomorrow. Can’t wait to try this. And the cookies too.
Lori @ RecipeGirl says
This is too pretty to eat! But heck… you should be writing your own recipes (& doing your own photographs) for Fine Cooking Magazine. Yours looks better than the published version!
Amanda Maebird says
those tomatoes… they are gorgeous! By the way, I love your blog, its beautiful! I found myself looking through all the posts!
BigGirlPhoebz says
This looks so beautiful! makes me wish summer was still upon us!
Otehlia Cassidy says
I love galettes. Perfect for my non-perfection side. Nice photos and recipes!
Sean says
I was seduced by your photos and decided to make this for Friday night’s dinner. (I’d thought that the quiche would be the first of your posted recipes that I would have to make but I need half a day to make the creme fraiche!) It just came out of the oven and I’m letting it rest. Mine doesn’t look like your pictures though because step 4 says to sprinkle the cheese over the tomatoes though your pics show the cheese atop the onion mixture. [3 min. break to cut and taste]. No worries! The tart is delicious and I especially love the beautifully browned crust! I’m already thinking of other recipes on hand that would benefit from that buttery, browned goodness. I so wish it was earlier in the year so that I’d have another chance to make this bad boy with summer’s tomatoes!
Diana Bachelor says
Incredible galette! The picture was captivating and I finally got in the kitchen and made it. Thank you so much – delicious! Last night I made the “Polenta without fear plus the chard & egg”. In fact it was an Alexandra’s weekend because as we passed through S.F. we stopped in at Tartine’s (once we got parking)and bought some goodies. I am enjoying your site so much.
Diana