Provence - Foodie Heaven

There is something about the southeastern corner of France that melts everyone. For artists it's the fields where Van Gogh once painted, for film buffs it's the Cannes Film Festival, and for foodies it's the amazing dishes. Provencale cuisine is simple but full of complex textures and aromas.The food is a fine marriage of land and sea.

Where is Provence exactly? It's at the very tip of the French nation, encompassing the small kingdom of Monaco in the east to Arles and Avignon in the west. It has both the Maritime and the High Provence Alps as well as a good sweep of the Mediterranean on it's southernmost side. It's here you get a perfect array of seafood, game, and herbs along with vegetables and fruits. The dishes reflect this ,combining different tastes and aromas.

Provencale cooking is rich in seafood. After all this is where bouillabaisse was born, in Marseilles, one of the southern France's biggest port cities. This wonderful saffron perfumed soup first started a simple way to use up local markets catches of the day. Local fishermen would cut up the fish , and boil it in seawater infused with local herbs. The mixture was cooked over coals on the beach. It evolved into one of the most famous dishes of French Mediterranean cuisine. The best place to have it is in Marseilles or Cap d'Antibes. Unfortunately ,unless you're making it yourself, restaurant bouillabaisse can be overly fishy or overly herbed. It has to have the right mix of both tobe moutherwatering and memorable.

Vegetables and fruit play an important part of Provencale cooking. Tomatoes abound on in therugged countryside and they're used regularly. One of my favorite recipes is for stuffed tomatoes here tomatoes are stuffed with bread crumbs and garlic and then fried.The world known ratatouille, another flavorful Provencale dish , combines them with eggplant and onions. This is a great dish to make when you have company because it's not only filling but easy to make for crowds. Fennel plays an important part in the cuisine. There's nothing like a cooling salad made with fresh stalks. Fruits are also a must in any Provence kitchen. Apricots are the biggest product and there are many recipes with them. The Provencales also make clafoutis or black cherry pudding because the fruit abounds there.Another big crop, figs grow on many farms in amongst the Maritime Alp. Every housewife and cook has many different recipes for poached and stuffed ones.

Provence - it's an inspirational Eden for artists and those who love the art of cooking. It's a foodie's paradise too, with it's rich flavors and unique, but earthy dishes.


Ratatouille (my Mom's recipe)

3 large tomatoes
1 large onion,
1 large pepper
1 zucchini
2 table spoons olive oil
1 clove garlic , minced.
sea salt and coarsely ground pepper

Cut and cube vegetables.Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add vegetables, garlic, salt and pepper and stirring occasionally. Keep over low heat until vegetables are cooked. Cover to lightly steam for one or two minutes.

Serves four. Serve with a crusty warm bagettes.