Vegetable Tian

By on 16 September 2010 in Sides with 12 Comments.

What is a tian? Well, I’m not referring to the Chinese word for sky, but the Provençal gratinée of thinly sliced vegetables. It is one of our favorite early fall recipes.

I love the way that the thin slices of veggies look, and it is always a fun time layering them. We used to make this recipe in a 9×13 baking dish, but it would get all sloppy when we served it. The other day I had a spark of inspiration for using the smaller au gratin dishes instead. They are way easier to serve, and just a bit cuter – if I do say so myself.

I love it, my mother-in-law loves it, and so will you!

Vegetable Tian
inspired by the Barefoot Contessa

serves 4

What You Need
2 yellow onions
4 large garlic cloves
4 medium red potatoes
2 to 3 small zucchini
6 roma tomatoes
2 tablespoons thyme, fresh if possible
4 oz Swiss cheese, grated
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
4 au gratin dishes(or a 9 x 9 baking dish)

What To Do

1  Preheat the oven to 375°F. If necessary, grate 4 oz of Swiss cheese.

2  Slice two onions and mince two cloves of garlic. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, around 8 minutes. Add the garlic for one more minute.

3  Meanwhile, brush the bottom of the au gratin dishes with olive oil. When the onions and garlic are done, dish them into the bottom of the dishes.

4  Slice the 4 potatoes, 2 zucchini, and 6 tomatoes into 1/8 inch slices. This is a great job for your mandoline if you have one.

5  Season the veggies with a few pinches of salt and freshly ground pepper. Place the slices in the dishes in a spiral pattern, alternating between potato, zucchini and tomato (it’s helpful to recite the veggie names to keep them in order).

6  Sprinkle the tops with 2 tablespoons thyme and drizzle with a bit of olive oil.

7  Loosely cover each baking dish with aluminum foil. Place them on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.

8  Remove the foil, sprinkle with the Swiss cheese, and bake for another 30 minutes until the cheese is browned.

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