Dutch Oven Summer Vegetable Tian

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• 1 TBSP oil
• 1/2-1 whole medium onion, chopped (amount depends on your preference and tolerance.)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 small zucchini, thinly sliced
• 2 small yellow squash, thinly sliced
• 4 large potatoes, thinly sliced (I’ve used russets, red, and Yukon gold with equal success)
• 3 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
• Dried Thyme, to taste
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 C parmesan and romano cheese blend, grated

Instructions

1. At home: Chop onion and garlic and store in a container (bag, tupperware, etc). Slice potatoes, zucchini, squash, and tomatoes. (This is a great time to use a fancy kitchen tool if you have it. Currently, my fancy tool is a good knife and my own two hands.) You can store all these items in the same container if you like, but I like to divide them out. Adding water to the container with the potatoes helps them from oxidizing and changing color. Store all the vegetables and cheese in your cooler and pack the oil and seasonings.
2. At camp: Start your charcoal. You’ll need a total of 24 briquettes, but it’s always a good idea to have a few extra. Sauté the onion and garlic until softened (about 5 minutes). You can do this in the dutch oven over some briquettes or on a camping or backpacking stove.
3. Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, and thyme. The majority of the flavor comes from this, so don’t skimp!
4. Cover your dutch oven with its lid. Bake with 10 briquettes on bottom and 14 briquettes on top for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, top with cheese and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the vegetables are soft.
5. Spread the softened onion and garlic in the bottom of a 10″ dutch oven. Place the thinly sliced vegetables in the dutch oven, lining them up vertically around the edges in an alternating pattern. Pack the vegetables nice and tight. I generally do a loose circle, enough that the vegetables can stand up on their own, and then fill in any spaces. Continue this process with a second inner ring