By Paula Kane I am a big fan of ritual. Simple or complex, I believe they are good for keeping us grounded in something bigger than ourselves. I have mini rituals I do every day, but when I get to France, I crash right into a whole different set of …

By Paula Kane: It constantly amazes me how quickly two months pass. It seems in the dead of winter each month is dreadfully long and feels interminable. In contrast, the summer functions the complete opposite. It is never long enough and ends too quickly. These two months in Provence are …

By Paula Kane Here it is, the last full weekend of my stint in Provence. The time always whips by and it’s hard to believe I’ve been here just over two months already. This stretch is often punctuated with a wide range of emotions, and this year has been no …

By Paula Kane: Gluten has been getting a bad rap for a while now. It’s really not fair, as all gluten is not created equally. And some people who think they might have an aversion to gluten are often having issues with the highly processed variety, are perhaps having too much …

By Paula Kane: I’ve been cycling most of my life. Like everyone else, I started on training wheels, moved on to a hand-me-down single speed with coaster brakes, then upgraded to an awesome 10-speed. After that, mountain bikes were all the rage, so at 15 I bought my first bike—a …

Contributor blog post by Paula Kane: My first week here has gone by in a flash. Perhaps because summer is always like that, or perhaps it was my fuzziness and lack of focus most of the week due to some lingering vertigo. Either way, it went by quickly with dinners and …

Contributor blog post by Paula Kane: I have a system, and for a decade it’s been running like clockwork. It’s an excellent plan, and one I am rather attached to. I look forward to it, like a ritual.  Although some people think I am a bit of a gypsy and rather …

This simple salad recipe combines slightly tart tomatoes with sweet, fresh figs (from your own tree if you are lucky enough). The figs counter-balance the acidity in the late-season tomatoes, and the cheese although optional adds some extra, creamy roundness to the flavours.

a new drink this summer – Lavender Mint Meyer Lemonade. It’s been unbelievably hot and sunny in Provence, pretty much non-stop. So this weather is a perfect time to sip while sitting in the shade, listening to cicadas while enjoying a gentle breeze. This lemonade is very refreshing and I am sure it has healing properties

In this simple tart I combine fresh, tasty tomatoes and local goat cheese. This one of my favourite savoury tarts when tomatoes are in season. It’s quite easy, served with a nice green salad