Vegetable Tian

There is something so incredibly satisfying about a vegetable tian. Finely sliced rounds of potatoes, tomatoes and zucchini are arranged like colorful, fallen dominos and roasted to perfection. But not only is this dish beautifully rustic, the flavors are vibrant and savory. Honestly, I’ve been known to eat the entire thing – fresh out the oven and straight from the baking dish. If you haven’t already tried it, trust me when I say you’ll have this surprisingly easy to prepare Provençal recipe on heavy rotation this spring. And summer . . .

A mandolin makes the preparation irresistibly easy. If you don’t have one, it’s a wonderful investment. All you need to do is finely slice the vegetables – I’m using potatoes, tomatoes and zucchini here but you can also add eggplant and onions if you wish.

Start layering the vegetables in an oval or circular gratin dish. Don’t worry about it being too perfect. It’s absolutely okay to group some of the vegetables 2-3 at a time! Time is money, ya’ll. Work around the dish and then fill the center.

Top with minced garlic, thyme, salt, pepper and a few glugs of olive oil.

Bake at 375 degrees, covered in foil, for 40-45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the edges get crispy because who does’t love those crispy, browned edges?!

So pretty, right?

Serve it up.

And you’ll see why I can’t resist having the entire tian to myself. P.S. This is a kick ass accompaniment to a perfectly fried egg in the morning. Ratatouille!

(images by HonestlyYUM)

VEGETABLE TIAN

Ingredients:

• 1 large zucchini
• 5-6 Roma tomatoes
• 6 small Yukon gold potatoes
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp of fresh thyme
• olive oil
• salt
• pepper

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Finely slice the vegetables with a mandolin, about 1/16-inch thick.
• Layer and alternate the vegetables in an oval or circular gratin dish.
• Top with minced garlic and season with salt, pepper and thyme. Drizzle with olive oil.
• Cover with foil and bake for 40-45 minutes until potatoes are soft.
• Remove foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.