Angel Food Cake is not a French creation. Although French chefs cannot claim the invention of this white sponge cake, they have always worked with the essential ingredients: stiff egg whites, cream of tartar, cake flour, and sugar. Stiffly, beaten egg whites are the key to the delicate light texture of souffles

This chicken recipe combines the flavours of southern of the Mediterranean – basil, tomatoes, olive oil and pine nuts into a versatile main dish. You can serve Poulet Basilic aux Tomates Confites (chicken with caramelized tomatoes) hot or at room temperature. This recipe is simple to prepare, uses fresh ingredients and it is great for a picnic – a perfect summer dish.

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

This recipe for Madeleines Salées uses ingredients more typical of Provence – olive oil, tomatoes, cheese, basil and thyme. These little bites are perfect with some chilled Provencal rosé.

This curried chickpea terrine is simple to make, and the homemade curry adds an exotic flavour. Serve the terrine cold as an appetiser with chilled Provencal rosé or another beverage of your choice. Keep the homemade curry powder in a jar with a good seal, it will keep for an extended period, and you can use it in many recipes.

Verrine appetisers and desserts remain popular in France. The idea of layering flavours and textures in a small glass vessel is visually appealing. Think of this recipe as a savoury parfait starter to serve with drinks or as the first course. I make this Verrine Tricolore with two different coloured bell peppers and fresh goat cheese.

This curry is full of flavour but mild when it comes to heat. Once you start cooking, you can have the savoury saffron shrimp on the table in under 30-minutes.

Lemon Olive Oil Mini Cakes as individual servings. You can, of course, make the same batter and bake as a single large cake. Personally, I love this recipe as it combines the flavours of Provence in one tiny (delightful) package – lemons, thyme, olive oil.

At Mas d’Augstine, we spend our “off-season” on maintenance, accounting and a bit of experimentation in the kitchen. To kick off the 2018 Chambre d’Hôtes season, we accommodated a party of eleven (yes 11!) and tested our recipe at the first table d’hotes of the year. Following a pasta course (Mushroom Spinach Ricotta Cannelloni), we served Flambéed Chicken to rave reviews.