Summer Vegetable Tian: Simple and Elegant

The term tian simply refers to a dish of thinly sliced vegetables that have been cooked in fat of your choice and baked au gratin. This crispy and colorful Summer Vegetable Tian is the perfect side to showcase the medley of mouthwatering veggies that the season has to offer!

The following excerpt is from The Heal Your Gut Cookbook by Hilary Boynton and Mary G. Brackett. It has been adapted for the web.

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RECIPE: Summer Vegetable Tian

Serves 6 to 8

This simple but elegant dish is perfect for serving when company comes over and makes an especially nice side for fish. It’s always beautiful, and the vegetables are completely interchangeable — so use what you have.

Ingredients

• 1 eggplant, sliced
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 1 zucchini, sliced
• 2 tomatoes, sliced
• 3 tablespoons ghee or fat of choice
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
• Handful of fresh thyme, stripped off stems
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed or chopped

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the vegetables in a big bowl, and drizzle with the fat.
2. Add the sea salt, pepper, thyme, and garlic. Using a large spoon, gently toss to coat.
3. In a round, well-greased baking dish, place the vegetable slices in a repeating pattern of concentric circles. You can also use a rectangular dish, and make a pattern of alternating rows.
4. Add a bit more ghee on top of the vegetables, and cover with foil.
5. Cook for 20 minutes, remove the foil, and baste the vegetables with the juices in the bottom of the pan.
6. Cook for an additional 20 minutes, basting once again halfway through.
7. Remove from the oven and serve.

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