Bon Voyage Vegetable Tian

My friend and neighbor Natasha, had a dinner party last night. Just about everyone at the party thought she was crazy. You see she was leaving for Mumbai, India today for her parents 50th Anniversary Celebration. We all agreed that not a one of us would have had a party the night before we were leaving on a month long trip. But party she did.
Twenty people were invited and we were told what to bring. As the sun set, and the grill warmed up we mingled, drank a chilled rose and caught up on each others lives.
Dinner was a wonderful affair! We were served marinated flank steak and salmon covered in garlic and parsley, both grilled to perfection by her husband Chris. A tomato tart filled with sliced tomatoes, garlic, basil and cheese, an asparagus tart, flavored with cheese and herbs. I brought a Vegetable Tian I put together an hour before the party started. Dessert was even more amazing, a rich chocolate cake (Natasha swore she would get me the recipe), brownies and cookies.
It was a beautiful evening, and I am so glad my friend has the energy to throw a party the night before she travels around the world with two kids!
I used a mandoline to slice the vegetables thinly. A mandoline makes quick work of a very tedious job.
The tomatoes and scapes were cut by hand. Buying vegetables the same width makes a nicer presentation and allows for more uniform cooking. I was originally going to add eggplant, but since it was thicker than the other vegetables, I decided to save it for ratatouille. The tian was out of the oven a good hour before we ate it and was delicious at room temperature.
Vegetable Tian
Printable Recipe Vegetable Tian pdf


1 red onion, sliced thinly
4 garlic scapes sliced thinly
3 zucchini, sliced thinly
3 summer squash, sliced thinly
9 Roma tomatoes, sliced thinly
3 tablespoons olive oil
fresh thyme leaves off 4-5 branches
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and scapes and cook until colored. Turn out into the casserole dish and spread evenly over the bottom.
Place the sliced tomato, zucchini and squash on top of the onions alternating them as you go.
Sprinkle with olive oil, fresh thyme leaves, sea salt and pepper.
Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes.
Remove the foil and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake another 25 minutes until the cheese is brown.

Bon Voyage Natasha!
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