Cheesy zucchini-apple tian

A great new way to serve vegetables!

This dish was a big hit with everyone in my family and I especially loved it because not only is it super easy to prepare, it’s also easy to serve and tastes really delicious. If you’ve not heard of tian before, it’s a classic French dish that takes its name from the large earthenware pots typically used in Provence; tians usually consist of a mixture of roasted vegetables topped with cheese. You can easily assemble the dish a day or two ahead of time then refrigerate and bake just before serving. You could also prepare this recipe using individual-sized dishes which would make for a very impressive presentation; reduce baking time slightly if doing so.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large apple, cored and cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 1 green zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 1 yellow zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) coarse salt
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) dried thyme
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) shredded cheese (I used Gruyere and Parmesan but you could also use Mozzarella, Cheddar or your favourite vegan cheese product)

Method

• Preheat oven to 375F.
• Drizzle a bit of the oil in the bottom of an approximately 8 inch x 8 inch (20 x 20 cm) shallow, oven-proof dish.
• Arrange alternating slices of apple and zucchini in the dish.
• Sprinkle with minced shallot, salt, pepper and dried thyme. Drizzle remaining olive oil over top.
• Cover dish with a lid or piece of aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle cheese on top and bake for another 30 minutes.
• Remove from oven and serve hot.

Serves 4 and can easily be doubled or tripled.