Carrot Flan was inspired by a recipe in Cuisine et Vins of France. Easy to make and perfect for a light lunch with a green salad

They prepared several delicious dishes for the evening, but these Eggplant Cakes in a Tomato Pesto Sauce were my favourite. You can serve this recipe as an appetizer, the first course for a dinner party or even at lunchtime with a green salad. Think of this as a savoury cake. Once the eggplant is cooked, simply combine with the rest of the ingredients and bake. The dish can be served with the pesto sauce (below), a tomato sauce or combine the two for a rich flavour experience.

The pink colour for the waffles is healthy it comes from beets, which also adds a lovely, subtle flavour. Choose sandwich fillings to suit your tastes – vegetarian, meat lovers, grilled veggies, basil pesto, ricotta or goat cheese and few greens.

The good news is now many farmer’s markets like the one close to us in Tuscon have wonderful farm-raised birds. Enjoy this recipe for roast pheasant with a tasty orange and marsala sauce.

This panna cotta recipe is made with local saffron, light and refreshing the perfect dessert to enjoy at the end of any meal. Panna cotta (cooked cream) is a dessert with Italian origins.

This recipe for Involtini di Pesce Spada is Italian at its base; however, all of the ingredients found in Provence. It is not uncommon that the local fish vendor displays fresh espadon on their stand.

Brioche à la Praline is a sweet treat from the gourmet city of Lyon. The recipe from the Mirabeau Wine kitchen is festive, perfect for guests or for that special someone. Don’t forget the rosé!

Pink Pralines are pink sugar-coated almonds, and a specialty from the city of Lyon, also known as the French capital of gastronomy.

Great lamb is easy to find in Provence, most of which is organic, and grass-fed. This recipe, for Persian-spiced Lamb Shanks, brings together the best of this complex middle-eastern cuisine. The flavours of Persia combine sweet, sour, savoury, hot, floral, and earthy into a subtle taste explosion.

Hot chocolate is one of those drinks that makes you feel like a kid. On a cold, blustery, why not drink something sweet and delicious? This recipe is so quick to prepare that we hope you never resort to packaged hot cocoa again.

This “rose” vegetable tart takes a little bit of time to put together. The mandolin-cut vegetables are arranged in the “rose” pattern. The recipe for easy pie crust is below, you can skip this step and buy prepared ready-to-bake pie dough in the store.