Burst Tomato Galette with Corn and Zucchini
I’m not a vegetarian. Far from it: one of my favorite things in the world is a thick, juicy cheeseburger. At one point in my life, I pretty much threw in my chips with the “a meal isn’t a meal without some kind of meat” crowd. I imagine that my husband still thinks the same way. But over the years, something funny has happened… we’re just not eating as much meat. Without an effort, we’re eating more vegetarian meals than ever. And it happens just sort of… accidentally.
Take last week for instance. At the end of the week, I was looking through the leftovers in the fridge and I realized that I had only cooked meat for dinner (chicken, at that!) ONCE that week. And then, at that same moment, I realized that we hadn’t missed it. I’m fairly certain my husband didn’t even notice. So what’s the secret to eating vegetarian and not feeling like you’re eating vegetarian?
Durned if I know. But I suspect it has something to do with eating really tasty food that just happens to not have meat in it. This galette is the perfect example of that. It doesn’t pretend to be meaty. It’s just gorgeous in all it’s summer vegetable glory. This is what I like to call stunning food. It’s just so beautiful that it’s hard to resist digging in as soon as it comes out of the oven. There is nothing there to muddle up the flavors of the veggies- it’s all sweet tomatoes, tender zucchini, and juicy, crunchy bits of sweetcorn. The crust is delicate, but sturdy enough to hold up the juice of the tomatoes, with a clean, buttery flavor. 
This is also the perfect thing to have at a get together as a side if you’re doing some grilling. It can easily be a side for your meat-eater friends or a main attraction for your vegetarian friends, without leaving them feeling shafted. This is lovely right out of the oven, but just as lovely served at room temp, so it could be made ahead of time. Now I know we’re coming up to Labor Day weekend fast and furious here (are you counting down the minutes?!), and this weekend is traditionally a eat-all-the-meats type of situation. And you know I’m down with that. But I would urge you to use up the last of summer’s bounty and give this a shot, even if it’s only to accompany the ribs and sausages and burgers palooza over the next few days. I promise you, the meat will wait- these summer veggies won’t!
Fruit and Nut Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 4 cups rolled oats
- 1 1/2 cup nuts of your choice
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 1/2 cup dried fruit of your choice
- ½ cup coconut oil
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup natural peanut butter
- ½ cup brown rice syrup (or honey)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ½ tsp. salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a greased 13" by 9" pan with parchment and set aside. Mix oats, almonds, coconut, and dried fruit in a big mixing bowl.
- Combine coconut oil, brown sugar, peanut butter and brown rice syrup (or honey) in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and stir until the brown sugar is dissolved and everything is smooth and incorporated. Stir in the vanilla and salt and then pour over oat mixture, stirring until everything is coated and sticky.
- Pour the mixture into prepared pan and press down into the pan. Bake for in preheated oven for 20–25 minutes until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. It helps a bit if you chill them in the fridge before cutting them, but it's not necessary. Cut into bars (whatever shape and size floats your boat). Wrap bars in parchment paper or plastic wrap and store in an airtight container for up to three weeks.