Zucchini Tomato Tian Food

VEGETABLE TIAN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Brush a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish with olive oil. In a medium saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and cook the onions over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Spread the onion mixture on the bottom of the baking dish.
• Slice the potatoes, zucchini, and tomatoes in 1/4-inch thick slices. Layer them alternately in the dish on top of the onions, fitting them tightly, making only 1 layer. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, thyme leaves, and thyme sprigs and drizzle with 1 more tablespoon of olive oil. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Uncover the dish, remove the thyme sprigs, sprinkle the cheese on top, and bake for another 30 minutes until browned. Serve warm.

ZUCCHINI-TOMATO TIAN WITH OLIVES

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, half the herbs and salt. Cook gently for 5 minutes.
• Remove onions to a gratin dish, spreading them evenly over bottom.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In the same skillet, heat another 2 or 3 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, salt and pepper to taste and the remaining herbs. Saute, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes, or until zucchini begins to color.
• Distribute the zucchini over the onions. Tuck slices of tomato and olives into the mixture. Drizzle the remaining oil over top. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake 5 to 10 minutes longer, or until some of the juices have evaporated. Serve warm or at room temperature, with a wedge of lemon or cruet of vinegar, if desired.

TIAN

Steps:

• In a pot, boil 2 inches of water for blanching tomatoes. Place an 8- or 9-inch cast-iron skillet on a burner over low heat, and add butter to melt.
• Peel the potatoes, and slice on a Japanese mandoline into 1/4-inch-thick disks, then arrange in a single layer circle covering the bottom of the cast-iron skillet with its melted butter, keeping the skillet on the burner and leaving the heat on while you start to build the tian.
• Add a second layer of potato slices, and season with salt and pepper, add a drizzle of olive oil and cover with a lid to slightly steam while you slice the yellow onion.
• Peel the onion, then slice into even 1/4-inch or thinner rounds. The Japanese mandoline is sometimes too narrow to use for this, so you may have to use a sharp knife and do it manually.
• Layer abundantly half the onion rings evenly around the pan on top of the steamed potatoes, season with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil, and recover the pan with a lid while you slice the zucchini.
• Slice the zucchini into 1/4-inch-thick rounds, and layer half of them in concentric, just-overlapping shingled circles over the onions to create a neat layer. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with oil and recover with the lid while you blanch the tomatoes.
• Season the now-boiling water with a few good pinches of salt, and drop the tomatoes into the boiling water. As soon as their skins split - about 30 seconds - retrieve the tomatoes and run under cold water to quickly cool enough to handle; set aside.
• Build another ring of potato around the tian on top of the now-steaming zucchini, this time just a single layer. Drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper and recover with the lid to steam a bit while you slip the skins off the tomatoes.
• Layer the other half of the onions as before, season and drizzle and replace the lid as before, while you split the tomatoes in half horizontally with a small sharp knife.
• Add final layer of zucchini to the tian, and season with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Cover, and let steam while you heat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Place the tomatoes around the top of the tian evenly, and sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top evenly. Drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper and place in the oven to bake for 30 minutes. (If your skillet threatens to bubble over, slip a sheet pan underneath to prevent any burned wreckage in the bottom of your oven.)
• With a spoon, baste, and drizzle the pan juices that accumulate in the tian over the top when you remove it from the oven at the end. Allow the tian to cool, settle and kind of meld for an hour before eating.

OVEN-BAKED ZUCCHINI AND TOMATO (TIAN FROM PROVENCE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• In a skillet, heat 1 tbsp of oil over medium heat. Add onions and sauté 10 minutes, or until tender.
• Add 1 tsp of thyme and 1/4 tsp of salt and pepper to the onions and remove from heat.
• Arrange the tomatoes, zucchini and onion slices in orderly rows across the width of 2 1/2 qt shallow baking dish preferably clay. (Can use glass baking dish).
• In small bowl, combine remaining 3 tablespoons of oil, 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of pepper and mix it all together. Drizzle over vegetables.
• Cover the baking dish tightly with foil. Bake for 15 minutes; uncover, and bake another 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender; let stand 10 minutes before serving.

ROASTED GARLIC ZUCCHINI AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• Combine the zucchini, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes in the prepared baking dish. Drizzle with the olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and mix well.
• Place in preheated oven. Roast until vegetables are tender and slightly golden, about 18 minutes. Remove from oven; sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and basil.