Seasonal vegetables are sliced and stacked onto a simple tomato sauce base to make this rustic and flavorful vegetable tian.
Although we have yet to officially enter into autumn I can already start to feel its tug. Soon the days will shorten, the nights get cooler, and pumpkin lattes will be back in full force; but for now summer vegetables are still plentiful and I plan of taking advantage of them while I can.
A tian Provençal has been my go-to lately. It’s the perfect dish to transition us from summer to fall, the vegetables feel summery but the dish is hearty and comforting like fall.
A tian is a traditional French dish that really captures the essence of the type of food you’ll find in Provence. It’s simple, rustic and filled with fresh, seasonal vegetables and flavorful herbs.
It’s also easier to make than you’d think, just slice, stack, cover and bake. Zucchini and tomatoes are quite common ingredients, as are lots of garlic and olive oil. I’ve included potatoes but you could just as easily swap those out for eggplant or more tomatoes and zucchini if you prefer.
How to make a Tian Provençal :
- Slicing and arranging the vegetables is really the only work involved in making a tian.
- Unlike a gratin, in a tian vegetables are thinly sliced, alternated in rows then stacked upright rather than layered horizontally into a baking dish, before being drizzled with oil and slowly cooked until tender and melting throughout. The bottom of the pan is covered with either a layer of cooked onions or tomato sauce then the whole dish is covered with foil or parchment for the first half of the cooking time to trap in moisture and ensure even baking.
- I use a store-bought tomato sauce to cover the bottom of the dish to which I add garlic, herbs and finely chopped olives to intensify the flavor. On top of that I squeeze in rows of sliced tomatoes, zucchini and potatoes until my dish is packed. A drizzle of olive oil and a few fresh thyme leaves across the top and it’s ready to go into the oven. At that point it’s pretty hands off; except for about halfway through when you’ll want to uncover the dish.
What you’ll end up with is a fragrant, bubbling dish of perfectly seasoned vegetables that can be served either warm or at room temperature and tastes just as delicious if not better reheated the next day. It’s an easy and delicious way to make summer last just a little bit longer on our plates.
More Recipes From Provence:
Tian Provençal (Vegan, Paleo)
Seasonal vegetables are sliced and stacked onto a simple tomato sauce base to make this rustic and flavorful vegetable tian.
Ingredients
For the tomato layer:
- ¾ cup/ 180ml tomato sauce
- 3 small cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 1 Tablespoon/15ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon finely minced Kalamata olives
- 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
For the vegetables:
- 3-4 small vine tomatoes, cut in half and thinly sliced (about ¼ inch thick)
- 3-4 new potatoes (or small yukon golds), cut in half and thinly sliced (about ¼ inch thick)
- 3-4 small zucchini, thinly sliced (about ¼ inch thick)
- 1 Tablespoon/15ml extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ⅛th teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- A few sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves removed and stems discarded
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In the bottom of about a 1 ½ quart baking dish mix together tomato sauce, garlic, olive oil, chopped olives, herbes de Provence and salt. (If your tomato sauce is very thick you may need to thin it out with a Tablespoon or two of water until a loose consistency is achieved.)
- Arrange sliced vegetables, alternating as you go on top of the tomato sauce in rows, fitting them tightly against one another until the dish is completely filled. Season with salt and pepper, scatter thyme on top
and drizzle with remaining oil. - Cover the dish with parchment or aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover the dish and bake for another 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven, let cool slightly on wire rack and serve warm or at room temperature.
- Leftovers can be covered refrigerated and reheated in the oven the following day.
Notes
A mandolin makes slicing easier but isn't necessary.
If your tomato sauce is very thick you may need to thin it out with a Tablespoon or two of water until a loose consistency is achieved.
For a paleo version replace potatoes with sliced eggplant or more zucchini and tomato slices.
Leftovers can be covered, refrigerated and reheated in the oven the following day.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 171Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 528mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 5gSugar: 6gProtein: 5g
Nutritional information for recipes contained on this website, such as calories, fat, carbs, etc. are only estimates and are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she's been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.
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