Food & Cooking Recipes Main Dish Recipes Casserole Recipes Vegetable Tian Turn that summer produce haul into one stunning side dish. Prep Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 50 mins Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Servings: 6 Jump to recipe A vegetable tian is a Provençal-style casserole, and one of the prettiest and most colorful side dishes. Sliced vegetables are layered, topped with garlic, fresh herbs, and plenty of olive oil, and cooked until meltingly tender. Traditionally, it's baked in a shallow earthenware dish, also called a tian, but you can use any baking dish that is large enough to hold all the components. Our vibrant version uses plum tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, Japanese eggplant, and onion. The result is a savory rainbow that's sure to tempt even those who think they don't like roasted vegetables. Plus, like many other Mediterranean dishes, this one is just as delicious warm as it is at room temperature. 20 Mediterranean Recipes You'll Want to Make for Dinner Tonight Credit: Kelsey Hansen What Is a Vegetable Tian? The vegetable tian is a dish that originated in Provence, a region of southeastern France that's known for its lavender fields, olive groves, and produce-centric cuisine. The tian gets its name from the shallow earthenware dish, also called a tian, that was traditionally used to bake it in. Buying and Prepping Vegetables for a Tian Our recipe features a mix of summer squash, eggplant, tomatoes, and red onion. As with making ratatouille—another dish that hails from Provence—you'll want to cut each vegetable to a similar size so it cooks at the same rate. Here's what to look for when buying and cutting summer produce for a tian: Zucchini and yellow squash: Choose firm, unblemished squashes that feel heavy for their size. Trim off each end, then cut into quarter-inch-thick slices. Tomatoes: If possible, seek out plum (or Roma) tomatoes, which are meatier and less juicy than other varieties. If you can't find them, choose tomatoes that are ripe but not overly soft. If they have a tough core, trim it out before slicing them quarter-inch thick. Red onion: Red onion lends a savory bite to this otherwise mild dish. Slice it crosswise into thin rounds. Eggplant: Martha strongly recommends using narrow Japanese eggplants—rather than Italian ones—for this recipe. Petite with thin skins, they're less bitter and cook up extra creamy and tender. Garlic: Garlic is used in two different ways in this recipe. Before arranging the vegetables, a cut clove of garlic is rubbed over the baking dish, which imparts a subtle flavor without overpowering the mild vegetables. Then, unpeeled cloves are nestled into the vegetable slices, leaving you with soft, roasted garlic for spreading onto bread slices. Tip For an even more elegant and impressive-looking dish, slice your vegetables half as thick as we call for in this recipe (or into roughly one-eighth-inch-thick pieces). Just note that they'll cook a bit more quickly, so keep an eye on them in the oven. Directions Credit: Kelsey Hansen Preheat oven; prep baking dish: Heat oven to 400°F. Halve the peeled garlic clove and rub bottom of a 2-quart baking dish with the cut side of the garlic. Coat the bottom of the dish with 2 tablespoons oil. Credit: Kelsey Hansen Arrange vegetables in dish; top with herbs, oil, and garlic: Arrange vegetables in dish, alternating them and overlapping them. Season with salt and pepper as you layer the vegetables. Scatter herbs on top and drizzle with remaining oil to coat generously. Add garlic cloves evenly over top. Credit: Kelsey Hansen Credit: Kelsey Hansen Bake: Bake 25 minutes, then baste vegetables with oil from pan, and continue baking until tender and browned, about 25 minutes more. Credit: Kelsey Hansen What to Serve With Vegetable Tian This light, seasonal side dish would be delicious alongside grilled lamb or fish—try it with these grilled lamb loins or this simple striped bass recipe. Or if you prefer chicken, pair it with Martha's easy paillards or these herby grilled thighs. Round out the meal with a simple starch like couscous or steamed rice, and don't forget some crusty bread for slathering with the roasted garlic cloves. How to Store (and Repurpose) Leftover Tian If you find yourself with leftover tian, refrigerate it covered or in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Enjoy it at room temperature, or heat it (covered) in a 325-degree Fahrenheit oven until warm throughout, 10 to 15 minutes. To use up leftovers, toss the roasted vegetables into a frittata or grain bowl, roll them into a burrito or wrap, or layer them into a sandwich with fresh mozzarella and a swipe of pesto. 5 More Ways to Savor Summer Produce Grilled Pepper Bruschetta Blistered Eggplant With Tomatoes, Olives, and Feta Tomato Cobbler Zucchini and Squash Salad Tomato-Eggplant Gnocchi Updated by Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds is an experienced recipe developer, recipe tester, food editor, and writer with over a decade of experience in the food and media industries.