Provencale Vegetable Tian

Chef François de Mélogue

A vegetable tian is quick to prepare. You can use a selection of fresh vegetables that you have on hand. Enjoy my traditional Provencal version below.

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Course Side Dish

Cuisine French, Provencal, Vegetarian

Servings people

Ingredients

2 Japanese Eggplant cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
10 Plum Tomatoes cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1/4 cup Extra-virgin Olive Oil split among a few steps
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Sweet Onions thinly sliced
2 Bell Peppers seeded and thinly sliced
3 Garlic Cloves smashed (optional)
10 Fresh Basil Leaves roughly chopped
4 thin Zucchini cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Lay the eggplant slices onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake 10 minutes, just until it softens.
Lay the tomato slices onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake 20 minutes, just until the tomatoes start to shrink a little.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the basil and cook for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread one-quarter of the mixture in a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Blanch the zucchini for 30 seconds; use a slotted spoon to remove them from the water.
Arrange the slices of zucchini, eggplant, and tomatoes in alternating layers over the onions and peppers, with the slices overlapping. Continue making layers until all the vegetables are used. Sprinkle the dish with Parmesan and bake until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

Notes

To Salt or Not To Salt? I do not salt eggplants before cooking them. A Japanese chef friend taught me to soak them in cold water instead. Where you think they would be soggy - they aren’t. All the inherent bitterness washed away.

Keyword Eggplant, Roasted Vegetables, Tomatoes, Vegetarian Dish, Zucchini

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