Light and crisp puff pastry covered in creamy goat’s cheese, salty ham and topped with the season`s best Asparagus gently roasted to perfection.

Tangy mustard crusted salmon served on creamy green Sorrel sauce with sweet radishes.
Saumon à la Crème d’Oseille

The classic Tarte au Citron works beautifully with oranges instead of lemons to give a lush and softer edge to this light desert. I try and pick good quality, non treated oranges and have decided to reduce the juice a bit to get a more pronounced flavour. I made the sweet pastry myself, but a good quality “pure butter” supermarket version will do the trick and is less prone to failure.

Eggplants are a market staple in Provence. Although this recipe is more Italian in theme, you certainly can find lasagna on menus in Provence. Deep purple aubergines are a somewhat somber contrast to the bright red strawberries and tomatoes that you might find displayed on market stalls. This purple vegetable is a main stay in Provencal cuisine and certainly is a key ingredient in any ratatouille recipe.

A simple yet elegant fish fillet served on a creamy warm pea risotto.

The markets of Provence literally spring to life at this time of year with fresh asparagus, young lettuces and the first peas of the season. To celebrate the season of rebirth after a cold winter enjoy this recipe for Spring Pea Soup.

A génoise type cake batter flavoured with fresh clementine juice and zest make these light and fluffy sponge cakes even more irresistible.

Like everything that David Scott Allen prepares for his Cocoa & Lavender blog, he makes it look easy. In the case of soups, most recipes are relatively straightforward including this one. Cauliflower is the base for this dish, which can be prepared for vegetarians using a vegetable broth.

Contributor blog post by David Taylor: The first asparagus has arrived in the markets. Steamed for about 10 minutes, a drizzle of olive oil, shavings of parmesan and then a soft free range boiled egg – perfect for lunch in the spring sunshine. Via:: Accommodation in Provence          

Still working with the remainder of my salmon tail, I made these really easy individual salmon terrines. Also, because they can be made the night before, they are really useful for supper parties.