Provence

THE FRUITS OF PROVENCE

"Yes, it is real," says Viviane Bauquet Farre, "the air is warm and filled with sweetness and the fields are bursting with ripeness." Join us as we revel in the richness of a harvest season in Provence.

The sky is intensely blue, the air is warm and filled with sweetness and the fields are bursting with ripeness. Yes… it’s real, I am in Provence! My husband Marc and I arrived in this gentle and beautiful land only a few days ago, and already we both feel like we belong here.

Every corner is filled with beauty… so much beauty!

Since my goal for this little getaway was relaxing and cooking with local ingredients, I couldn’t have found a better place to rest my weary bones.

So I am spending my days reading Provençal cookbooks, driving through the vineyards of Gigondas and Chateauneuf-du-Pape, walking through medieval villages and of course shopping at local farmers’ markets along the way. Already I have found a couple of truly spectacular ones, all bursting with the richness of this harvest season.

Aside from the unbelievable fresh and large cèpes (the French name for porcinis) that just appeared in the markets for the first time this season only a couple of days ago (a sight that made me melt!), the fruits of Provence truly stand out.

They are so succulent and fragrant… they are intoxicating!

And so I filled my bag with perfectly ripe poires William (a small and more fragrant version of our Bartlett pears), fuzzy white peaches, aromatic red Muscat grapes and plump, fresh black mission figs. Once I got back to our perfect little cottage here in St. Rémy de Provence, I got to work. The results were most pleasing and definitely delicious!

The pear and rosemary jam featured here is bursting with fruitiness. I serve it with a tray of assorted local goat cheeses: a banon (a semi-ripened raw milk cheese wrapped in oak leaves), a brique, a crottin de Chavignol (aged and drier in texture) and a delightful fresh crottin covered in vegetable ash. The pears complement the sweetness of the cheeses while the rosemary accentuates their earthiness. All in all a fabulous canapé or an elegant end to a light meal. I serve it with a glass of local white wine, a 2005 Côte du Rhône Blanc de Blancs from Domaine Jean David, in Séguret (a region just north of Gigondas) made with Roussane grapes.

The basil used in the frisée and basil salad with white peaches and fresh figs has miniature leaves and an intense flavor. It is commonly used here instead of the large-leaf sweet basil we are so accustomed to in the States. It is sold by the plant, and you put it on your windowsill until you have used it all up… then you buy another plant. The cost for the generous little shrub is only 2 euros (about $2.50). What a deal…! I have been plucking at my basil plant for a week now and it is still perfectly bushy. I love this concept!

Last but not least, aside from the divine foods and wines this country lavishes upon us, we have also found the most magnificent cottage, located just a few minutes outside of the charming and historic town of St. Rémy de Provence in Southern France (where Van Gogh spent his last year, painting prolifically). “Le Moulin Entre Deux Mas” is a hamlet of five 16th century homes actually built upon a Roman aqueduct, all lovingly restored by the personable and delightful William Moore, an American expatriate who says he wants to spend the rest of his days here.

William has a gift for making his guests feel at home as soon as they step through the front door: he is always available to answer any question or attend to any need – and he leaves warm croissants at our doorsteps every morning.

AU MOULIN ENTRE DEUX MAS
16, avenue Théodore Aubanel, F 13210 St. Rémy de Provence, France
Tel/Fax: +33 432 621 768 Cell: +33 607 826 663
www.provenceparadise.com

FRISÉE AND BASIL SALAD WITH WHITE PEACHES AND FRESH FIGS

For the vinaigrette:
1 ½ tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
1 small shallot – skinned, quartered and finely chopped
4 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

For the salad:
1 medium white peach – pitted and cut in 1/8” slices
4 large fresh black mission figs – quartered
2 large handfuls frisée leaves – rinsed, spun dry and torn in 2” pieces
4 branches miniature basil – leaves removed from stems and left whole (or 20 large basil leaves – torn in 1” pieces)
¼ cup sliced almond as garnish – toasted (see cook’s note)
(Serves 4)

For the vinaigrette, place all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until well blended. Set aside.

Place frisée and basil in a large bowl and toss with half the dressing. Place a small mound of the frisée in the center of each plate. Tuck a few slices of the peach among the greens. Top with 4 fig quarters. Drizzle with the balance of the dressing. Garnish with the almonds and freshly ground pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Cook’s note: to toast the almonds, heat a small skillet at medium-high heat. Add the almond slices and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until just golden, tossing frequently. Transfer to a bowl to cool.

PEAR JAM WITH ROSEMARY

2 lbs very ripe Bartlett pears – peeled, quartered, pits and core removed, and cut in 1/4” slices
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ cup turbinado sugar
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 sprigs fresh rosemary – leaves removed from stems (or 2 teaspoons dried rosemary leaves)
2 tablespoons grappa or Poire William
(Makes 1 - 1½ cups)

Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the pears, lemon juice, sugar, vanilla extract and rosemary. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low. Slow-simmer uncovered for 50 to 60 minutes until the juices have almost all evaporated, stirring from time to time and breaking the slices with a wooden spoon as they soften.

Add the grappa or Poire William and continue to simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl to cool to room temperature.

Serve jam at room temperature with a tray of assorted fresh and aged goat cheeses, or aged Comté, Gruyère and Pecorino Toscano.

Cook’s note: refrigerate up to 1 week.

All the way from Provence, bon appétit!

Viviane Bauquet Farre demonstrates a wealth of divine recipes. See Viviane in action on her innovative website FOOD & STYLE www.foodandstyle.com/recipes.htm

© 2007 Viviane Bauquet Farre – food & style NY LLC

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