I tend to go to the gym a lot which is made easier by the fact that all of the machines have TVs attached to them. 9 out of 10 times I end up watching The Food Network. I guess it’s the masochist in me. Running hard while watching Paula Deen fry butter in butter with a touch of bacon fat always makes me laugh.
My best workouts tend to be when I get wrapped up in an episode of Barefoot Contessa. I love her and her yuppie Hamptons life. I want to have picnics on the beach in Quoge! I want to make Jeffrey treats for when he returns to the Hamptons! I want to hang out with gay designers with a penchant for Ralph Lauren! But alas, this isn’t my life and I settle for Ina.
The other day she made a Vegetable Tian. I had never heard of one or seen one before but it sounded delicious to me. Layers of thinly sliced tomatoes, potatoes and zucchini on top of sauteed onions? Delicious! Then I remembered that she has the recipe in her Barefoot in Paris cookbook… so out I went to buy the ingredients for my Tian.
It looks like a pain in the arse to make but it really wasn’t that bad. And the results were incredible. I’m not kidding when I say I could have eaten the entire dish by myself. I guess that wouldn’t have been that gross… it’s just vegetables, right? This is going into my regular rotation. For the record I served this with a lemon-herbed salmon… yum.
Good olive oil
2 large yellow onions, cut in half and sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound medium round potatoes, unpeeled
3/4 pound zucchini
1 1/4 pounds medium tomatoes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, plus extra sprigs
2 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.Brush a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish with olive oil. In a medium saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and cook the onions over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Spread the onion mixture on the bottom of the baking dish.
Slice the potatoes, zucchini, and tomatoes in 1/4-inch thick slices. Layer them alternately in the dish on top of the onions, fitting them tightly, making only 1 layer. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, thyme leaves, and thyme sprigs and drizzle with 1 more tablespoon of olive oil. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Uncover the dish, remove the thyme sprigs, sprinkle the cheese on top, and bake for another 30 minutes until browned. Serve warm.
Copyright © 2006 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved
