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Since we are all trapped at home, it becomes more and more difficult to cook interesting and innovative original meals. We are all tired of the kitchen, our food is boring and tired. Summer produce cooked with fresh herbs and rich caramel flavor may be the ticket to your family’s favorite new dish.
Tian is a pottery "casserole" dish, usually made from pottery. The classic Provencal recipe-also called tian-is a jam, fragrant and delicious mixture made from tomatoes, eggplants, onions, zucchini and fresh herbs. Less picky than Ratatouille, but with similar ingredients, layer with sauce, slice vegetables into thin slices, put them in the field, and slowly cook them until each vegetable releases juice, the final result of caramelization It's a fragrant stew.
Tian can be made with any vegetable you have on hand, but it is usually made with eggplant, which absorbs the juice of its best friends—tomatoes, zucchini, and onions. Chopped garlic and fresh herbs, paired with crusty bread to soak up the juice, is the easiest and best way to enjoy produce in summer.
Similar to the pan method of stacking vegetables on a pan and drizzling with extra virgin olive oil, Tian adds some extras. Cook the vegetables in a baking pan on the higher side to mix the juices. When the water boils, the vegetables will caramelize and become noticeable. You can customize a tian with your favorite herbs, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, anchovies, and breadcrumbs.
I like this rustic casserole because I can quickly assemble it and serve it as a salad, or grill it with chicken, fish or beef as a delicious side. Use slow roasting techniques for any vegetables you have or the classic recipes here. If you don’t have a ceramic plate, you can use a heavy-duty frying pan, casserole, or other oven-safe plate. I often use a cast iron frying pan and place the Tian on the grill with chicken or salmon fillets next to it.
Summer Vegetable Field: Served with staple food for 6 or 4 people
About ½ cup of premium extra virgin olive oil
½ pound zucchini, thinly sliced
½ pound eggplant, thinly sliced
½ pound red onion, thinly sliced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
A few sprigs of fresh thyme and rosemary
Garnish with some or all: freshly chopped flat parsley, extra virgin olive oil, chopped olives, chopped red pepper flakes
Preheat the oven or grill to 375F.
1. Lightly coat the bottom of the baking pan with extra virgin olive oil. Put a few slices of garlic on the bottom of the plate.
2. Arrange the vegetables in concentric circles. Try to place the eggplant near the tomatoes so that the eggplant can absorb the tomato juice. Sprinkle sea salt and fresh black pepper on the vegetables. Put the remaining garlic and herb sprigs on top.
3. Put it in the preheated oven and roast until the vegetables are caramelized, the juice is bubbling, the vegetable jam, and the aroma is overflowing (about 1 hour or more).
4. Sprinkle fresh parsley on the field and drizzle with olive oil. Serve while it's hot.
Laura Frankel is a well-known Jewish chef, cookbook author and culinary director of a media company. Currently, she is serving as Director of Food and Beverage in the Food and Beverage Department of the Beth El Synagogue in the Northern Suburbs.
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