Featured Chef: Baking seasonal fruits with Maren Close, Lazy Lady Baking Co.

Note: This is the first post of a new monthly series featuring northeast Tennessee (and adjacent) chefs who source from local farmers, promote those farmers, and use seasonality of produce in their business models, making themselves an active part of the local food system.

Why do I support local?

Lazy Lady Baking Company has built its reputation on the highest quality and best tasting artisan products — and that comes from using the highest quality ingredients. We use the highest grades butter and flour, and so of course from the beginning when I started my business I bought local produce for its flavor and quality. My family has always gardened and supported local farmers markets, and my culinary training in North Carolina and California supported continuing that. I love buying from Buffalo Trail Orchard, Greene County, for their apples, blackberries and peaches.

~ Maren Close, owner

GALETTE may be a fancy French word, but it’s the easiest no-fuss way to make the best of what a fruit pie has to offer all the senses — really! A galette is a simple pie crust rolled out into a round, but instead of a pie pan it’s baked flat on a baking sheet. The fruit filling is spread on top of the crust, like jam, and the sides are folded up to make an edge. Easy and beautiful. Plus because it’s thinner, it bakes in just 30 minutes. One might say it’s perfect for those “Lazy” bakers of us….

Pie dough with Maren’s secret ingredient…

Makes 1 one big crust or 4-6 individual galettes

1 & 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick butter, cubed and very cold
3 tbsp water + 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, very cold, my secret ingredient!
1 egg for painting on the “wash” that makes the crust shiny

Sift together flour, sugar, and salt. Cube cold butter and cut into flour with hands or two forks, you’re looking to create small sheets of butter in the flour, roughly pea sized bits.

Add cold water/apple cider vinegar to flour/butter. Incorporate until a shaggy dough forms, add more water as needed, one tsp at a time until all the flour is incorporated. Turn dough out onto floured surface, pat out into a rough rectangle and fold in thirds like a letter. Rotate 45 degrees, pat out slightly and fold once more. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile make the fruit filling – below.

Once well chilled, turn dough out onto well floured surface and roll out between 8-9” in diameter. Egg wash edges (one egg whisked with one tbsp water) fill with fruit and fold edge over filling leaving a fruit center exposed. Egg wash outside crust and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes until fruit is bubbling and crust is golden brown.

Fruit filling

You can make this with any seasonal local fruit, or a mixture. Peaches, berries, rubarb, pears, apples….

4 cups fruit, sliced or cut into small pieces
1/2 cup sugar (add more or less depending sweetness of your fruit)
2 tbsp cornstarch
Pinch salt
Splash lemon juice

Combine everything in a bowl until fruit is well coated, pour over prepared crust.

Lazy Lady Baking Co. is open for brews, breads and treats and good vibes 5 days a week, inside Atelier 133/Fischman Gallery: 133 N. Commerce St.

They also do custom catering of breads, brunch, cakes, cupcakes, wedding cakes, pies, cookies, pastries and more.

Visit www.lazyladybakes.com, or visit www.facebook.com/lazyladybakes.