Tomato & Yellow Squash Tian

Tomato & Yellow Squash Tian.This is the first time that I cooked a tian. I found the recipe in the Wine and Food section of The New York Times last week. The article, written by Edward Schneider, referred to ‘a so-called tian of onions, zucchini and tomatoes from Roger Vergé’s Ma Cuisine du Soleil, published in 1978.’The first thing that captured my attention was the color. I eat through the eyes. So, the combination of yellow squash (it was yellow, not green as a zucchini) and red tomatoes in the picture smiled at me.Then came the ingredients, which I happened to have in my kitchen garden. Finally, the simplicity of the recipe got my approval.According to Schneider, the word tian refers to the shallow dish in which the dish is made, so it can be just about anything. Like the ratatouille or the bohémienne it can be served hot, warm or cold. It’s a tasteful appetizer, side dish or a juicy bed to braise a nice piece of fish.‘Grilled bread is what you want with this, not rice or potatoes or noodles or polenta’, said Schneider, and he’s absolutely right. So, I took a La Brea demi baguette, sliced it, toasted it and rubbed it with a garlic clove and got the most amazing treat.Schneider called for zucchini, but I only had yellow squash, so I substituted it. The whole idea of the tian is to arrange the ingredients in successive layers, so that every layer complements the other.Once in the oven, the juices of the tomatoes and yellow squash combine with the onion, garlic and rosemary previously sautéed in olive oil, to create a masterpiece of Mediterranean flavors.Here is the recipe of this delicious tomato & yellow squash tian.

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