French Friday: Summer Vegetable Tian
Again and again, I fall for the idea of summer vegetables baked together. And each time, when the softened hues emerge from the oven, I know instantly it was a bad idea. It’s like falling for the bow-legged cowboy each time you walk into the bar. You are twenty-one and so stupid, and he will break your heart.
That’s kind of how I feel about tians and ratatouille. The vegetables turn sumptuous and slouched, but I just keep thinking I’d rather have something sturdy and stand-up, like an unbaked tomato on a sandwich or maybe a raw ribboned zucchini salad. Neither of which would have required turning on the oven, my singular goal of these three summer months.
Also, I feel a bit flummoxed about what to serve with this. Polenta always fails me, pasta seems a little boring. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I don’t know how to make a meal out of fragrant baked vegetables. Maybe herb-spiked quinoa or bulgur would be nice. But just thinking about that meal makes me feel vaguely unsatisfied, like when the cowboy says goodnight for the final time without a kiss. I’m just hungry for a little more.
Those of you who see the tian light, tell me: what am I missing?
Summer Vegetable Tian
from How to Cook Everything
makes 4 servings
10 cloves garlic
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 large eggplant, about 2 pounds total, sliced 1/2 inch thick
4 red or yellow bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and sliced into 3 or 4 pieces each
4 ripe red tomatoes, cored and cut into thick slices
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, rosemary or savory leaves
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley basil or chervil leaves for garnish
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Toast garlic in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking frequently, for three to four minutes. Peal and cut each clove in half.
In a casserole, make a layer of onion, followed by one of eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, herbs, salt, pepper, and garlic cloves. Repeat. Drizzle with olive oil and place in the oven. Bake for about an hour, pressing down on the vegetables occasionally, until they are all completely tender. Garnish and serve, hot or at room temperature.
Susana Benz: Try sprinkling feta cheese and toasted pine nuts on top! This is my summer standby recipe and I serve it over trader joes harvest blend medley. Sometimes I add garbanzo beans too.1 year ago
Amy C: I want to hear more about that handsome cowboy…
1 year ago
Maria: Thinly-sliced waxy potato. And a bit of cold creamy cheese (to blob on the finished product – warm from the oven or at room temperature). The two provide a little heft and protein to make it feel like a meal.
1 year ago
Rae: Put a wedge of it on some crusty bread, top with some greens, a pinch and a twist and no more oven guilt cuz you get the best of cooked and raw worlds.
1 year ago
Sara Rose: I always serve on bread with homemade mayo. Uhhhhhhhhh huh.1 year ago
J. Hall: Cheese seems to make everything better…1 year ago
Debra: maybe, like french toast used old bread, these foods were for those items on the verge of turning..??1 year ago
Amy Marie: You should try tabouli! It’s like, fresh, and the contrast of something cold with a little bite to it would pair nicely with baked veggies.
Also, it comes in packages now that all you have to do is add some water I think then let it chill in the fridge for a bit.1 year ago
Magda: This dish looks and sounds perfect just like that but sliced potatoes baked together with the vegetables would be great. Just adding an extra layer would make the dish complete and certainly more fulfilling…1 year ago
Suse: I like the Israeli cous cous (it’s a larger texture) cooked with chicken broth…serve the vegetables over that with some feta and you might find it a bit more, well, punchy.1 year ago
Lizzy: If ever there is a question of what to serve with something, the answer is always a poached egg. Veg tian with poached egg on top…..perfect!1 year ago
Linda: I always carmelize the onions first and put them underneath zucchini and tomato slices. Sprinkle parmasean cheese on top and then sprinkle on some olive oil-it makes the top crunchy when baked. I like the combination of flavors.1 year ago
molly: Exactly!!! The bow-legged cowboy had me in tears, too funny, too true. I’ve fallen hard for this same soggy misery.
However. A good crisp baguette helps. Rubbed with olive oil and garlic and crisped quickly to brown, even better. I’d have to echo the poached (or fried) egg and cheese comments above, both. And as for the veggies themselves, more herbs, more olive oil, and crisped bread crumbs on top.
Still, though? I like them best raw (tomatoes) or roasted at high heat (zucchini, eggplant). I think tians hail from a day when such things were slipped into bread ovens. These things absolutely sing when caramelized. I suspect the French would be rip-roaring roasters, if they’d only had the ovens to do it, back when cuisine was being invented. My two cents
1 year ago
Jen: I’m with you! Love the idea, not the reality. (And by the way I just love this line: You are twenty-one and so stupid, and he will break your heart. Perfect!!)
However, just the word polenta is enough to get me raving about the Barefoot Contessa’s recipe (from Barefoot Contessa Family Style) that I use when we have people over for dinner and make probably once every other month no matter what. Easy and SO delicious and can be topped with anything at all. As you previously noted, this one’s certainly not fat-free but it’s worth it.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/-rosemary-polenta-recipe/index.html1 year ago
KBG in DC: Splendid Table had a segment on this exact issue on a recent episode. They were mixing rice and gruyere withe veg, then topping it with bread crumbs. Check the website, the recipe is probably still there. I’ve been meaning to try it myself after our next farmers market trip!1 year ago
Foodelf: I’ve been making a fabulous tian for years from Saveur http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Tomato-Zucchini-Tian which not only highlights summer’s bounty, but is the perfect side dish when entertaining – you get a variety of vegetables without that last minute multiple juggling. There’s never anything left unfortunately, and I get many requests for this recipe. It can be prepped in advance and then it’s all ready for cooking at the right moment.
Polenta, on the other hand, is a dish which I find totally unappealing,1 year ago
wendy bussell: Baking this early in the day would be my choice. Then let it come to room temp. naturally. Make at the same time a pot of rice to cool also. Then spice up the rice with red wine vinegar,small amount of red onion, and some salad shrimp. Season with s&p. Great dinner you cooked before work!1 year ago