January blog posts tend to be full of lofty resolutions and unrealistic goals about how to live a better life. I promise you, this is not one of those posts. I admit that I have have been guilty of exactly this, every January for the past 8 years. Check out my January healthy eating blog posts, if you like (2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, and 2014 ).
This year, I just can’t seem to get my ass in gear. I’m feeling particularly unmotivated and blah. I feel like this guy. Can’t get off the couch to stop bingeing on Bonus Family and Working Moms on Netflix. Very addictive. I know I’m not alone. Almost every single person I have spoken to in the past 2 weeks is feeling this way. I’m here to give you permission to forgo goal setting this year. Treat yourself kindly and ease back in at a pace that makes you feel comfortable.
I eased back in gently by choosing a galette for my first January post. Made with butter and cheese! I am a big believer in small steps. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”
We’re taking baby steps here with this galette. I incorporated some whole grains into the crust with the addition of rye flour. I snuck in a layer of Gruyere and ricotta cheese between the kale and the butternut squash. It’s all about moderation.
This rye crust could go sweet or savoury. It is flaky AF. I learned how to make it from Kim Boyce in her book, “Good to the Grain”. If you’re interested in incorporating more whole grains into your baking, this is a fantastic resource. I love the lyrical way she describes this dough.
“The method for making this dough is similar to that for a rough puff pastry, a method I learned while working with Sherry Yard at Spago. It calls for letting a rough dough, made from chunks of butter and moist clumps of flour, rest in the refrigerator to give the gluten time to relax and the flour time to absorb the water. After an hour, the dough is rolled and folded a few times to create long “laminated” layers of butter throughout the dough, which give it its flakiness.”
Feel free to enjoy with a small glass of wine, if you are so inclined. Tell them saltandserenity told you to be kind to yourself!
These are just gorgeous! I don’t know about you, but kale, squash and a whole grain rye crust scream “healthy January eating” to me! Great idea, Cindy!
Warms up this cold spell! Thanks!
Thanks Adrien. So nice to hear from you. Hope everyone is well. Happy new year.
This looks beautiful and delicious. I am excited to try it. Pastry dough is always a challenge for me, but this looks like it is worth it!
Thanks Mar
You will have no trouble with this dough. It’s pretty rustic. The key is having big chunks of butter and doing the folding. It’s so flaky. I have used it in sweet galettes too.