Gambas, Zucchini and Tomato Tian

Gambas, Zucchini and Tomato Tian

I am chewing my nails now wondering if I'd gotten myself a speeding ticket from my shopping trip to Tuscany yesterday. It was the last day of the kids' Summer camp and I've decided to use my last day of freedom to shop till I drop.

Times like these I would wish that we had Autobahns (motoways) like in Germany where one could drive as fast as one's car would allow. I rarely drive to Firenze from Modena as I dislike the (1) windy roads (you have to be very alert and really concentrate on your driving), (2) the numerous speed cameras and (3) the lousy speed limits (e.g. very often 80 - 100 - 110 km/h). On the way back, as the motorway went downhill, I often found myself much above the speed limits without doing anything particular. Speeding tickets here usually could buy you a bag from Prada and since I've never found the courage to buy one, I would hate to give that money to Berlusconi instead.

It was a great day otherwise. Spent a fortune at Polo Ralph Lauren (how I've missed that shop!) and got a few things from Maui and Sons, Calvin Klein, Jean's Paul Gautier, Byblos..It's just as well that I would stop shopping (I hope) till the next Sale because I have almost busted my credit card's limit as well as my Bancomat's. Actually, it's not difficult when you're shopping each time for 5. Children do cost one alot of money :-).

I will have to start clearing out my old wardrobe seeing that I do not own a walk-in like Carrie in Sex and the City. And life goes on, it's washing, cooking etc during the weekend what do you imagine?

Hub wanted us to eat light for lunch so I made us a Gambas, Zucchini and Tomato Tian. It's a simple dish that looks quite pretty when you're serving it and as long as you do not go crazy on the olive oil (like I do), it doesn't contain alot of calories. And it's full of flavours from the Provence.

Gambas, Zucchini and Tomato Tian :

400g Gambas

3-4 small Zucchinis

3 ripe oblong Tomatoes

1 large Red Onion

1 Carrot

Dressing :

2-3 Garlic cloves (minced)

4 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar (or red wine vinegar)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Juice of 1 Lemon

2-3 dried Bird's eye chillies (optional)

Fresh Basil, Thyme and Rosemary

Prepare the dressing (minus the basil leaves) at least 30 minutes in advance so that the flavours could marry. Set aside.

Prepare a tian or any dish that could go into an oven. Pre-heat the oven to 190°C.

Slice the vegetables into thin rounds and place them vertically in the ovenproof dish, alternating onions with tomatoes, basil leaves, zucchinis, carrots and gambas.

Pour the dressing over the vegetables and gambas.

Bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes. Or till the vegetables are as cooked as you want them to be (which could take up to 3 hours but on lower heat). Mine were not too cooked as I planned to re-heat them for dinner.

Freshly baked

Gently use tongs to remove stacks of the vegetables and gambas onto serving plates and ladle the dressing from the ovenproof dish onto the vegetables. Works well as a side dish (minus the gambas eventually) or as a meal in itself.