With tomatoes and eggplant in full swing and zucchini still in the garden, it’s the perfect time for a tian. A tian is a southern French layered dish that contains vegetables (always with eggplant, tomato and zucchini, but sometimes other vegetables are added) placed over a tomato sauce base (or sometimes, sautéed onions). If this sounds like a ratatouille, you wouldn’t be wrong. A ratatouille uses the same ingredients, but it is made like a stew.
In this recipe I use feta cheese. If you are not a fan, feel free to grate some Parmesan over the baking dish as soon as it comes out of the oven.
Arliano Update (Aggiornamento Arliano):
In previous posts I had mentioned (lamented?) that was going through the process of getting my Italian driver’s license. It is an expensive and time-intensive process. After going to “autoscuola” (driving school) for three months and studying for two hours every day, even on weekends, I just passed my theory test (aka the written exam)! The test is in Italian using technical terms and you may only miss 3 questions out of 30. I missed one. The results are read, quite loudly, for each individual, in front of the entire exam room. I would say that 50% of the room did not pass. I was elated when I heard the word “superato” (passed). But… this is only the first part of obtaining a license. Next up are the driving lessons. Yes, after driving in the US for over 40 years, I must take 6 hours of driving lessons, usually 12 lessons for 30 minutes each. So, I haven’t quite reached this rite of passage, but the hard part is over, and I can breathe a sigh of relief. Maybe by October I’ll finally have the license in hand. Another rite of passage is quickly approaching — September 8 marks my five-year anniversary of living in Italy. This means that I am now eligible for a long-term permesso di soggiorno (permission to stay), which lasts for 10 years as opposed to an annual renewal. More on this process in a future post.
In our garden, the butternut squash are doing well. I also ripped out the first climbing beans that had stopped producing and then replanted another batch. I may let these mature, dry on the vines, and use as dried beans in the winter.
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Tian with Feta Cheese
Ingredients
- 4 long, skinny eggplants (or, two globe style eggplants, cut to size)
- 2-3 zucchini, cut into medallions, the same thickness as the eggplant
- 3-5 tomatoes (cut into slices, the same size as the eggplant and zucchini)
- 3/4 cup tomato sauce (homemade or store bought is fine)
- 2 ounces feta cheese
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to grease the baking dish
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
- A few leaves of chopped fresh basil, PLUS a teaspoon of fresh or dried thyme AND oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt (not iodized table salt)
Directions
- Pre-heat the oven to 375F (190C)
- Peel or don’t peel the eggplant, it’s up to you. Regardless, slice them into medallions and lightly sprinkle them with salt. Set them in a colander to drain for 30 minutes. Then, quickly rinse the salt off and pat them dry
- Mince the herbs and place them in a bowl with the olive oil, garlic, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside
- Lightly oil a roughly 8-inch X 8-inch (20 cm X 20 cm) square or oval baking dish and evenly spread the tomato sauce on the bottom of the dish
- Stack and place the vegetables vertically in the dish on top of the tomato sauce fairly tightly like standing coins on their edges. Cut the vegetables so that they are the same size and thickness. Then, place slices of feta cheese after approximately every third repetition of vegetables (e.g., eggplant, tomato, zucchini, eggplant, tomato, zucchini, eggplant, tomato, zucchini, FETA… Repeat)
- Drizzle the herb/oil mixture over all the vegetables and cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Then, remove the foil and bake for another 20 – 30 minutes until the vegetables are soft and have started to wither. Let cool for at least 20 minutes before serving. This may be served warm or room temperature
Greg Nelson Cooks 