Late Summer Vegetable Tian

A tian is traditionally served as a side dish for grilled meats, but it also shines like a star in its role as main course. Served alongside a hearty whole grain, this makes a light but satisfying dinner, the kind that are best served on warm Summer evenings. Enjoy with a chilled white wine for a refreshing experience. :)

Late Summer Vegetable Tian

recipe adapted from Vegetarian Suppers by Deborah Madison (I highly recommend this cookbook!)

Ingredients You'll Need:

1/4 cup olive oil
3 bell peppers, preferably red, orange and yellow, sliced in strips
1 large onion, sliced
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1/2 cup sherry or dry white wine
6 plum tomatoes
1 medium sized eggplant, skin removed and sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 green zucchinis, sliced
1 yellow squash, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 sprigs of thyme
1/4 lemon, seeds removed, sliced
sea salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Oil a shallow gratin dish. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a wide skillet. Add the peppers, onion and 2 thyme sprigs. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a little pepper and cook over medium high heat until the vegetables begin to caramelize, about 15 minutes. Work in the tomato paste, then add the wine, mix well (Be careful with the wine vapors over the high heat- they can be incapacitating!) and allow to simmer until a syrupy sauce forms. Meanwhile, fill a small pot with water and bring to a boil. You will also need to fill a small bowl with cold water, then set it next to the boiling pot. Spread the vegetable mixture into the oiled dish. 
2. Drop the tomatoes two at a time into the pot of boiling water for 15-30 seconds or so, then drop them into the bowl of cold water. After 10 seconds or so, pick one up, slip off the skin (you may need to start the peeling process with the edge of a sharp knife) and continue until all the tomatoes have been peeled. Then, slice them and set aside.
3. Arrange the sliced tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini and squash over the pepper mixture, overlapping them either carefully or haphazardly, whichever is your style, making a fairly uniform layer in either case. Tuck the remaining thyme sprigs, lemon slices and minced garlic among the vegetables, season with salt and pepper, then drizzle with remaining olive oil. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Remove foil and cook for another 10 minutes or until top is golden brown.

I served this with a mixture of brown rice and barley to round out all the veggies.

Hope you have fun using fresh summer veggies and enjoy this late summer dish!