Provençal layering – when vegetables become a work of art
If you want to combine wine with a vegetarian main course in the oven, Tian offers one of the most rewarding opportunities. The right wine pairing has to deal with a multitude of simultaneous vegetable flavors: the slight bitterness of the zucchini, the sweetness of the carrots, the acidity of the tomatoes, the spiciness of the Provençal herbs and the creamy sharpness of the goat cheese, which melts when baked and crowns the top layer with salty-sour depth. A tian is basically layered work – thin slices of vegetables are alternately placed in a dish, flavored with olive oil, garlic and thyme and slowly cooked in the oven until they are tender, slightly caramelized and filled with a fragrance reminiscent of a Provençal summer. The Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC from the Marche region, with its bitter almond and herbal notes, is the quiet, convincing accompaniment to this complex vegetable dish.
Ideal wine pairing: Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC (Marche, Italy)
From the limestone and clay soils of the Marche hills, not far from the Adriatic coast, where the Verdicchio grape finds its deepest and most independent expression, comes a white wine that is consistently underestimated in the wine world. Its aromatic structure is almost ideal for a vegetable and goat’s cheese dish: green apple, chamomile, fennel, a hint of aniseed and a characteristic bitter almond note on the finish, which combines with the spiciness of the goat’s cheese in a direct, aromatically harmonious way. This bitter almond is the key: it picks up on the slight bitterness of the zucchini and prolongs it, and it enters into a dialog with the goat’s cheese that consists of spice and counter-spice – both sharpen each other without dominating each other. On the palate, the Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC is medium-bodied and fresh, with an acidity that enlivens the layers of tomato in the tian and breaks up the oiliness of the olive oil. A wine that understands the dish without demanding attention for itself.
Further wine recommendations for this dish
Soave Classico DOC (Veneto, Italy)
The Garganega on volcanic tuff soil brings almond, chamomile and white peach to a wine that is aromatically related to the Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC and yet has a different character. Its bitter almond note hits the goat’s cheese directly, its creamy texture gently carries the layered vegetables. It is more accessible than the Verdicchio, somewhat less independent, but reliably harmonious. For all those who prefer Veneto creaminess to Marchigian bitterness when it comes to vegetable tian.
Côtes du Rhône AOC blanc (Southern Rhône, France)
From the southern Rhône, where Grenache Blanc, Marsanne and Roussanne combine to produce a white wine with Mediterranean warmth and herbal spice, comes a companion that directly picks up on Tian’s Provençal roots. Garrigue herbs in the wine meet Provençal herbs in the dish – thyme, rosemary, lavender – on an aromatic level that leaves the Tian in its homeland. For all those who prefer France to Italy when it comes to Provençal vegetable dishes.
Grüner Veltliner Wachau DAC (Wachau, Austria)
The white pepper and green herbal spice of the Grüner Veltliner Wachau DAC meet the herbal-olive oil aroma of the Tian in a direct, fresh way. Its lively acidity enlivens the tomato layers, its medium body carries the goat’s cheese without being overpowered by it. It is the most expressive companion of this round – for all those who are looking for a wine that interferes aromatically with vegetable Tian instead of accompanying it in silence.
Pfalz Pinot Blanc Spätlese dry QmP (Pfalz, Germany)
The creaminess and smoothness of the Pfalz Weißburgunder Spätlese trocken QmP communicates directly with the melting goat’s cheese on the tian. Its pear-peach fruit and subtle almond notes carry the dish in a gentle, reliable way. It is more restrained than the other candidates, but with a texture on the palate that is most flattering to the goat’s cheese. For anyone who prefers German meltiness to Italian bitterness in a vegetable and goat’s cheese dish.
You can find more vegetarian spring recipes with matching wines on the spring and wine overview page.
The recipe:
Spring vegetable tian with goat’s cheese from the oven
Cooking utensils
- 1 Casserole dish or Tian dish (round or oval, approx. 24 cm)
- 1 Mandolin or sharp knife (for thin slices)
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Baking paper
Ingredients
- 2 small zucchini
- 2 ripe beef tomatoes
- 2 medium-sized carrots
- 1 small eggplant
- 1 Onion cut into thin rings
- 3 Garlic cloves finely chopped
- 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary finely chopped
- Salt black pepper
FOR THE GOAT’S CHEESE FINISH:
- 120 g Goat’s cream cheese or goat’s cheese roll
- 2 1 tbsp olive oil
- Fresh thyme
- Black pepper
Preparation
PREPARATION:
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
- Cut the zucchini, tomatoes, carrots and eggplant into approx. 3-4 mm thin slices using a mandolin or a sharp knife.
- Brush the baking dish with olive oil.
- Spread the garlic and onion evenly over the bottom of the dish.
COOKING STEPS:
- Layer the vegetable slices in the dish, alternating and overlapping – one slice of zucchini, tomato, carrot, eggplant at a time, then from the front.
- Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper.
- Cook in the preheated oven for 35 minutes until the vegetables are soft and lightly colored.
- Place the slices of goat’s cheese on the tian.
- Drizzle with olive oil and fresh thyme.
- Bake for a further 10 minutes until the goat’s cheese is lightly golden brown.
DIRECTIONS:
- Bring Tian directly to the table in the mold.
- Finish with fresh thyme leaves and a thread of good olive oil.
- Portion onto preheated deep plates.
SUPPLEMENTS:
- Crispy baguette with olive oil
- Small green salad with vinaigrette
- Black olives and caper berries
