Plant Sale Weekend Recipe -Vegetable Tian

Today and Tomorrow from 8 am to 3 pm the Garden Club of Villa Park is holding their annual plant sale.  The theme this year is Heirlooms, Natives and Herbs.  I was on the committee and helped choose the herbs.  This year we are highlighting culinary herbs.  If things go well we will add medicinal herbs in the future.

As a way of getting participants excited about the vegetable and herbs we were highlighting, we put together fact cards and recipes for each of the herbs in the sale.  These cards will be available to those who visit the plant sale.  I chose the recipes from my vast collection, using a few that have appeared in my blog in the past as well as new recipes.  In my search I found more than I could use, so I decided to share a with you here.  Tomorrow I will share another.

Summer Vegetable Tian

A tian is a dish of finely chopped vegetables cooked in olive oil and then baked au gratin. But is can also refer to a no-frills round earthenware dish that goes from the oven to the table that originated in Provence France. This dish is 

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium yellow onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium zucchini sliced into thin rounds

1 medium yellow squash sliced into thin rounds

1 medium Yukon Gold potato rinsed and sliced into thin rounds

1 medium tomato sliced into thin rounds

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup shredded Italian cheese

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Finely dice the onion. Sauté the onion in a skillet over medium heat with olive oil until softened (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).

Spray the inside of an 8"X8" baking dish with non-stick spray (or coat with butter). Spread the onion and garlic mixture over the bottom of the dish. Place the thinly sliced vegetables in the baking dish vertically in an alternating pattern. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, thyme, and rosemary.

Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. 

Remove the foil, top with cheese, and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown.

If you want to visit us at the plant sale where we will have information on Herbs and Natives and some of our herbs and even a Club cookbook for sale - you can find us at 320 E Wildwood Dr. Villa Park, IL 60181 for more info, check out the club website.

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