“Tian” is a Provençal word for a shallow pottery dish, and there are almost as many tians as there are vegetables. The common ingredient is usually cooked rice enlivened with a green vegetable, aromatic seasonings, and cheese. To make it for one, use a shallow, single portion baking dish.

　　

Ingredients

2 large handfuls of a leafy green vegetable (spinach, Swiss chard, beet greens, turnip greens)

　　1 tablespoon olive oil

　　1 garlic clove, peeled and slivered

　　Salt

　　3/4 cup cooked rice, or more if wanted

　　1 tablespoon butter

　　Freshly ground pepper

　　About 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs

　　A generous sprinkling of good aged cheese

　　

Step 1

Rinse the greens and remove and discard really tough stems; if you’re using Swiss chard, cut the stems into 1/2-inch pieces and include. Heat the olive oil in a skillet or a wok, and sizzle the garlic for a few moments, but don’t let it turn brown. Dump in the greens with the water still clinging to them, and stir them around. Cook, adding a little more water as needed, and season with salt. When just tender—about 3 minutes for spinach, a bit longer for coarser greens—toss in the rice and half the butter and mix. Taste for seasoning, and add more salt and several turns of the pepper grinder. Transfer the contents to a shallow baking dish, cover lightly with breadcrumbs, and dot with the remaining butter. Sprinkle on enough cheese to cover the top. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 15 minutes. If you want to brown the top a little more, slip the dish under the broiler.

　　

Variations

Step 2

A zucchini tian is awfully good, and you don’t need to precook the zucchini. Just use a small one, and grate it on the coarse holes of a grater. Salt it and pat dry with a towel, then mix in with the rice. Proceed as above.

　　

Step 3

If you want to make a more substantial dish, fold in some small lumps of goat cheese or mozzarella and a few slices of shredded ham.

　　The Pleasures of Cooking for One by Judith Jones. Copyright © 2009 by Judith Jones. Published by Knopf. All Rights Reserved.Judith Jones is senior editor and vice president at Alfred A. Knopf. She is the author of The Tenth Muse: My Life in Food and the coauthor with Evan Jones (her late husband) of three books: The Book of Bread; Knead It, Punch It, Bake It!; and The Book of New New England Cookery. She also collaborated with Angus Cameron on The L. L. Bean Game and Fish Cookbook, and has contributed to Vogue, Saveur, and Gourmet magazines. In 2006, she was awarded the James Beard Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. She lives in New York City and Vermont.