I haven’t baked in a while.

It’s been a sad summer for Jon that I haven’t cranked out fruit pies, ice cream, croissants, tarts or anything else of the baked good variety.  I can’t forget that I’m on Weight Watchers and fresh baked desserts are my weakness.  I love desserts!

I finally said to hell with the “no baked goodness right now” mentality and made a peach galette.  I’d never heard of a galette until I cracked open last month’s Real Simple magazine and gazed upon a nectarine galette that just screamed summer.  Simple, easy, fruity and the golden crust was pretty sexy!

Instead of using the nectarines I decided to use up some of the very large California tree ripened peaches I purchased earlier in the week.  I still need to get my hands on some fresh Palisade peaches from here in Colorado.  They are amazing and the best I’ve ever eaten!

Instead of using the pre-made/rolled pie crust, I made my own.  I wish I had followed my instincts to use a light egg wash over the crust to give me a beautiful golden finish (plus the sugar), but the recipe just called for some water and sprinkling of sugar.  Sadly, my crust didn’t brown up how I’d liked but it was still good.

So take note, use an egg wash and then sprinkle that sugar so you get a gorgeous golden crust. 

Also, don’t go light on that sugar!  I thought I was heavy-handed with my sugar but I could have used a tad more.  Maybe it was because I used granulated instead of the fancy sugar the recipe calls for, which is just raw sugar crystals like you find in the little packages at coffee shops, but I didn’t have it and didn’t want to buy a special sugar at the time.  Still, sugar is sugar to me and the galette was still delicious!

Basically an open faced pie!

Another twist on the fruit galette you could use just jam.  In my baking series class Angela called this a crostata, an Italian tart dessert.  I love how gorgeous and rustic this dessert looks and it’s so easy.  hmmmm  now I need to add a four fruits crostata to the list to share with all of you!  Pretty sure you’ll love it!

Now someone down the road needs to remind me to write about it…

Remember that food photography workshop I’ve mentioned before?

My actual room....photo via Boulder Inn website

Last night I packed up the car after work, drove the 1 hour and 40 minutes to Boulder and checked into my hotel.  In the almost seven years I’ve lived in Colorado I’ve only been to Boulder once and that was driving through it.  I brought all my MapQuest printouts so I don’t get lost, since I’m not with the world in the GPS age.  I also haven’t stayed in a Best Western in awhile, but I have to say, this place is great!  The hotel is actually a Best Western Hotel Plus and was recently remodeled.  If you’re ever in Boulder, especially for something at University of Boulder, the Best Western Plus Boulder Inn is just across the way.  The university is a gorgeous campus, as is the town, and with such pretty views I feel like I’m on a mini-vacation!

Wish me well in my food photography workshop!  By the time you read this I’ll be sipping on my tea from Atlas Purveyors (thanks for the free coffee Atlas!) and sweating all over my camera due to nerves.  I’m so excited to go yet I feel like I might tinkle my britches—FYI, I’ve never done that but there’s always a first!  Some regulars in the food blogging world will be in attendance along with the amazing instructors (incredibly talented bunch!) and it will take everything in me to zip the lips as a Chatty Cathy.  I have a big personality and I tend to scare people sometimes who don’t share the same openness and verbal diarrhea.  Oops.