Download Our Winter Menu Collection

Featuring 25 recipes from the South of France for winter weather, along with menu suggestions, all designed to make your cooking experience enjoyable. Download this PDF, which includes recipes for starters, main courses, side dishes, and desserts.

 David Taylor

It took just one holiday in the Luberon in 2003 for David and Karen Taylor to fall in love with Provence. This lead to owning a village house in Saint Saturnin les Apt - a holiday home. However, after just a few visits they took the radical step of leaving home and work in Surrey, England.

The plan was to take a year off to explore Provence and learn French. However, after just a few months a challenge of a different sort presented itself - property. It was a piece of land in a wonderful authentic Provencal village in the Luberon and they set about planning and building two houses and gites over a two year period.

Today David and Karen have a three bedroom villa with private pool, two gites and a chambre d'hôte room with a shared pool. Now (2015) they are approaching their 7th season with 50% repeat guests, for a season that starts at Easter and runs to mid-October.

When not carrying out work duties the couple continues to explore the endless beautiful Provencal villages and towns. Recording their visits in photographs and sampling great food & scenery.

Their blog began in 2006 as a way for friends and family to follow our adventures it is now a great resource for anyone interested in Provence.

blank
François de Mélogue · Lamb · Main Course · Provencal Recipes

Moussaka d’Aubergines: A Layered History, Cooked the Provençal Way

February 18, 2026
In the long history of Mediterranean cooking, few dishes carry as much history or as many revisions as moussaka d’aubergines. Though it is most closely associated with Greece today, its roots reach further east, into the Arab world. The name comes from the Arabic musaqqā‘a, meaning “moistened,” and originally referred to a dish of eggplant …
Continue Reading
blank
Carolyne Kauser-Abbott · Main Course · Provencal Recipes · Taste · Veal

Veal Tenders with Black Truffle and Wine Reduction Sauce – Tendrons de veau du rabassier – tuber brumale

February 16, 2026
Since the 18th century, the black truffle—known as the diamant noir or “black diamond”—has held a place of honour in French gastronomy. King François I famously insisted it appear at every meal, favouring the prized Périgord truffles from Provence. Today, France remains the world’s leading producer, with the Vaucluse region at the heart of its …
Continue Reading
blank
Explore · Learning French · Villages Towns and Cities · Virginie Van Der Wees

Le Château d’If à Marseille, rendu célèbre par le Comte de Monte-Cristo

February 6, 2026
Saviez-vous qu’à quelques minutes en bateau de Marseille se trouve un archipel d’îles ? L’archipel des Îles de Frioul compte quatre îles et des navettes partent régulièrement du Vieux-Port pendant les mois d’été. Vous pouvez facilement passer une journée à faire de la randonnée sur les sentiers ou à vous prélasser sur les plages de …
Continue Reading
blank
Deborah Pham van Xua · Expat Living and Real Estate · Inspire · Learning French

Learning to Belong in Provence and Speaking French

February 4, 2026
Are you planning a trip to France or a relocation? Did you take French classes in high school or university, and have not spoken since? While there is no requirement to speak French when you are visiting France, language can often strengthen connections. In my interview with Carolyne Kauser-Abbott, we talked about living in Provence, …
Continue Reading