Edible Expert

By Piper Davis
Photo by John Valls

If the world were divided into two taste teams — sweet and savory — I’d play for the savory side. I’ll take fried trout over blueberry pancakes for breakfast any day.

Of course, there’s a certain irony in that: My family has been in the baking business for 35 years and my livelihood depends on bread and pastry, something most people associate with double-crust pies and Danishes, cream puffs and chocolate croissants. Sweets. The other team. But even though flaky pastry — mostly the sweet kind — is my livelihood, I’ve always insisted that Grand Central Bakery’s cafés offer several savory pastry options. A savory galette is my favorite.

Think of a galette as pie’s rustic kissing cousin, a simple free-form tart that showcases the season’s bounty in a flaky crust. I like to begin the same way we do at the bakery, with a base of caramelized onions, lightly seasoned with salt and pepper and enriched with an egg and some cream; it’s the perfect platform for seasonal toppings throughout the year. Between a CSA share, trips to the farmers’ market, and my garden (mostly tomatoes and basil), my kitchen is bursting with ingredients perfect for filling a savory galette.

Summertime produce in Oregon is a proverbial embarrassment of riches, inspiring galettes filled with everything from late-season asparagus to roasted corn, chiles and cotija cheese. Bakery favorites include zucchini with feta, and roasted eggplant-tomato.

At home, I usually end up making my take on the classic pizza Margherita, which combines thinly sliced ripe tomatoes, basil, and Parmesan cheese. As summer turns to fall, new fillings step in: wild mushrooms with sherry and thyme; roasted squash and bacon; or thinly sliced potatoes and chèvre with herbs. Garlic mashed potatoes on an onion base might get my vote for the most irresistible, especially in the winter.