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Cozy Potato and Shallot Galette

Elegant enough for guests yet simple enough for a cozy meal, this rustic potato and shallot galette combines tender vegetables with a flaky savory crust — no perfect pie skills required. Its rich layers of flavor and texture make it an unforgettable side dish.

Scroll down for instructions and enjoy 🙂

Want to dig deeper into this recipe to learn how foods like these are a part of our bigger food system? We’ve got something for everyone!

Potato and Shallot Galette

Serves 6

Ingredients

Savory Rosemary Dough

  • 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon ice-cold water, plus an extra 1–2 teaspoons if needed

Galette Filling

  • 2 medium shallots, very thinly sliced
  • 1 Yukon Gold potato, very thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 ounces shredded Gruyère cheese
  • 1 large egg, beaten (for brushing)
  • chopped chives or parsley, optional

Instructions

  • Make the Dough: In a food processor, pulse together the flour, rosemary, and salt. Add the cold butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
  • Bring It Together: Add the vinegar and 1 tablespoon ice-cold water, pulsing until the dough just holds when squeezed; add the extra water a teaspoon at a time if the dough seems too dry. Avoid overmixing.
  • Chill: Turn the dough out onto plastic wrap, flatten it into a 1-inch-thick disk, wrap tightly, and refrigerate until firm — at least 1 hour, or up to 2 days.
  • Prep Oven and Dough: Heat the oven to 400°F. On a piece of parchment paper, roll the chilled dough into a 13-inch circle.
  • Assemble Filling: In a large bowl, toss the sliced shallots, potato, and thyme with olive oil and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Sprinkle in the shredded Gruyère and mix to combine.
  • Build the Galette: Slide the parchment with the rolled crust onto a baking sheet. Pile the vegetable mixture in the center, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold the border up and over the filling, creating rough pleats all around. Brush the exposed dough with the beaten egg.
  • Bake: Transfer to the oven and bake until the veggies are tender and the crust is golden brown, about 35–40 minutes (cover loosely with foil if the crust browns too quickly).
  • Garnish with chopped parsley or chives.

Hungry for more knowledge?

Click on the posts below to sate your curiosity about where our food comes from. And click here for more of our tried-and-true recipes. Bon appetit!

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Garland’s Wild Rice Soup

Courtesy of the West household, this recipe is for soup lovers who think wild rice counts as rugged, outdoorsy food and believe anything simmered long enough is basically therapy for the senses.

It’s cozy, comforting, and just fancy enough to feel intentional, even if you mostly dumped things into a pot and hoped for the best. Wild rice does the heavy lifting here — nutty, hearty, and pretending it’s not absolutely soaking up butter, cream, or broth like a sponge with a college degree.

You can keep it wholesome and virtuous or go full “cold weather survival mode” with extra richness and zero regrets. Let it bubble, stir occasionally like you know what you’re doing, and call it homemade magic…because everyone deserves a soup that feels far more impressive than the effort required.

Quick Wild Rice Soup

The ingredients:

  • 2 cups wild rice, cooked
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 stick of butter (add more if you are Southern)
  • 1/2 cup minced white onion
  • 1/2 cup or grated carrots
  • 1/2 cup diced ham (triple amount if Garland is coming over)
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 cup half-n-half
  • Slivered almonds to taste, parsley
  • 2 ounces dry sherry (have bottle ready for “garnish”)

The magic:

  1. Sample the sherry for quality assurance. Still good? Let’s move on…
  2. Melt butter and onion; blend in flour and broth
  3. Bring roux to boil, then turn down; keep stirring while taking another sip of sherry
  4. Add rice, carrots, ham and salt; simmer for about 5 minutes
  5. Blend in half-n-half and whatever is left of the sherry
  6. Reduce heat; simmer to desired temperature (a small glass of sherry is usually enough time)
  7. Add salt and pepper to taste; garnish with parsley
  8. Serve with fresh baked, crusty bread
  9. Extra credit for the overachievers in the audience: While enjoying, cleanse palate periodically with sherry
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FFA Spotlight: Closing the Loop on Local Meat

From livestock pens to the cutting room, from grain fields to shrink-wrapped steaks, Blake Schmitmeyer is helping build a more local, more transparent, and more resilient food system.

His dedication to humane handling, food safety, and full-circle agricultural practices exemplifies the kind of leadership the future of farming depends on.

With one foot in the barn and the other in the butcher shop, Blake represents the next generation of producers who understand that feeding communities requires skill, respect, and heart at every step.

Growing Up in the Heart of Ohio Agriculture

Blake Schmitmeyer’s agricultural story begins in Versailles, Ohio, a small town woven into the fabric of American livestock and row-crop farming.

His family raised pigs, steers, and managed a Holstein dairy herd—giving Blake a firsthand understanding of livestock care and agricultural business from the time he could walk.

In 2021, his parents took a decisive leap: they purchased a local processing facility along with the surrounding farmland. That acquisition became the foundation for Blake’s future.

“Today I’m assisting in day-to-day operations where we custom butcher 25 steers and 25 hogs weekly,” he says. Sheep, goats, and bison round out the rotation.

What began as a family investment soon became Blake’s passion—and his entrepreneurial pathway.

Finding Purpose Through FFA

Blake joined FFA because agriculture was already part of his DNA. But he wanted to build his knowledge, sharpen his skills, and gain broader exposure to the industry.

During his junior and senior years, he launched his Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) through an early-release program at school, allowing him to work hands-on at The Butcher Block and Smokehouse.

Now, while working around 30 hours a week, he is simultaneously earning an online business degree—preparing for future leadership in the family enterprise.

Inside the Butcher Block: A Day in the Life

Blake’s responsibilities span every corner of the processing facility. His versatility is one of his greatest assets.

“I find myself filling gaps most days,” he says. “I can label, help customers, answer the phone, vacuum seal, make hamburger and sausage, fabricate cuts, and work on the harvesting side.”

That harvesting work includes:

  • Moving animals safely into the facility
  • Rendering them unconscious in an ethical, humane manner
  • Removing innards
  • Dehiding
  • Ensuring carcass sanitation

He also performs maintenance and repairs on essential equipment—skills vital to keeping a high-throughput operation running smoothly.

A Growing Skillset

Every day at the processing plant deepens Blake’s expertise. What started as learning individual tasks has evolved into a broad, interconnected understanding of what it takes to move an animal from farm to finished product safely, ethically, and efficiently.

Quality Assurance & Product Consistency

Trimming, scraping, packaging, and labeling have sharpened Blake’s eye for precision—one of the most essential skills in meat processing. He now understands how even the smallest variation in knife angle, fat trimming, or packaging can affect yield, display quality, and customer satisfaction.

“It has taught me efficiency,” he says, “and also the various cuts attainable from carcasses.”

He’s learned to visualize the carcass from the inside out, recognizing how muscle groups, bone structure, and fat cover translate into marketable cuts. Consistency is key: each package must look clean, uniform, and appealing, reflecting both skill and pride in craftsmanship.

Humane Handling Under USDA Oversight

Working under USDA inspection has strengthened Blake’s understanding of professional responsibility. Humane handling protocols are non-negotiable—every movement, every decision made with the animal’s well-being in mind.

“It taught me how to be precise and handle animals in the most humane way,” he explains. USDA inspectors provide real-time guidance and expect strict adherence to federal humane slaughter regulations. Blake sees these interactions as opportunities to learn best practices, refine technique, and uphold the ethical standards that define reputable processing facilities.

Food Safety & Bacterial Control

Food safety is at the heart of agricultural processing, and Blake has developed a deep respect for the science behind it. He and his team conduct temperature checks, monitor critical control points, and follow sanitation procedures that protect consumers from pathogens like Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria.

He now understands how cross-contamination occurs, how to prevent bacterial growth, and why documentation is essential for traceability. “We perform various temp and quality checks daily to ensure standards are met,” he says—standards that directly influence consumer trust and public health.

Processing Across Species

As Blake’s experience has grown, so has his ability to adapt to the anatomy and processing needs of different species. While cattle are the largest and most complex, the foundational skills transfer across animals.

“Once you understand the basics of cattle processing, it helps you understand bison structure,” he explains. Similarly, goats and sheep share comparable muscling and carcass breakdown patterns. Learning these similarities—and the nuanced differences—has made Blake a more versatile and efficient processor, capable of contributing anywhere he’s needed on the floor.

Full-Circle Agriculture: From Grain to Steak

Ask Blake what excites him most, and he lights up. For him, agricultural processing is not just a job—it’s the bridge between the farm he grew up on and the food that lands on his community’s dinner tables.

“I am passionate about locally sourced farm-to-fork beef,” he says. “Being able to grow our own corn and beans, feed them to our livestock, and then harvest those finished animals is really a full-circle moment.”

This closed-loop system—crop production, livestock feeding, final processing—allows his family to control quality at every stage. It also reflects a growing consumer demand: people want to know where their food comes from, how the animals were raised, and who stands behind the product. Blake’s vertically integrated model checks every box: local grain, local livestock, local processing, and local families benefiting from safe, transparent, premium-quality meat.

The Support Behind the Success

Blake credits both his parents and FFA advisors for shaping the agricultural leader he is becoming.

“My advisors have always supported my decisions,” he says. They encouraged him to step into leadership roles, pursue new challenges, and connect classroom learning to real-world application.

At home, his parents gave him opportunities that many students only dream of—access to farmland, livestock, and a processing facility—while still allowing him to decide independently what direction he wanted to take.

That balance of autonomy and mentorship fostered confidence, resilience, and a clear sense of responsibility. It has empowered Blake to carve out a strong pathway forward in an industry that rewards commitment and adaptability.

A Future in Farming and Processing

Blake is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Business from Wright State University Lake Campus—a strategic move that will position him to handle the financial, managerial, and operational decisions required to keep the family enterprise thriving.

His vision for the future is focused and intentional: “I hope to continue row crop farming and raising livestock along with processing at The Butcher Block.”

He hopes to integrate the farm and processing facility even more seamlessly, explore niche markets, and expand value-added offerings that meet customer demand. Whether it’s direct-to-consumer beef boxes, specialty cuts, or custom processing services, Blake sees endless opportunities to strengthen the connection between farmers and families.

His long-term goal is not only to sustain the family’s legacy, but to elevate it—creating a resilient, modern, community-centered agricultural operation built on quality, transparency, and pride.

Advice for Students Considering a Processing SAE

Blake’s encouragement is straightforward: “I would highly recommend it to anyone. It has taught me numerous things—not only relevant to processing but also to life and success.”

Agricultural processing may happen behind the scenes, but it is one of the most essential links in the food chain. Students who pursue it gain skills that translate across the industry—and across life.

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Should We Worry? Foreign Ownership of U.S. Farms

Between trade wars, geopolitical drama, and good old-fashioned “who owns what” anxiety, foreign farmland ownership has become a hot topic. Politicians are fired up. Farmers are curious. And everyone seems to have an opinion.

In which parts of the country do foreign investors own farmland? What’s behind their continuing investment in acquiring more and more of it? And is this a cause for legitimate concern over our national security? Let’s dig in…

How much land are we working with?

America is big. Like, 2.3 billion acres big—and that’s not even counting our lakes and rivers.

Here’s the breakdown:

  • 29% is pasture and rangeland (hello, happy cows)
  • 29% is forests (trees for days)
  • 17% is actual cropland (smaller than you’d think, right?)
  • 14% is parks and special uses
  • 3% is urban (yes, really—just 3%)

Point being: we’ve got land. Lots of it.

How much do foreign investors actually own?

Ready for this? About 45 million acres—which sounds massive until you do the math. That’s roughly 3.5% of all privately owned agricultural land.

To put it another way: if U.S. farmland were a 100-slice pizza, all foreign owners would have about three and a half slices. Of that meager share, Canada, Europe and the UK combined get two slices all to themselves. The rest? Still very much American-owned.

That said, foreign ownership has been growing—about 2.6 million new acres per year since 2017, and it doubled between 2009 and 2019. So it’s worth paying attention to.

Plot twist: Canada is the biggest foreign landowner

Wait, what? Yep—our polite northern neighbors own roughly 13 million acres of U.S. farmland, worth about $12.5 billion. That’s 29% of all foreign-owned agricultural land.

Add in the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, and the UK, and you’ve got another 33%. The remaining third is spread across nearly 100 countries.

But what about China?

Ah yes, the elephant in the room. Despite all the headlines, China owns about 275,000 acres…less than 1% of foreign-held farmland. They’re in 30 states, with investments worth just over $1 billion.

 

That’s not nothing, but it’s also not the agricultural takeover some folks imagine. And interestingly, with U.S.-China tensions rising, reports suggest China is increasingly looking elsewhere for farmland investments—and pivoting toward ag-tech instead.

(Though yes, the Smithfield Foods acquisitions—128,000+ acres in the Dakotas, North Carolina, Virginia, and Texas—did raise some eyebrows.)

Location, location, location

Here’s where things get spicy. It’s not just how much land foreign investors own—it’s where.

U.S. officials have flagged concerns about foreign-owned land near military bases and critical infrastructure. FBI Director Christopher Wray has called China a “grave threat,” warning that hackers have positioned themselves in U.S. systems, ready to “deal a devastating blow.”

That’s why proposals like Senator Josh Hawley’s “Protecting Our Farms and Homes from China Act” keep popping up—and why the Trump administration floated the idea of actually clawing back some existing Chinese land holdings.

What’s being done about it?

The government’s been tracking this since 1978 through the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act, which created an obligation for investors to provide certain information about their investments to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Although no federal law prohibits foreign ownership of private U.S. farmland, legislators at both the federal and state levels have proposed laws to monitor, restrict or prohibit such purchases if deemed to be counter to the best interest of their constituents.

At present, such laws and regulations are in effect in 29 states.

Meanwhile, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States reviews foreign investments for national security risks. Last year, they expanded their jurisdiction to include 59 additional military installations.

Translation: Washington is watching.

Why do foreign investors want U.S. farmland anyway?

Simple: it’s a phenomenal investment.

The U.S. has one of the most productive, innovative agricultural systems on the planet. For countries thinking about food security, owning a piece of American farmland is like buying blue-chip stock. Even if they’re not shipping crops home, the land generates income through production, leasing, or resale.

Plus, it’s a living laboratory for agricultural innovation—techniques and technologies that can be exported worldwide.

There’s also growing interest in land for renewable energy—solar farms, wind installations, you name it.

And let’s be honest: the U.S. economy is stable, our financial systems are reliable, and our land isn’t going anywhere. For long-term investors, that’s pretty hard to beat.