vegetable tian au gratin
recipe under the cut!
A tian is a French dish that is, like a tajine, based around slow cooking. Also like a tajine, the name refers both to the food itself and to the dish that it is typically prepared and served in. A topping of bread crumbs and grated cheese make this tian "au gratin," but either the bread crumbs, cheese, or both may be omitted.
The vegetables used in the dish can be whatever is in season or whatever you have on hand. In this recipe I've tried to balance acidic, sweet, and earthy flavours. You'll want to mix and intersperse vegetables with high and low water content (so that the water in e.g. tomatoes can help to cook turnips or potatoes). Also slice slow-cooking vegetables, such as potatoes, more thinly than you slice zucchini and other quick-cooking vegetables.
Fills one 8" x 11" baking dish; serves six.
INGREDIENTS:
vegetables:
1 zucchini + 1 yellow squash or other summer squash
OR butternut squash or other winter squash
3 tomatoes (heirloom or on the vine)
1 Yukon gold potato
1 sweet potato
1 small yellow or red onion
1/2 a medium eggplants
2 slices of rutabaga, quartered, or a few turnips, sliced
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
3 tbsp good olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
thyme (2-3 sprigs; 1 tsp fresh or 1/4 tsp dried)
rosemary (1 sprig, minced; 1 tsp fresh or 1/4 tsp dried) or basil (2-3 leaves, minced)
for the topping (optional):
1 cup vegan mozzarella or provolone, shredded
2/3 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp total minced fresh herbs
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Lightly oil a roughly 8" x 11" baking dish or gratin dish.
2. Slice vegetables with a sharp knife or a mandolin. Slice slow-cooking vegetables (such as winter squash, potatoes, rutabaga, and eggplant) more thinly than quick-cooking vegetables (such as summer squash, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes). Halve or quarter larger vegetables to achieve slices with roughly the same diameter. Note that the onion should be sliced widthwise (perpendicular to the root) to preserve its rings.
3. Place sliced vegetables in your dish. This can be done in rows in a rectangular baking dish, or in circles in a gratin. Alternate vegetables with high water content (summer squash, tomatoes) with vegetables with low water content (winter squash, rutabaga, potatoes) to ensure that everything cooks evenly.
4. Sprinkle salt, pepper, herbs, and garlic evenly over the top of the dish, then drizzle with olive oil.
5. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and cook at 400 °F (205 °C) for 35 minutes, or until potatoes are mostly tender. Meanwhile, mix cheese, bread crumbs, and herbs in a small bowl.
6. Remove the aluminum, top with cheese mixture, and cook for another 15 minutes. Broil for a few minutes to darken topping if desired.
Serve warm in the baking dish.
