Summer Tian w/ Roasted Pepper Purée and Garlic Bread
Pete says, “This is a good one for when the CSA box is heavy with summer produce and you want something that feels a little special without needing much more than slicing and stacking.”
Ingredients
For the Tian:
2 Japanese eggplants
2 zucchini
2 summer squash
4 to 5 Roma tomatoes
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 teaspoon salt
Fresh black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme or oregano, or a few sprigs fresh thyme
Optional: a little grated parmesan or breadcrumbs on top
For the Roasted Pepper Purée:
2 red bell peppers
1 small clove garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste
Optional: a small splash of vinegar or squeeze of lemon
For the Garlic Bread:
1 loaf crusty bread
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated
Pinch of salt
Optional: chopped parsley
Instructions
1. Roast the peppers
Roast the bell peppers at 425°F until collapsed and well blistered, about 25 to 35 minutes, turning once or twice. Transfer to a bowl and cover for 10 minutes so they steam. Peel off the skins, remove seeds, and blend or mash with the garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and a tiny splash of vinegar or lemon if you like. Set aside.
2. Slice the vegetables
Use a mandolin for thin, even slices if you have one, but please use the guard and watch your fingertips. A knife absolutely works too, just take your time and keep the slices as even as you can. Slice the Japanese eggplant, zucchini, summer squash, and Roma tomatoes into thin rounds, about 1/8 inch thick.
3. Start the base
Rub a baking dish with olive oil. Scatter the sliced onion and minced garlic across the bottom. Spoon the roasted pepper purée underneath everything in an even layer.
4. Layer the vegetables
Arrange the vegetable slices upright in the dish, alternating eggplant, zucchini, squash, and tomato. Pack them tightly in rows or a spiral, whatever fits your dish best. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and thyme.
5. Bake
Cover with foil and bake at 375°F for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 20 to 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the top is lightly browned around the edges. If there seems to be a lot of liquid, let it bake uncovered a little longer.
6. Make the garlic bread
Mix the softened butter, olive oil, garlic, and salt. Spread over sliced crusty bread. Bake alongside the tian for about 10 minutes, or until crisp and golden on the edges. Sprinkle with parsley if you want.
To Serve
Spoon some of the roasted pepper purée onto the plate, serve the tian over or alongside it, and add warm garlic bread on the side.
This is a good one for when the CSA box is heavy with summer produce and you want something that feels a little special without needing much more than slicing and stacking.
Notes
Tian is one of those dishes that looks impressive without being fussy. It’s a great way to use up a pile of summer vegetables, and when everything is sliced evenly and layered together, it cooks into something really beautiful. Using Japanese eggplant helps here because the slices stay nice and consistent and the skin is much more tender and less bitter. Roma tomatoes are worth using too for the same reason: they give you neat, uniform slices without a lot of extra water.
