Provencal Vegetable Tians

We have many friends in France and we travel there often. We just returned from 5 weeks in Provence, Normandy and Paris. We ended the trip with a week in London and Windsor, England.
We had incredible meals at various friend's homes and I came away with some new recipe ideas.
This one is an Eggplant and Zucchini Tian.
A Tian is a traditional Provencal Earthenware dish used for baking and serving. It also refers to the name of the dish that's prepared and baked in the vessel.
We enjoyed many recipes in Provence with fresh vegetables.

Here's my version of Provencal Vegetable Tian.

Here's what you'll need:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
A baking dish, it can be a shallow oval casserole, a shallow round casserole, a deep dish pie plate.
You'll be alternately layering the vegetables in a concentric circle, flat in the dish. Some Tian dishes can be layered standing the vegetables on end, in the pan. This makes a nice visual presentation for serving.

1 - 6oz. can of Tomato Paste
1 C diced Onion
3 TBS minced Garlic
Olive Oil, divided
3/4 C water
1 small Eggplant, sliced thin.
1  medium Zucchini, sliced thin
1 medium Yellow Squash, sliced thin
1 Green Bell Pepper, sliced thin
1 Red Bell Pepper, sliced thin
1 tsp Fresh Thyme leaves
Black Pepper to taste

In a  small skillet on medium heat:
1 TBS Olive Oil
Heat well.
Add:
Onion
Sauté until tender.
Add:
Garlic
Sauté for 1 minute.
Remove and set aside.

Spray the pan with a vegetable cooking spray.

In a small bowl:
Tomato Paste
Sautéed Onion and Garlic
Water
1 TBS Olive Oil
Stir to combine well.
Season with Black Pepper
Spread evenly in the bottom of the pan.

In a large mixing bowl:
Eggplant
Zucchini
Squash
Green Bell Pepper
Red Bell Pepper
Toss with a drizzle of Olive Oil to coat well.
Black Pepper to taste.

Begin alternately layering the vegetables in the bottom of the pan. Start on the outside of the pan and work in, creating circles of vegetables until reaching the center of the pan. 
If you have too many slices, add a second layer.

Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Thyme leaves
Cut a piece of Parchment Paper to exactly fit the inside measurement of the pan and cover the vegetables.
Bake for 45 minutes.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

• I hesitated to post this recipe. When I discovered that it was shared from another blog, I researched it and found two other blogs that had posted the same picture, the exact picture. I do not post photographs other than my own. In this case I am not going to list the 3 blogs that posted the same recipe and the same photograph. Instead, I will simply say that this is not an original recipe and I will not post a photograph unless it's my own.
  I liked the recipe so much that I felt  I should share it with my readers. I could have adapted it, changed it and made it my own, but I chose not to do that. I hope this covers all Food Blogging etiquette, otherwise I will gladly pull it from my blog.
  
  
  A Tian is a layered, baked vegetable dish that originated in Provence. It is traditionally served for Bastille Day. It was made at this time because the Summer Vegetables used in the recipe were in season. Unlike a gratin, a Tian does not include bread crumbs or cheese, which allows the juices in the vegetables to evaporate in the oven's dry heat, concentrating their flavors.
  
  This recipe does include a bit of cheese, a traditional Tian doesn't.
  
  1 TBS. olive oil
  1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
  1 tsp. minced garlic
  1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
  1 medium yellow squash, thinly sliced
  1 medium potato, thinly sliced
  1 medium tomato, thinly sliced
  1 tsp. dried thyme
  salt & pepper, to taste
  1 cup shredded Italian cheese ( I used Organic Paragon Cheese from The Van Huizen's Dairy in Texas) It's very comparable to an Italian Hard Cheese.
  I bought the Cheese at a very cool shop on Mesquite St. in Arlington.
  
  The shop is called Potager's Other Stuff, it's part of the Potager Cafe on Mesquite St. just south of the store.  http://www.potagercafe.com/
  The owner is Cynthia and the restaurant is amazing.
  If you're ever in the area, I highly recommend it.
  You'll love the food, the atmosphere, the staff and especially the proprietor.
  The concept of the restaurant is very clever. Look it up and let me know if you ever eat there or shop at the store!
  
  
   Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
   Sauté onion and garlic in a skillet with olive oil until softened (about five minutes).
  
  Spray the inside of an 8x8 square baking dish with non-stick spray. Spread the softened onion and garlic in the bottom of the dish. Place the thinly sliced vegetables in the baking dish vertically, in an alternating pattern. Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, and thyme.
  
  Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, top with cheese and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown
  
  Enjoy!
  Peace in the Kitchen!
  
  
  
  

  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  This is another version of a Vegetable Tian. I previously posted one that you can search.
  
  Here's what you'll need:
  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  1 - Cast Iron Roaster, a Rectangular or Oval Cast Iron Casserole Dish. They just need to be shallow, not a deep pot.
  
  1/2 C Olive Oil
  3 Cloves of Garlic, minced
  Salt and Pepper to taste
  1 TBS Chopped Fresh Thyme
  1 TBS Chopped Fresh Parsley
  2 Zucchini, Sliced 1/4".
  3 Tomatoes, sliced 1/4".
  2 small Eggplants, sliced 1/4 ". (do not peel)
  2 Sweet Onions, sliced
  2 C Fresh Parmesan Cheese, grated
  
  In a large mixing bowl:
  Oil
  Garlic
  Salt
  Pepper
  Thyme
  Parsley
  Whisk well.
  
  Add:
  Zucchini
  Tomato
  Eggplant
  Gently toss to coat well.
  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  During this time, shake the bowl a few times to distribute the Oil.
  
  Drain the Oil from the bowl into the Cast Iron Dish.
  Heat it on the stove over medium heat.
  Add the Onions and salute them just until soft (about 5 minutes).
  Remove the pan from the heat.
  
  Remove the onions with a slotted spoon and spread them evenly in the pan. Reserve the Marinade.
  
  Layer the remaining vegetables upright, in rows.
  Start with a row of Eggplant, then a row of Tomatoes and then a row of Zucchini. (the rows start at the front of the dish and run horizontally across the dish.
  Repeat the rows until the pan is filled from front to back.
  
  Drizzle the remaining Marinade over the vegetables.
  Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese.
  
  Bake for 45 minutes. The top should be golden brown.
  
  Enjoy!
  Peace in the Kitchen!