Childhood Memories: Tian of Vegetables

I'm home... 

There is a dish that forever calls you home, bringing many memories of your childhood. 

One very specific dish my mother used to make: 'Provençal Tian of vegetables' is so special to me that every time I was organising a dinner party it will be featured with each main course, or whenever I felt like missing home; which, quite innocently, is an annoying thing at the same time. Since, Disney's released 'Ratatouille', i was smiling and crossed at the same time. 
I was smiling because that dish the cartoon was trying to be famous for, was my mother's Tian, and crossed because clueless studio director, and participants, called it: 'Ratatouille'. This is to French Gastronomy the same as murder. 

Ratatouille is a slow-cooked vegetable stew!
(see article: 'Paysanne')
Tian of vegetables is very simple dish, a combination of fresh tomatoes, aubergines and courgettes slices; but, how so delicious!

Ingredients

6 Medium size Tomatoes
1 large Courgette (can also be 1 green and 1 yellow, to add more colour)
2 medium size Aubergines 
(the key is to find vegetables of the same diameter)
2 Garlic Cloves
1 tbsp Herbes de Provence
3 tbsp Olive Oil

Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, slice the vegetables thinly. 
in a deep oven dish, lay the slices flat against the edge of the dish, starting with tomato, courgette and aubergine and start again until all slices are used and space is filled. 
Sprinkle the Herbes de Provence, puréed garlic, Olive Oil.

Cover with aluminium foil and place in pre-heated oven (180˚c). 
Cook for 35 minutes.
Reduce temperature to 160˚c and take off the aluminium foil, to let some of the juice to evaporate.
Make sure to keep the dish from burning.



Serving suggestion, as shown in 'Disney's Ratatouille'

This is Ratatouille: ​