Cherry Mini Galettes
Cherries and I have a special relationship. Whenever I see cherries at home, I think of my one and only trip to Kashmir back in 1999. I was three years old when my tiny family took a trip Kashmir over the early summer. Right around May; mom, dad, and I flew to Srinagar to meet my dad’s sister and their family who were living there along with my grandparents. My uncle (who I lovingly call Fuji) was posted in Kashmir and lived in a large government house.
My memory of the trip is a little hazy but there are parts of it that I remember quite vividly. I remember it being freezing cold but the summer weather in the city was amazing. The skies were blue, the whole city was resplendent in foliage. My cousin sister and I were the youngest in the family (with an 8 year age difference) which meant that she became the main source of my entertainment. She was a budding artist at the time (today she runs one of the most popular animation firms in Delhi) who would use me as a guinea pig in her art projects. One such project was when she dressed me up in all black, with emo make up on my face, and black nails made of paper rolled up in cones. She would then hide me in strategic corners around the house and make me jump scare family members all day long. To be honest, I LOVED doing that! To this day, I still hide and scare people, much to everyone’s shame and dismay haha.
I also remember wearing a lot of plaid, taking some beautiful family pictures (most of which I can’t find now) and going horse riding on a beautiful little horse called Bijli (could this name be the reason I called my dog Besan? Could be!). Perhaps the biggest thing that happened to Kashmir in ’99 was the Kargil War which in fact, did begin in May. My parents left Srinagar a week after we had arrived. I was scheduled to stay back with my grandparents till the end of the month but only a few days after they left, Pakistan and India declared war on each other. My three old self didn’t understand what this meant but my 65-year-old grandmother made sure I knew all the gruesome things that happen in war. Being the visual learner that I was, this freaked me out and within days I flew back home alone on one of the last flights out of Srinagar before the state was put on lockdown from the rest of the country.
What started a memorable trip, ended in something scary and ominous for me. It was only years later that I understood how big the war was. How the repercussions and scars of that war still affect the state. I have never gone back to Kashmir but to this date, we get shipments of cherries from Kashmir come summertime— bringing with them fond memories of my time there with my family, the beautiful city, and of course— Bijli. Food has the ability to transport us to moments in our lives— both lived and want-to-be-lived in the near future. What are foods that do this for you? Comment below!
Glimpses from the week
Recipe
Ingredients
Makes 6-10 galettes
For the crust
1 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour [can be replaced with almond flour]
300 grams of unsalted butter, cold and cubed {almond or hazelnut butter tastes good too}
2 to 4 tablespoons of ice-cold water
1/4 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of sugar
For the filling
3 cups of cherries, pitted
3/4 cup of sugar (or to taste)
2 tablespoons of cornflour
Zest of 1 lemon
Eggwash and crust topping
1 large egg
1 tablespoon of heavy cream
Method
Pie Crust
In a food processor blend together the flour and butter until the mixture forms bean-size pieces. Slowly add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse until the dough just comes together. It should be moist, but not wet.
Put dough on the lightly floured counter and pat it together to make one uniform piece. Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic and chill for 2 hours.
Heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit). Roll the dough out to a 12-inch (30 cm) round. Using a round cap or pastry cutter (about 3 inched in diameter) make cuts. Don’t worry if it’s uneven. It goes with the rustic vibe! Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper and chill while preparing the filling
Filling
Toss together fruit, the lemon zest, and the cornstarch. Pile fruit on the dough circle, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Gently fold the pastry over the fruit, pleating to hold it in. Again, imperfect is totally fine. Brush the crust generously with one beaten egg and heavy cream. Sprinkle raw sugar on the crust.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the filling, bubbles up vigorously and the crust is golden. Cool for at least 20 minutes (prime Instagram picture time). Serve warm or at room temperature
