Savory Asparagus Galette with Vegan Ricotta

Makes 4 generous servings or 6 small servings
Recipe from Nisha Vora of Rainbow Plantlife 
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

This looks involved, but the dough and tofu ricotta can be made in advance.  I tested this a couple of times, once using a fork to work in the butter and the second time, I used my food processor.  Both work equally well.  The crust is crispy-crumbly and browns beautifully.  The tofu ricotta recipe takes no time to prepare and makes enough for three galettes. You can also use the ricotta in any pasta recipe, to spread on a sandwich or to dollop on a pizza.  This is good enough for company. 

 
Pastry Ingredients (Keep everything icy cold.)
1¼ cups (150g) all-purpose flour + more for rolling
½ cup (75-85g) medium-grind cornmeal 
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
10 Tablespoons (140g) vegan butter, cubed 
2-4 Tablespoons ice cold water
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Flaky sea salt and black pepper to taste
1-2 Tablespoons plant-based milk

Slice the vegan butter into cubes. Then place it in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up. Mix the all-purpose flour, cornmeal, and salt in a large bowl. Add the chilled vegan butter and using a pastry cutter (a fork) cut the butter into the flour mixture, until butter is about the size of peas. (You can also pulse it in a food processor.) Mix 2 Tablespoons of the ice water with the apple cider vinegar. Sprinkle it over the dough mixture, gently kneading the dough with your hands. Add more of the ice water as needed, just a teaspoon at a time until the dough easily comes together when you squeeze it and you can form a ball that doesn’t crumble when you pull it apart. Wrap the disc in plastic or place in a bowl and cover it. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or up to 48 hours.

Tofu Ricotta You won’t need to use all of this tofu ricotta. Use the rest for adding to pasta, a sandwich spread, or to top a pizza.

1 (14-ounce / 400g) block extra-firm tofu
4 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 Tablespoons white or yellow miso paste
¾ teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
15 fresh basil leaves
A small handful of fresh dill
1 medium lemon, zested and juiced (about 3 Tablespoons juice)

To make the tofu ricotta, drain and pat dry the tofu with paper towels (no need to press it). Add the tofu in chunks to a food processor or a blender, along with the remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth, thick, and creamy. 

Asparagus Filling
1 small or medium bunch of asparagus (try to choose spears that aren’t too thick or fat)
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

To prepare the asparagus, snap off the tough woody ends off the asparagus at their natural breaking point. Slice the asparagus into bite-sized pieces and toss 1 tablespoon oil and season with kosher salt and pepper.

Assemble and Bake: Preheat the oven to 400F. Once the dough has chilled, arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. You’ll need to bring the dough to room temperature for 10-15 minutes to make it pliable enough to roll. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 12” to14” round that’s between ¼ and 1/8” thick dust the rolling pin with flour as needed. Place the dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  Add the toppings. Dollop about 1/3 of the tofu ricotta on top of the dough, leaving a 1½” border around the edge. Arrange the prepared asparagus over the ricotta. Fold the edges of the dough up over the filling to form a crust. Brush the tops and edges of the dough with the plant-based milk. Sprinkle the filling and the crust with flaky salt and pepper. Bake the galette for 40-45 minutes, or until the crust is nicely golden brown and the crust is sturdy when you tap it, and the asparagus is tender.

Final Toppings (Optional, but quite nice.  You can use one or all of the herbs.  You can substitute cherry tomatoes, halved, for the sugar snap peas.)
1 large handful of blanched sugar snap peas, sliced in half lengthwise OR sliced cherry tomatoes 
1-2 Tablespoons fresh tarragon, thinly sliced, 1 small handful of basil leaves, thinly sliced, and/or a few sprigs of fresh dill
Lemon zest from ½ to 1 lemon

Once the galette has baked, top with the sugar snap peas or halved cherry tomatoes, fresh herbs, and lemon zest. It's also quite nice with little dollops of pesto.

Nutrition (1 of 6 servings) Calories: 379kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 673mg | Potassium: 422mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1659IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 5mg