Who is excited about it being time to pick the rhubarb? If you could see me, you would see me jumping up and down waiving my arms. It took a lot for me to resist the urge to pick the rhubarb when it was just a few inches tall. We all have our favorite recipes, but do you find yourself struggling to decide which recipe to make first? Maybe it is just me. If you are leaning towards a rhubarb pie but looking for a quicker recipe, a rhubarb galette may be just what you want.

Galette, also called rustic pie, is French in origin. It is a single pastry crust rolled into any size circle you want with either a sweet or savory filling added to the middle. The crust edges are folded over the filling, leaving it exposed in the middle. Here is a galette recipe using rhubarb.

APPLE AND RHUBARB GALETTE (adapted from brighteyedbaker.com)

Pie pastry dough (chilled)*

3 cups chopped rhubarb

1 1/2 cups peeled and chopped apples (crisp and sweet such as Pink Lady)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Make your favorite pie pastry crust recipe, cover and refrigerate for about 45 minutes. The size you want your galette to be will determine whether you use a double or single crust recipe. Combine the filling ingredients. Stir until cornstarch is mixed in. The galette can be baked either on a cookie sheet or an iron skillet. Either way, you will find it helpful to roll out the pastry dough on parchment paper for easy transfer. Roll out dough to about a 12-inch circle and dust with one tablespoon flour. Pour filling onto rolled out dough, leaving about 2” border of dough. (Some liquid from the fruit is fine, however, if liquid seems like too much which will leak off dough, strain fruit with slotted spoon when putting filling on dough.) Freeze for 10 minutes. Remove galette from freezer and carefully fold and pleat dough edges over outer part of filling. Most of the filling should be visible. Brush crust with one tablespoon heavy cream and sprinkle dough with raw/demerara/turbinado sugar (granulated sugar can be substituted). Transfer to cookie sheet or iron skillet by picking up parchment paper and placing on baking sheet or in iron skillet. Bake in preheated 400-degree oven for 30-35 minutes, until crust is golden brown, and fruit is tender. Allow to cool before serving.

*Picking a pie pastry dough which includes some whole wheat flour will result in a more rustic appearance and taste.

Get creative and try different fillings to create a new family favorite. Enjoy!

To learn more, contact Janell at the Chouteau County Extension Office at 622-3036, janellb@montana.edu or in the green building next to the Chouteau County Courthouse at 1308 Franklin St in Fort Benton.

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Montana State University, US Department of Agriculture and Montana Counties Cooperating. MSU Extension is an equal opportunity/affirmative action provider of educational outreach.