Packing a Picnic: Cheddar-Sausage Calzone and Peach Galette

Tomorrow is the Vermont Cheesemakers Festival, and so it's time to pack the picnic basket.  I'll be bringing along some cheese, of course.  Here are another couple of packables to consider: Cheddar-Sausage Calzone and Peach Galette. 

The Festival is sold out again, so if you don't have tickets, it's too late for this year.  Just remember to buy them extremely early next year.  People come from all over to visit Vermont on this weekend; to kick it off, there was a barbecue contest at Harpoon Brewery in Windsor, which drew a huge crowd.  We thought it might be a good day to go to Boston, but most of Boston was already here.

I managed to sample quite a few of the 'Cue offerings; and there were some good ones.  There were also some that had spent more time in an oven than in a smoker, and some sauces that needed work. (Hint: don't put chili powder and a ton of sugar in the sauce).   

Winners, in my book:  I loved the pulled pork taco from Transformer Barbecue (MA).  Even better was the pulled pork slider with Carolina-style slaw from Meat@Slims (Woburn, MA).

But onward.

Cheddar and Sausage Calzone

Ingredients:

Quick Pizza Dough:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 T instant yeast

1/2 cup (heaping) thick sourdough starter

1/2 cup + 1 T warm water

1 cup Vermont cheddar cheese

1 T fresh rosemary leaves (optional)

Filling:

2 cups cooked and sliced chicken and apple sausage

1 cup arugula leaves

1 cup shredded Vermont cheddar cheese

Process:

1. Place Quick Pizza Dough ingredients in mixer with dough hook attached.  Mix on medium speed for 4 to 5 minutes until completely smooth, shiny and elastic.

2. Mix the rosemary and 1 cup of cheddar cheese into the pizza dough; let rise for 1 hour.

3. Roll out the dough into a long oval.  Place sliced sausages on one half of the oval, then sprinkle on the other cup of cheddar.  Finally, lay arugula leaves on top.

4. Fold over the dough to enclose the filling and seal the edges; make several slashes in the top, then brush with beaten egg.

5. Bake in hot oven (425F) for 20 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

6. Serve warm, and enjoy!

Here is a quick and delicious galette that's easy to take along; it uses canned peaches (I am still using these up, and peach season is already here), homemade applesauce, and frozen blueberries.  You can substitute other fruits easily, if you like:


Peach and Blueberry Galette

Ingredients

Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 T cinnamon applesauce
2 oz. butter
pinch of salt
1/4 cup cream

Filling:
8 oz canned peaches with juice
1 T corn starch
5 T sugar (or less, depending on the sweetness of your peaches)
1/3 cup frozen blueberries

Process

1. Mix peaches, juice, sugar and corn starch in a ceramic bowl; microwave 1 minute or until thickened.  Set aside to cool.

2.  Make crust:  On countertop, pinch butter into the cup of flour; if butter is unsalted, add the pinch of salt.  Place applesauce on top of the flour; pinch in.

3. Pour cream on the dough and incorporate it using a metal pastry scraper or spatula.  Fold from the outside to the center gently, to not overwork the dough.  When combined, place on plate in refrigerator for 15 minutes to relax.

4.  Roll the dough out into a 12" circle.  Spread the peach mixture in the center, to within 1" of the edge.  Sprinkle blueberries on top.  (Picnic option:  Spread peaches and blueberries on one half, then fold over to make a pocket pie.)

5. Fold the edges of dough up and over the edge of the filling, casually folding and creasing the dough as necessary.  This is supposed to be a rustic galette, so don't be too fussy about the technique.

6. Sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of sugar over the blueberries, and on the edge of the pastry crust.

Transfer the galette to a baking sheet with a metal pizza peel.  Bake at 400F for 20 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

7. Cool slightly and enjoy!  Serve with a bit of cream on top, or with ice cream.

Note:

Another trip to the garden:

The peas have been pulled up and put on the compost pile, replaced by some Thai basil and chinese cabbage seedlings.  We went for walk down the field, and Heidi went looking for her pea plants again.  Not finding them, she decided to tear through the newly-planted beds, then make good her escape:

It's all very Peter Rabbit, and I am channeling Mr. McGregor.    

Heidi at 13 weeks is getting quite tall, and is discovering that those long legs enable her to run like Seabiscuit.  Especially through my seedlings.  But she is quickly forgiven for puppy mischief.  I can always plant more seeds.