Jean-François and I are getting ready to re-plant our vegetable garden, and thinking of all the delicious tomatoes, zucchini and other vegetables and fruits we will enjoy this summer made me hungry for some ratatouille. However, I do enjoy making this tian version which uses the same veggies, but I think looks prettier.

Laura ready to cook

Laura ready to cook the tian, ©Laura Crotet

Instructions

  • Slice the eggplant into thin rounds. Put them in a bowl and lightly salt them. Let them sit for about 15-20 minutes to give their water, then rinse and pat dry. You can brush a little olive oil on each round, but I do not think this is necessary.
  • During this time, slide the zucchini, the tomatoes, and the onions into rounds.
  • Preheat the oven to 360°F.
  • Rub the bottom of your dish with a garlic clove that you did not cut, then put some olive oil in the dish.
  • Begin assembling the tian by arranging the sliced vegetables, alternating the colors. If you have a square dish like me, you can do this by lines. If you have a round dish, start on the outside and make a circular arrangement. As I did not want too much on an onion taste, I skipped every other turn for the onion.

The tian ready for the oven

The tian is ready for the oven, ©Laura Crotet

  • Sprinkle the top with the chopped garlic, herbes de Provence, salt & pepper, then drizzle with olive oil.
  • Cook in the oven for about 1 hour, until the vegetables are soft and are starting to turn golden on the top.

It is a great side dish for a BBQ, or can be enjoyed as is with a salad, a baked potato, or a crusty baguette (and of course, some rosé from the south of France).

 

The tian finished

Looks delicious! ©Laura Crotet

 

- Laura Crotet, France Just For You

If this recipe brings water to your mouth, you may want to check out our recipe for Pistou soup, another Riviera specialty.

France Just For You

Experts in self-drive tours in France

Travelers Reviews

5.0
Michael
My wife and I are fairly seasoned travelers so when we decided to include a trip to France in our year long 50th Anniversary Celebration we wanted to do something different. We looked at group travel companies including those who specialize in "small" groups. None of them had the flavor we were looking for. In my search for somethin new I happened …
Jackie & Joe
Our trip to Paris, Normandy and the Lore Valley could not have been more enjoyable thanks to all the personalized attention that Emilie gave our requests! She even delivered on the perfect weather we asked for! All of the accommodations were very comfortable and the hosts were so friendly, helpful, and fluent in English. Although I am not usually a …
Hannah from the US
I cannot recommend France Just For You enough! We had a wonderful time as we customized a trip and experienced our French dreams come true! Thank you for the best experience!
Peter
We wanted my spouse's birthday trip to France to be special and we could not have expected such a perfect time. From initial communication with Emilie by email right up to having a driver meet us in Paris CDG airport, it was a stress-free vacation. Emilie provided first class service throughout and tailored our desire to see Paris, the Loire Valley …
Bill
France Just For You is a service I highly recommend regardless of how much experience you have traveling through France. Emilie does an amazing job of putting together an exciting and interesting itinerary, taking you to places and meeting people you would never find on your own. Not only are her ideas great, but she is also very thorough. Her trip …
Martina & Simon from the UK
A fantastic well-planned self-drive tour We had the most amazing time on our 6 week self-drive tour designed by Laura, travelling through Brittany, Loire, Dordogne, Medoc, Basque France, Languedoc, Provence, the Alps, Alsace and Champagne. This was a big trip for us and it was everything I’d hoped and dreamed and even more besides. All our …