Vegetable Tian

This is a good recipe to know when summer produce is plentiful.  There is usually so many squash, zucchini and tomatoes and this puts them to use. Add japanese eggplant when I have it.. kinda like a layered ratatouille. 
Super easy and really yummy.  

The french term TIAN refers to a shallow layered baking dish, like a casserole, and the food within it. Note: in the winter in a pinch I have used tin tomatoes and it works very well... so not just summer food.  Yummy healthy food.  

Summer Vegetable Tian

  2 T. butter (I use 1 T. butter and 1 T. bacon grease, if I have it)  

  1 large Onion, sliced

  1/2 t. Kosher Salt

  1 T fresh Thyme, leaves only (dried works fine too.. but reduce by half)

  2-3 cloves of Garlic, minced
  

Vegetables to layer.... (any of the following)

  Zucchini

  yellow Squash

  Tomatoes (I prefer Romas here)

  Red or gold Potatoes

  Eggplant (optional.. use what you have) 
  

  Salt + Pepper

  Fresh thyme leaves

  Cheese: Parmesan, Locatelli or Gruyere cheese, shredded (grated works fine if you don't have shredded)

  Bread Crumbs, panko (optional) 

  lemon zest (optional)  

  Olive oil, for drizzling

Preheat oven to 375º  
Heat butter in a sauté pan over med heat, add onions and season with salt and add fresh thyme.  Cook until the onion begins to caramelize.  Add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.   
Meanwhile, evenly slice the vegetables while the onion is cooking. (Make sure the potatoes are sliced thinner than the other veg, so they cook in the same amount of time) 

Spread cooked onion in bottom of a baking dish.  Begin layering (like tiles) vegetables til pan is filled. 
Sprinkle with sea salt & fresh cracked pepper and thyme leaves.  
Top with breadcrumbs, if using, and cheese, zest and drizzle with olive oil. 

Bake for 35 min. or until potatoes are fork tender.  Depending on how you slice your potatoes, this will vary. 

Sauté onions with garlic and thyme.

Slice all veggies into rounds, fairly thin.

Straight from the garden!

Onions are the base, sometimes I add corn to this sauté

You can make it in any dish, just layer away.