Market Recipe/ Rustic Vegan Persimmon Galette

Market Recipe
Ingredient/ Persimmon
Recipe/ Rustic Vegan Persimmon Galette
Dietary Consideration/ Vegan, Dairy Free, Low Fat, Low Calorie, Nut Free (and tasty!)

Walking through the Carmel Market in Tel Aviv it occurred to me... I have actually never cooked with a persimmon before! (Shocking I know) I have however had some delicious Moroccan dishes including this fruit, but never so much as bit into one on my own accord... but today, when these deliciously fragrant persimmon galettes came piping out of the oven... everything changed. See recipe for this easy and impressive dessert below. NOTE: can also be made using berries, pears, peaches... and well, just about anything you like on top of pie crust! BeteA'von!

Rustic Vegan Persimmon Galettes
Makes 6

Pate briseé:
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
8 tablespoons/1 stick cold, earth balance
about 4 tablespoons ice water

Persimmon filling:
4 medium, ripe persimmons
3 tablespoons sugar, plus extra sugar for sprinkling
zest of 1 clementine
zest of 1 lemon
pinch salt
juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons soy milk for brushing the dough

Crust:
In a large bowl, stir together the flours, sugar and salt. Scatter the butter pieces over the flour, and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles sand with lots of pea-sized butter chunks. Drizzle the ice water over, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a rubber spatula, until the dough will hold together when you give it a squeeze. Dump the dough out onto a counter, divide it roughly into 6 portions, and fraisage by dragging a portion of dough across the counter using the heel of your hand. Scrape up the dough (a metal bench scraper works well here) and gently press it into a ball. Cut the dough into 6 even pieces (they should weigh about 2 ounces each) and flatten them into small discs. Put the discs on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days.

Remove the discs from the fridge, and roll them out into 5-6" rounds on a lightly floured surface, dusting the rolling pin and surface with a little flour and rotating the dough to keep it from sticking. Stack the rounds on a plate and chill for another 30 minutes.

Persimmons:
Remove the stem(s), slice in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh with a spoon, keeping the gelatinous segments in tact. Discard the peel. Cut the stem out of the fuyus, slice them in half lengthwise, place the halves cut-side down, and use a sharp knife (serrated works well) to cut them into thin slices, about 3/8" thick. Remove the brown seeds, if there are any. In a medium bowl, rub the sugar with the zests and salt, then toss in the fuyu slices and lemon juice to combine.

Assemble and bake the galettes:
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400º. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove one round of dough from the fridge, trimming the edges clean if you like. Place 1 1/2 tablespoons of hachiya flesh in the center, then top with a circle of fuyu slices (about 7 slices worked for me). Fold up the edges around the fruit, pressing on the pleats to stick them together. Place the galette on the lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining rounds of dough and persimmons. Brush the edges of the dough with the soy milk, and sprinkle the galettes with sugar. Bake the galettes until the crust is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling, about 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.