The startling colour of red-fleshed pears makes this easy, elegant dessert a crowd-pleaser. It is a perfect fall dessert, combining late-season fruit with red wine. The pears can be served on their own or with a scoop of vanilla or cinnamon ice cream. This recipe was provided to Perfectly Provence …

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 Explore this …

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

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 this Post

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. So, Explore …

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 to Explore …

We’re still going strong with homegrown tomatoes, courgettes and aubergines here in Dorset, and with 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 the vegetables should be cooked separately before …

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.

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, Explore this …

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 …