Vegetable

Tian

Ingredients

Sautéed Onions

Sliced Veggies

Words & Images

 © 2007 Robert Wesley Branch

On a lazy Saturday afternoon (yesterday), I made this very French classic in my oh-so-American kitchen.  When I sat down (in the early evening) to eat this savory dish – alongside a few pan-fried chicken breasts scaloppini – I was immediately taken back to 1994, and to La Coupole restaurant on the Boulevard du Montparnasse in Paris, where I first tasted Vegetable Tian.  One of the things I love about food is how it often travels you back – to the sights, sounds and smells of the places you once visited, to the people you once knew, and to the memories you’ve created along your pilgrim’s journey.

First Layer

Assembled

Seasoned

After 40 Minutes

After 70 Minutes

Finished with Breadcrumbs

From the forthcoming book

Food Is Love:

Recipes for Living Single & Fabulous

Notes

When I first made this dish, I sautéed the onions till they were brown and saucy, which is how I like them in my long-simmering tomato sauces – to the point where they actually dissolve and disintegrate into the other ingredients.  For this dish – Vegetable Tian – I do not enjoy the sweet and slimy texture of onions sautéed that long; rather, I prefer a bit of a crunch to the onions, which nicely complements the soft cooked tomato, squash and potato.