Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: For those learning French, Kristi Espinasse’s blog French Word A Day is a must. Our bloggeuse lives with her French husband and teenagers in a vineyard near Bandol and relates incidents from her daily life while introducing useful bits of vocabulary to her myriad followers …

Summer holidays call for easy recipes and portable meals that work just as well at the beach as on a buffet table. This summer picnic menu is inspired by the endless sunny days and cicada-filled symphonies of Provence. Enjoy summer dining al fresco with these simple to make, easy to pack and delicious …

With this dish you can vary the vegetables and I think it’s lovely to use a mixture of aubergine, courgettes and tomatoes. The meat is generally a mixture of beef and pork, seasoned with herbs and spices.

In David’s Cocoa and Lavender post for Pâté au Thon he turns ordinary canned tuna into a masterpiece. The full recipe is below for what might just become your go-to “impress the guests” appetizer.

kitchen of Marc Heracle in Provence. It is a more traditional dish as it uses typical local products (olives, spinach, olive oil). This is a simple dish to make. You can serve as a starter or as a main with a big salad.

This sweet apricot tart recipe is very easy to make and tasty enough for seconds. It is even better the next day. You can prepare this tart with other stone fruit such as peaches or plums.

Red Mullet is a rockfish often found in southern French cuisine, delicious grilled with tapenade or as part of yummy seafood soups. It’s a small fish that really brightens up our local fish counters with its gorgeous coral scales

In his easy recipe, David has combined iconic tastes of Provence – tomatoes, fennel and Pastis – into a bowl (original Cocoa & Lavender post here). In summer months, local market stands showcase tomatoes of every description from trendy multi-coloured heirloom varieties to a Provencal version of the juicy beefsteak to tiny …

Contributor blog post by Jeany Cronk @Mirabeau Wine: Summer’s finally around the corner, yippee, and so alfresco dining and picnics are back on our agendas. I can say without hesitation that a cool bottle of Mirabeau is the perfect partner for all that outdoor activity! I’ve always liked to bring …

Tomato Tarte Tatin starter was so gorgeous on the eye that everyone who came to our Mirabeau lunch was already talking about it before they even sat down. It combines all the delicious flavours of Provence in a super-concentrated way