The smell of apple tarts baking in your kitchen is a temptation enough, but these individual pastries in the pretty flower pattern… Well, it takes a lot of willpower to resist.

Good news, plums are healthy, full of vitamins and low in calories. However, since I cannot resist buying the fresh plums and apricots at the farmers market, it was time to make something with all the fruit. Enjoy this plum tart.

Rhubarb (rhubarbe) may not be something that jumps to mind as typically Provencal. However, it is actually fairly common to find this vegetable during the springtime at local markets and some grocery stores. Make this tart and tingly, double-crust rhubarb pie over perfumed soap.

Admittedly, not everyone can manage a weekday dinner party with an hour (maximum) to prepare the meal before your guests arrive, but I like that sort of challenge. However, to be able to pull it off, you need to be organized. After many years of entertaining, there are several tips …

The funny thing about lemon flavoured desserts is that often non-sweet lovers like the tart-sweet combination. If you are making this Lemon Tart – Tarte aux Citron from scratch (which I recommend) it includes several steps.

Tarte aux pignons or a pine nut tart is the Provencal version of pecan pie or walnut tart. The sweet base for the tart is a shortcrust pastry shell (pâte sablée) this dessert is a specialty from the village of Bormes-les-Mimosas.

This quince almond tarte tatin (tatin aux coings et aux amandes) is a fall dessert that celebrates the slow-ripening fruit. It’s a bit of work to peel quince, but you will be pleased with the sweet end result.

Quince are not a pretty fruit. Far from perfectly shaped they resemble an oversized, rock-hard pear. However, once peeled and stewed with sugar, like apples for a compote, quince are versatile. You can make a quince paste, which is delicious with cheese or follow this recipe for Quince Puff Pastry Tarts …

Recently, the team at Mirabeau Wine was joined by a Hamilton-based Canadian chef Jake Laderoute, for some fun culinary experiences in Cotignac. A tarte tatin is a classic French dessert, that one might shy away from making because it looks complicated. It’s not. Here, is what Jake and Jeany had to …

Lemon tart is Tarte au citron in French. Regardless, of language the blend of tangy and sweet is enough to turn even a non-dessert eater into a fan. This recipe comes from Provence Food and Wine: The Art of Living a cookbook and reflection on the Mediterranean lifestyle with photos by François Millo.