A tian is a Provençal creation named for the traditional earthenware baking dish. Be sure to drizzle generously with oil to impart flavor and keep the vegetables from drying out (remember, there’s no other liquid in a tian); you can spoon off excess oil after cooking.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 6

　　1/3 to 1/2 cup olive oil

　　1 small eggplant (about 6 ounces), thinly sliced crosswise on a slight diagonal

　　1 yellow squash or zucchini (about 6 ounces), thinly sliced crosswise on a diagonal

　　4 plum tomatoes (about 1 pound), sliced lengthwise 1/4 inch thick

　　2 small red, white, or yellow onions (8 ounces), thinly sliced crosswise

　　Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

　　Sprigs of herbs, such as thyme, rosemary, oregano, or marjoram

　　1 head garlic, separated into cloves but not peeled

　　

Step 1

Assemble Heat oven to 400°F. Coat the bottom of an oval baking dish or 9 by 13-inch baking dish with 2 tablespoons oil. Arrange vegetables in dish, alternating them and overlapping them. Season with salt and pepper; drizzle with enough oil to coat generously, and scatter herbs and garlic evenly over the top.

　　

Step 2

Bake Bake 25 minutes, then baste vegetables with oil from pan and continue baking until tender and browned, about 20 minutes more.

　　Reprinted with permission from Martha Stewart's Cooking School: Lessons and Recipes for the Home Cook by Martha Stewart. Copyright © 2008 by Martha Stewart. Published by Crown Publishing. All Rights Reserved.Martha Stewart is the author of dozens of bestselling books on cooking, entertaining, gardening, weddings, and decorating. She is the host of The Martha Stewart Show, the Emmy-winning, daily national syndicated program, and founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, which publishes several magazines, including Martha Stewart Living; produces Martha Stewart Living Radio, channel 112 on SIRIUS Satellite Radio; and provides a wealth of ideas and information on www.marthastewart.com.