Zucchini Ham and Cheese Tian

What, you might ask, is a tian? It's a Provencal dish of vegetables, sauteed, then placed in the oven to brown a little. The name derives from an earthenware dish used to prepare the vegetables, called a tian.

Whatever the etymology of the word, it's a delicious and easy way to prepare vegetables so that they melt in your mouth.

Maggie, of Normandy Life, recently posted a link to her Pinterest page to do with all things zucchini (or courgettes, as they say in France). I discovered this recipe on her page, and adapted it a little. Here's the original link (in French). 

Zucchini Ham and Cheese Tian

3-4 zucchini, about 8 inches long

6-8 slices ham (I used smoked ham from the deli)

200 grams (about 7 ounces) Comte cheese (I couldn't find Comte, so I used a new-to-me cheese, made in B.C., - Gewurztraminer "Artisan Cheese - a semi-soft cheese with white wine" I think you could use whatever cheese you wanted.

2 Tablespoons olive oil

fresh thyme (about 2 teaspoons)

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

1 fat clove garlic, minced

1. Cut the zucchini lengthwise into strips (4 or 5 strips, depending on the diameter of the zucchini)

2. Heat the oil in a pan, then brown the zucchini over medium-high heat, about 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towel.

3. Cut the slices of ham in half lengthwise. Cut the cheese into 1/4 inch slices.

4. Layer the zucchini, the ham, and the cheese in a glass baking dish. 

5. Saute the onion and garlic in the oil remaining in the pan until slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the fresh thyme leaves. Spoon over the mixture in the baking dish.

6. Sprinkle with pepper, and a little bit of salt, if you think it's needed. With the saltiness of the ham and the cheese, I didn't add any salt.

7. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. The cheese will melt, the zucchini soften a little more and it will taste simply wonderful.