Call for Recipes: Summer Tians

Editor's Note

In December 2023, TILife’s copy editor, Elspeth Naismith, presented "Call for Recipes!" The article showed a tea towel that hangs proudly in her kitchen and provides the ingredients for a "Traditional 1000 Islands Shore Dinner," written by the late Les Cook, renowned Canadian fishing guide. Elspeth suggested that our River communities have many farmers, restaurants, store keepers, and yes, both year round and summer residents who have favourite recipes that all have special River meanings.

Elspeth wrote: . . .

"Thousand Islands Life" is asking our readers to share their favourite River recipe with us. Tell us about the recipe, why it’s special, and why it reminds you of the River. Is it something that you only make at a specific time of the year? Is it a dish that you only make when you’re on the River?"

And this month Elspeth provides two recipes that look easy - and perfect for summer 2025! Let us know if you make one and how it turned out!

Summer Tomato Tian

Serves:  4 + Time:  1 3/4 hrs

A tian is a casserole of sliced vegetables from the south of France. Although a classic tian can use an assortment of summer produce, this recipe focuses on tomatoes seasoned with garlic and fresh herbs. Use plum tomatoes, which are firmer, drier, and less seedy than regular field tomatoes. Serve it warm with crusty bread and cheese, or as a side dish for a meal. Leftovers will keep in a sealed container for a few days. 

Ingredients:

• 6 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 2 lbs ripe plum (Roma) tomatoes, cored and cut crosswise into ¼- to ½-inch slices
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper
• 4 – 6 sprigs fresh rosemary or thyme 
• Crusty bread for serving

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 425°F with a rack in the middle position. Brush the bottom and sides of a 9” pie plate or casserole dish (I prefer a casserole dish – it’s easier to neatly pack in the tomato slices) with 2 Tbsp oil. Sprinkle half of the garlic over the bottom. Arrange the tomatoes in concentric rings in the plate or dish, shingling and tightly packing the slices. 

2. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, then tuck the herb sprigs into the tomatoes and scatter on the remaining garlic. Drizzle evenly with the last 4 Tbsp oil. Bake until the tomatoes are browned, bubbling and tender, about 1½ hours. Cool for about 15 minutes. Garnish with torn bits of burrata, fresh mozzarella, and some flaky sea salt. 

Zucchini, Summer Squash, and Tomato Tian

Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen and French regional sources.

Serves: 4 – 6 Prep time: 15 – 20 mins Cook time: 1 hr 15 mins

This dish is a Provençal casserole that is named for the region’s terra cotta dishes. Tian is a combination of summer vegetables, cooked with fresh thyme and Gruyère. The casserole can be assembled a few hours ahead of time, then baked just before serving. Make sure that the zucchini, squash, and tomatoes are all about the same diameter. While it is a little labour intensive, I think that it’s well worth the effort! It will keep well for a few days, refrigerated in an airtight container.

Ingredients:
~1 lb zucchini in 1/4” slices
~1 lb yellow squash in 1/4” slices
~ 1 lb plum tomatoes in 1/4” slices
3 onions, thinly sliced in half moons (pole to pole)
4 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 teaspoons table salt
1 – 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, leaves stripped from stems
2 cloves garlic, pressed
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup grated Gruyère

Instructions:

1. Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a large cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium until it shimmers; add onions and salt and cook 15 – 20 minutes to caramelize them, stirring occasionally.
2. Slice the tomatoes, zucchini, and squash, placing each vegetable in a separate bowl. Strip thyme leaves from stems, give them a quick chop, and set aside.
3. Once onions are caramelized, add garlic directly to the pan, stir well for ~30 secs or until you can smell the garlic aroma. Remove pan from the heat.
4. Preheat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the middle. Grease a 9 x 12” baking dish with 1 Tbsp oil (use a brush to coat bottom and sides evenly). Spread the onions evenly on the bottom of the dish, along with any juices. Next, start shingling the veggies, 3 at a time – tomato, zucchini, squash – in 4 rows across the dish. Once the dish is filled, then start packing in more triplets, to make the veggies tightly packed. Don’t try to pack them tightly at the start – it always end up being uneven! Drizzle the last 1 Tbsp oil over the top, sprinkle with thyme, and a grating of salt and pepper. Cover tightly with foil.
5. Bake on the centre rack, covered, for 30 mins. Then uncover, sprinkle with the Gruyère and bake for another 20 – 30 minutes until the veggies are tender and cooked, but not mushy, and the cheese has melted. Serve warm.

By Elspeth Naismith

Elspeth Naismith grew up in Gananoque, graduated from McMaster University in Hamilton (B.Sc (Bio)), and then from Centennial College as an RN. She also joined the Naval Reserve (thanks to a high school chum), and after spending time on both east and west coasts, she took a break from nursing and accepted a 3-year posting to National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa. The "break" turned into 25 years, and included jaunts to East Germany, Wales and the Irish Sea, and Bosnia. She retired from the Navy in 2011 and moved back to Gananoque in 2013.
Today she not only leaves her mark on all TI Life articles, as she is the "Real Editor", "Comma Queen," and "overall lifesaver," but she is also an official recipe tester for America's Test Kitchen.

Illustration by Marie-Anne Erki

Marie-Anne Erki, is a Kingston artist and emeritus professor civil engineering at the Royal Military College. Marie-Anne initially considered a career in architecture, but her love of mathematics led to becoming a structural engineer. She says, "At a time before computer assisted drawing (CAD), both disciplines required a huge amount of freehand and mechanical drawing. After a quarter of a century of great fun as a structural engineer, I decided to pursue painting full time." We at TI Life are fortunate that Marie-Anne has accepted to be our Official Illustrator and you will find her work on many of our articles. You can also see her works at marieanneerkipaintings.blogspot.com/