Chardonnay under $15 and Butternut Squash Galette

It’s the first week of November. Harvest is finished. The New York Marathon has been run. National Novel Writing Month has kicked off. And Thanksgiving is nearly here. What a glorious month!   

I have a bevy of appetizer recipes I make during the holidays I want to share so I’ll be posting one each week with a brief wine note. This week’s recipe, a savory butternut squash galette will be followed by recipes for a killer crab spread, a crunchy cheese cracker, sausage-stuffed mushrooms and more.   

One of the reasons I love Thanksgiving is how we choose our wine list. Every year we go to my sister’s along with another family and other guests rotate in and out. At least half of us work in the wine industry and love the juice. Ironically, we aren’t really picky about “matching” our menu to wine. What we do devote our efforts to is picking a wine theme and then hunting down interesting wines that fit it. One year it was all pinot, another it was petite sirah (lots of black teeth that night) and another cab franc.  

This year we’ve both widened the net and narrowed our snobbish choices. All of the wines have to be under $15. So, no surprises here, each of my recipes will be paired with a wine that fits our theme.  

Luckily, Kumeu River Village Chardonnay makes the cut. Not only does it retail at $14.99, it is an extremely solid wine that's also delicious with this butternut squash galette (which, yes, does looks suspiciously similar to my peach galette, but it’s not the same photo!)

In addition to this wine, Kumeu River winemaker Michael Brajkovich makes a line-up of critically acclaimed chardonnay from New Zealand. I am especially fond of the Village chard as a starter wine because it’s full of fresh fruit and has a bright, crispness like a green apple that helps to cut through the rich, delicious fare on a holiday appetizer buffet. Try it with this savory galette and I think you’ll add it to your Thanksgiving table.  

Butternut Squash Galette

Serves 4  

1 butternut squash

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

1 clove chopped garlic

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

10 cloves garlic, unpeeled

1/2 cup fromage blanc or fresh ricotta

1 prepared piecrust

1 cup grated fontina or gouda

2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan  

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  

Cut the squash into two pieces to separate the rounder part from the narrower section. Peel the entire squash, cut both parts in half and remove any seeds. Cut all four pieces into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Put in a large bowl and add the olive oil, chopped garlic and thyme. Toss to coat evenly. Spread out on one of the prepared baking sheets. Set the bowl aside. Sprinkle the squash with the salt and pepper. Put the garlic on the baking sheet and bake until the squash and garlic are tender, about 20 minutes.  

When cool enough to handle, peel the garlic and put in the reserved bowl. Mash with the back of a wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in the fromage blanc. Put the piecrust on the other prepared baking sheet and spread the garlic-cheese mixture over the top, leaving a 1-inch border. Spread the squash over the garlic-cheese mixture and fold the edges toward the center of the galette. Sprinkle the fontina over the center of the galette. Sprinkle the edges of the crust with the parmesan and bake until the crust is crisp and golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let cool before slicing and serving.