It’s an earthenware vessel used both for cooking and serving, and it’s also the name of the au gratin vegetable dish prepared in it.

The dish can be oval, rectangular, round or square. A more contemporary name is a gratin dish—a shallower casserole dish (the casserole is an earthenware vessel that originated in the Camargue and Languedoc regions of France).

In Provençal cuisine, sliced vegetables are layered in straight or circular rows, then topped with a light cloak of grated cheese and baked. The layering of different colored vegetables creates a very pretty dish. In fact, a Pyrex baking dish works even better to show off more of the layering.

The recipe is similar to ratatouille, but in that recipe the vegetables are chopped and mixed together.
 
 
MAKING A TIAN IS EASY

Like quiche, a tian can be served cold, hot or room temperature. With both plenty of flavor and visual appeal, tians are a nice buffet food and can also encourage your family to eat more veggies on a dull weekday night.

Tians also can be composed of layers one on top of the next, like a layered casserole or a seven-layer salad. It’s just as tasty, but not as attractive. It also allows the flexibility to include a layer of cooked ground meat (we like lamb), diced chicken or ham, hard-cooked eggs or tofu.

A traditional layered recipe is made with yellow beans, diced zucchini, sautéed onions and green beans. In addition to the cheese, a layer of breadcrumbs can be sprinkled on top.
 
 
RECIPE: VEGETABLE TIAN

This recipe is courtesy The French Farm, which used the Provençal brand of Moulin de la Brague herbes de Provence and olive oil.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 375°F. Brush a baking dish with olive oil.

2. SLICE all the vegetables into even widths, using a mandolin or knife. Layer them, alternating colors, around the perimeter of the baking dish. Repeat until all of the vegetables have filled up the baking dish.

3. SPRINKLE the minced shallots, garlic, salt, freshly ground black pepper and herbes de Provence over the top, and drizzle the olive oil.

4. COVER the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes then uncover and bake for another 20 minutes. when vegetables are tender, sprinkle the cheese on top, and broil until browned. let sit for 10 minutes before eating.

[1] A popular tian trio: tomatoes, yellow squash and zucchini. Here’s the recipe. (photo © For The Love Of Cooking).

[2] A tian recipe from Otamot Essential Sauce. For extra flavor, they add some Essential Sauce to the tian recipe (photo © Otamot Foods).

[3] Here, a mandoline was used to cut the yellow squash and zucchini very thin (photo © The French Farm).

Here’s something fun to make with leftover Easter ham: potato-free Ham and Cheddar Polenta Fries.

The recipe is from QVC’s chef, David Venable. David says, “These polenta fries can be eaten as an appetizer or a side, and can be served with anything from honey-mustard to aioli.”

RECIPE: HAM & CHEDDAR POLENTA FRIES

Ingredients

Preparation

1. HEAT the oil over medium heat in a 5-quart stockpot. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the milk, chicken broth, and butter and bring to a simmer. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal, avoiding any lumps. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. REMOVE the pot from the heat and add the ham, herbs, salt, pepper and cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted and the ingredients are evenly distributed.

3. SPREAD the cornmeal mixture with a heat-resistant spatula on the surface of a rimmed 9″ x 13″ cookie sheet. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap, put on oven mitts, then evenly press the mixture down, spreading it out to the edges. Refrigerate the covered cornmeal mixture until completely cooled.

4. HEAT the oil in a Dutch oven to 375°F (or, preheat a deep fryer). Flip the polenta out of the cookie sheet onto a large cutting board. Cut the polenta into 1/2″ strips and then cut each strip into 3″ pieces. Fry in batches until deep golden brown. (Adding too many pieces at once can cool the oil down.)

5. DRAIN the fries on paper towels; serve immediately.
  

[2] You can use any white bean, like these cannellini beans (photo © Fortuna Sausage).

[3] No leftover ham? Pick up some smoked ham hocks like these from Fresh Direct (photo © Fresh Direct).

You can just enjoy so many ham sandwiches and ham scrambles with the leftover Easter ham. Here are two recipes from QVC’s David Venable, that take a different approach.

The Smoked Ham & Cheddar Hash recipe is below.
 
 
RECIPE #1: WHITE BEAN SOUP WITH HAM

This recipe uses the ham bone, hock, or shanks.

David comments, “Though it may officially be spring, there are still plenty of days that call for a recipe that takes out the chill. This broth-based soup is a great way to use leftover ham: It’s light enough for spring, but hearty enough to be filling.”
Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. RINSE the beans, sorting out any that are broken or discolored.

2. BRING a large pot of water to a boil. Add the salt and the beans and remove the pot from the heat. Let the beans sit in the hot water for at least 60 minutes.

3. RETURN the pot to high heat and place the ham bone, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, mustard and bay leaves in the pot. Stir well, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 60 more minutes.

4. REMOVE the ham bone and discard. Stir in the chopped ham and simmer for 30 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh parsley (if desired).
_______________

*A mild, white, oval bean, similar to the white kidney bean or cannellini bean.

David advises, “This hash recipe works just as well with ham that hasn’t been smoked. Try serving it as a breakfast item by throwing some fried eggs on top. Like a little spice in your hash? Add some hot sauce to the pan!”

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT oven to 350°F. In a large sauce pot, boil the potatoes until fork tender. Drain the water and set aside.

2. ADD the butter to a 10″ or larger, deep nonstick skillet and melt over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until slightly colored.

[4] Yummy smoked ham and Cheddar hash (photo © QVC).

[5] Cream of mushroom soup (photo © World Market).

4. ADD the parboiled potatoes and stir carefully to evenly incorporate all ingredients. Season the hash, to taste, with salt and pepper.

5. COMBINE the Cheddar cheese, breadcrumbs and parsley in a small bowl and sprinkle over the top of the hash. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until evenly browned.
 
 
  

It’s National Garlic Day, so our tip is: Try this wonderful spray-on garlic juice from Garlic Valley Farms.

It brings the flavor of fresh or roasted garlic to anything from salads and pasta to veggies, fish and meats. Spritz away!

You might be suspicious of garlic in spray form, but this product rocks.

There are actually two varieties of garlic juice, Cold Pressed and Roasted. The flavor difference between the two is quite distinct.

Spray on the garlic! Photo courtesy HealthySupplies.co.uk.

Look for them in natural food stores/health food stores, or buy it online:

 
Read our full review of Garlic Valley Farms, plus the health benefits of garlic.

Sent to us by House Foods America from an original recipe by Mutsumi Gonzales, it’s a vegan recipe that we tried in celebration of Earth Month.

But you can substitute the cubed protein of your choice—beef, chicken, pork, seafood—for the tofu.

RECIPE: TOFU LETTUCE CUPS

Ingredients

 
For The Sauce

1. HEAT olive oil, garlic and tofu in a frying pan over moderately high heat. Cook until tofu and garlic are well toasted.

2. ADD all the sauce ingredients and continue cooking for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Add the water and cornstarch mixture, stirring until the mixture thickens. Mix in walnuts.

3. PLACE the warm mixture on lettuce cups, garnish with shredded carrots and chopped cilantro, and serve.

Wraps put the filling inside lettuce leaves and roll them up.

You can fill them with an almost endless array of ingredient. Start with the ones that you use in burritos, pita, sandwiches, spring rolls or tortillas.

The contrast of warm, flavorful fillings with the cool crunch of lettuce is a crowd pleaser and a calorie saver.
 
HOW TO MAKE LETTUCE CUPS

Use large, pliable lettuce leaves. Iceberg is most often used, but escarole, red leaf lettuce, radicchio, romaine or large spinach leaves are options. Wash and dry lettuce thoroughly.

Here’s a demonstration.

For a party, offer a variety of lettuces and fillings.