“Would you like some figs for dessert?” I was asked following a lovely meal one summer’s evening in Caromb. For someone who had only ever eaten figs in yoghurt this was an opportunity not to be missed! My fellow diners rose from the table and headed outside. This intrigued me …

By PestoPistou In the city of Nice, swiss chard has long been a kitchen staple and its beautiful, green, sometimes pink-stemmed leaves are known in France as blettes. Both here and over the border in Liguria, greens of all descriptions are used extensively in tarts, soups, tians and for colouring …

It is time for the olive harvest in Provence, where most of the fruit gets turned into health healthy oil. However, some is left whole for snacking with a glass of local rosé. Here, is a savoury recipe, a quick bread made with olives.     This is an easy …

By PestoPistou It’s full-on tomato season here in Dorset, and hugely satisfying to see so much ripe, red fruit both in the garden and the greenhouse. We might even be saved from the usual gallon of green tomato chutney this year. Over the summer we’ve munched our way through Explore …

By PestoPistou It never ceases to amaze me how most people know exactly what pesto is yet when you mention the term pistou, it’s blank faces all round. This no-nut French cousin of pesto is just as delicious and even easier to make. No toasting of pine nuts required here. …

By PestoPistou I’ve been consulting my provençal cookbooks again, this time for jam recipes as there are loads of plums, blackberries and other fruit just waiting to be preserved around here and I thought it would be fun to try something a little bit different this year. I was intrigued …

Contributor blog post by PestoPistou We’re still going strong with homegrown tomatoes, courgettes and aubergines here in Dorset, and with the addition of a solitary, ripe pepper this week (yes, just the one) the whipping up of a ratatouille seems unavoidable. Now, if Jacques Médecin is to be believed, each of …

Aioli is a garlic mayonnaise it is a Provencal classic typically served on Fridays, although you can often find it on menus any day of the week.

By PestoPistou La Merda dé Can is the niçois name for these gorgeous, green gnocchi made with swiss chard or spinach. The literal English translation of the term will not be repeated here as it’s less than flattering, but I am sure you can work it out for yourself. Now, …

We bike on the small roads outside of St Remy de Provence all summer and watch the season pass by the rhythm of the season fruit trees. In late September, the pears and apples are finally ready for harvest, and sometimes we even get a treat for all our hard …