Category Archives: Summer
tuesdays with dorie / baking with julia: berry galette
I can’t believe how long it’s been since the last time I posted to my blog, over three weeks. And, my participation in Tuesday with Dorie / Baking with Julia, despite my best intentions, has remained at the minimum allowed, once a month. Ugh! It’s a new month, and I couldn’t pass up the first August recipe for TWD: berry galette.
Fresh Picked Berries
There was a container of freshly-picked blueberries from the lakeside bush at our cottage in Maine, and another of blackberries picked from the backyard here in Massachusetts. No shopping required for this recipe. This recipe was tailor-made for this week.
The galette dough was much softer and stickier than a usual pastry crust. It came together easily in the food processor and spent the day chilling in the fridge. I was worried that it would be tricky to roll out because it was so soft, but I was generous with the flour and used a marble board, and it rolled out without a hitch. No problems transferring it to the parchment-lined baking sheet either.
The mixed berries were sprinkled over the crust, then sprinkled with sugar, drizzled with honey, and dotted with butter. The edges of the dough were folded up over the fruit in the center to finish up the free-form tart.
The tart baked in a hot oven for 35 minutes. There was a little leakage, but the remaining filling was still quite juicy.
Ooops, I leaked!
Overall, we found the berry galette to be just okay. It reminded me a little of a pop-tart. Also, I expected the crust to be tender, but it was a little bit tough and I don’t think overhandled it. I have another round of dough, so I will try again, maybe using stone fruit for some of the berries. Even so, the galette is a very summery dessert and was worth a try.
For the recipe, visit one of this week’s hosts: Lisa at Tomato Thymes in the Kitchen and Garden and Andrea at The Kitchen Lioness. Andrea hails from Germany and is my friend from French Fridays with Dorie. Her magnificent photos and entertaining prose are worth checking out. She often takes her food “on the road” for photo shoots in glorious, scenic locations.
Bees, Bearding
I continue to admire my bees’ industry. The bees continue to behave. They must be happier as they leave us alone. When Howard cut the grass last week, a few flew into him when he crossed their flight path, but no one linger or chased or stung.
As spring unfolded into summer, a wide array of flowers has been in bloom. I’ve been hyperaware of pollinators in my garden this year. Every time I spot some motion among the flowers, I check to see who is gathering pollen or nectar. Happily, native pollinators are alive and well. The bumblebee population seems healthy, or at least, highly visible.
However, I have had limited sightings of honeybees on my flowers. It’s surprising because thousands of them are residing right in the yard. Well, I am happy to report that I finally spotted some honeybees on flowers in my yard. The purple coneflowers (Echinacea) seem to be popular for the honeybees as I’ve made multiple sightings on the distinctive heads of these flowers. Very exciting!
We’ve been having a little heat wave, again. The bees keep the temperature inside hive quite warm (for my taste). Normally it’s in the low to mid-nineties. When it’s extra hot, the bees try to keep the hive from overheating. Too hot could kill the brood.
A Hot Night
The way they try to regulate the temperature looks a little scary. It’s called bearding, and to the uninformed, it could like they are ready to swarm. Fortunately, I saw pictures in one of my beekeeping books, so I remained calm when I saw this happen. This will typically happen in the evening as all the bees return home for the night. The more bees inside the hive, the warmer it will be, kind of like when you are in a crowded place. Bees are hanging out outside the hive to reduce the population inside which, in turn, makes the inside temperature less hot than it would otherwise be. In addition, the bees may be fanning to help with ventilation. By morning, the bees usually have gone back into the hive or off to do their daily work.
If the weather cooperates, I’m planning another hive inspection this weekend. I want to check what’s going on inside. I’ll let you know next week how it goes.
A Plateful of Happiness 