What about a savoury snack or nibble with a glass of rosé? This savoury quick loaf a Ham and Olive Cake is a great snack or pre-dinner bite. It’s often enjoyed by kids here in France when they get home from school for their goûter. In French, this is called Cake aux Olives et Jambon – yes they use the English word “cake.”

This appetizer, a Provence Gourmet recipe for tomato, olive and goat cheese tarts, is delicious. We prepared the tarts for a starter course during one of Gilles Conchy’s cooking classes. If you are looking for hands-on, fun classes in Provence, then look no further. Gilles puts you to work preparing …

I am sharing one of my favourite recipes: stuffed with goat cheese, oven-dried tomatoes, and tapenade. The possibilities are limitless. Pour yourself a glass of rose and let’s get cooking.

This vegetarian recipe for stuffed zucchini flowers comes from the Rose et Marius blog (with permission). The season for these delicate zucchini flowers is short. When you have the chance, don’t hesitate to buy them, but make sure to cook with the flowers the same day as they spoil quickly. …

By definition, pork rillettes are made using a preservation method similar to duck confit. The pork is seasoned, then slow-cooked submerged in fat and cooked at a grandmotherly pace for several hours. Afterward, the pork is shredded and packed into sterile containers, covered in a thin veneer of fat and …

Last year, we hosted the Gemma Wade of “You Say Tomato Cooking” (meal planning, recipes, cooking classes and more) here in Cotignac. Gemma is a talented cook, turns fresh, basic ingredients into delicious dishes with ease. She was impressed by our Tuesday morning farmer’s market in Cotignac, one of five …

These Anchovy Puff Pastry bites are a bit of a “throw-back” appetizer from a book of retro holiday recipes. Since not everyone likes the taste of anchovy, you can change the filling – sundried tomato, basil pesto or tapenade all work well.

This summer when we were in Provence visiting family and pre-planning for our group tour, I noticed a developing trend for appetizers. The traditional black olive tapenade is of course always present. However, there is a movement to use alternative ingredients to create hummus-like dips, I call these spreads ades. …

Oeufs Mimosa (Mimosa Eggs) years ago in Marseille when my cousin placed a large, resplendent platter of Oeufs Mimosa on the dining table. The traditional recipe is unbelievably simple:

They prepared several delicious dishes for the evening, but these Eggplant Cakes in a Tomato Pesto Sauce were my favourite. You can serve this recipe as an appetizer, the first course for a dinner party or even at lunchtime with a green salad. Think of this as a savoury cake. Once the eggplant is cooked, simply combine with the rest of the ingredients and bake. The dish can be served with the pesto sauce (below), a tomato sauce or combine the two for a rich flavour experience.