This Butternut Squash Soup might become your “go-to” for cool fall days. It requires very little preparation and only four ingredients. The heat of your oven will keep you warm while you wait.

This slow-cooked pork stew will fill your home with delicious aromas. If you are lucky enough to forage for your own cepes, you with think you landed in autumnal heaven.

No other soup, save for bouillabaisse which really can’t be called a soup, clearly defines Provence more aptly than Soupe au Pistou. It’s the edible history of the ‘arrière-pays’, or hinterlands of Provence, where farmers have long tended their fields of vegetables and fruits. There are several versions of Soupe …

This main course of lamb chops brushed with lavender honey invokes images (and flavours) of lazy summer days in Provence. The roasted lamb is paired with a Moroccan spiced salad that can you can easily prepare in advance.

This starter salad of grilled calamari and radicchio is easy to prepare once your guests have arrived. The marinade of olive oil, garlic and herbes de Provence is light and does not overpower the ingredients. Best of all, this dish is really (almost) too pretty to eat. But, don’t resist it’s best consumed warm.

When perky artichokes announce the arrival of warmer weather, it is time to revisit Artichokes à la Barigoule a Provençal delight, rich, flavorful and complex. Fresh artichokes are usually available in local markets from spring through late summer. The garlic, carrots and fresh herbs give the dish its flavour. You can make this dish vegetarian by omitting the bacon.

This salad plate is a cross between carpaccio and salad. Prepare the tapenade and pesto in advance. Shop for the fresh melon, lettuce leaves and tomatoes at the market in the morning and then plate the ingredients in time for lunch.

Rabbit is often served in France as an alternative protein to chicken, pork or other meat. This oven-roasted rabbit is flavoured with garlic and herbs that are traditionally found in Provence. The recipe requires very little prep time and just like a roast chicken it will fill your home with savoury aromas.

Lapin à la Moutarde is quintessential French dish is quite simple and packed with flavour. I love the addition of crispy herbs for texture, and you can happily substitute pork (photograph above) if you are opposed to or cannot find rabbit.  

This “faux” cassoulet recipe appeared in the February 2016 issue of Bon Appetit magazine. I have prepared it several times to rave reviews from family and friends. Like a traditional cassoulet, it is a meal-in-a-dish and requires only a side salad, a robust red wine and perhaps a fruit dessert to complete the meal. It is perfect for cold winter evenings.