Zone de Texte: Market day is a spectacle that has survived almost untouched by modern times! Somewhere in Provence and on the Cote d'Azur, every morning of the week, in every kind of weather, small farmers and market gardeners get up before down to drive their cars or "camionnettes" to villages or cities such as Antibes, Cannes, Nice or Saint-Rémy-en-Provence, Gordes and Isle-sur-la-Sorgues. They maneuver into narrow streets and squares, set up simple trestle tables, and unload boxes of fruit and vegetables harvested only hours before at the peak of ripeness. On good days - and most of the days are good - the Provencal sun transforms ripe peppers to fire, honey to melted gold, and olive in baroque jewels. Eggplants, tomatoes, and cherries glisten, melons send messages to your nose, and everything asks to be tested. Within moments, the "Place du Marche" is metamorphosed into a culinary wonderland. And so the scene is repeated throughout Provence and the Cote d'Azur, day in, day out, year after year, decade after decade, in the sun, rain, and snow, and even holidays. The essence of Provencal cuisine : Olive oil, garlic, and herbs - from these natural marvels whole worlds of culinary splendor have been evolved. Take a simple meal that would evoke all of Provence and Cote d'Azur for us, that meant olive oil, of course, and garlic, the emblematic ingredients of the region, along with the other produces that shout its regional allegiance, like the tomatoes, the zucchini, and the magnificent melons. And there would be Provencal herbs aplenty, like thyme and rosemary. The sun after all, shines in Provence and on the Cote d'Azur most of the year, making it possible to grow many vegetables and herbs over a ten-month period. In fact thyme, rosemary and sage grow in the wild, especially amid the rocks of the dry scrubland called "garrigue". Zucchini and eggplant are grown almost the entire year (no wonder "ratatouille" had to be invented, just to use up the produce). Because of this historic emphasis on vegetables and herbs, on olive oil and garlic, "the Provencal diet became, according to today's understanding diet of nutrition, one of the most balanced and healthiest on the earth" (Pierre Franey). One of our Provencal menus ... Zone de Texte:

© Art and Cooking Classes in France

Sea Bass Mousse with a Fresh Tomato-Basil Coulis

Wild Fresh Mushrooms in Puff

Pastry with a Tarragon Sauce

 

WINES & LIQUORS

 

Vin d'Orange

Home Made Local Apéritif

----

Grave Blanc

Bordeaux Blanc

 

 

 

Gigondas

   Grand Côtes du Rhône

 

 

Liqueur de Verveine

  Home Made Verveina Liquor

 

MENU

 

Dégustation de Fromage avec Fruits de Saison

Apéritif with Cheese and Fruits of the Season

----

Mousseline de Loup au Coulis Frais de Tomates

Sea Bass Mousse with a Fresh Tomato-Basil Coulis

 

Poulet aux Quarante Gousses d'Ail

Chicken with Fourty Garlic Cloves

 

Tian Rouge

Red Bell Pepper, Tomato and Basil Gratin

 

Soufflé Glacé aux Fraises

Cold Starwberries Soufflé

Culinary Adventures in Provence
Art and Cooking Classes in France Zone de Texte:

Fish for  a bouillabaisse

HOME  |  COOKING IN PROVENCE  |  COOKING ON THE COTE D'AZUR  |  PROVENCAL MARKETS & CUISINE OF THE  SUN

 

 OUR GUESTS HOUSES   |  CLIENTS COMMENTS  |   F.A. Q.  |   WHO WE ARE   |  CONTACT US   |  RATES & HOW  TO BOOK

HOME  |  COOKING IN PROVENCE  |  COOKING ON THE COTE D'AZUR  |  PROVENCAL MARKETS & CUISINE OF THE  SUN

 

 OUR GUESTS HOUSES   |  CLIENTS COMMENTS  |   F.A. Q.  |   WHO WE ARE   |  CONTACT US   |  RATES & HOW  TO BOOK