“Aïoli gently intoxicates, charges the body with warmth, and bathes the soul in rapture. In its essence, it concentrates the force and the joy of the sun of Provence. Around an aïoli, well-perfumed and bright as a vein of gold, where are these men who would not recognize themselves as brothers? ” (Frédéric Mistral, a Provencal poet and renowned gourmet)
Market day is a spectacle that has survived almost untouched by modern times! Somewhere in Provence and on the Côte d'Azur, every morning of the week, in every kind of weather, small farmers and market gardeners get up before down to drive their cars or camionnettes to villages or cities such as Antibes, Cannes, Nice, Saint-Rémy-en-Provence or Gordes and Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. They maneuver into narrow streets and squares, set up simple trestle tables, and unload boxes of fruit and vegetables harvested only hours before at the peak of ripeness. On good days - and most of the days are good - the Provencal sun transforms ripe peppers to fire, honey to melted gold, and olive in baroque jewels. Eggplants, tomatoes, and cherries glisten, melons send messages to your nose, and everything asks to be tested. Within moments, the "Place du Marché" is metamorphosed into a culinary wonderland. And so the scene is repeated throughout Provence and the Côte d'Azur, day in, day out, year after year, decade after decade, in the sun, rain, and snow, and even holidays.
The essence of Provencal cuisine: Olive oil, garlic, and herbs. From these natural marvels whole worlds of culinary splendor have been evolved. Take a simple meal that would evoke all of Provence for us, that meant olive oil, of course, and garlic, the emblematic ingredients of the region, along with the other produces that shout its regional allegiance, like the tomatoes, the zucchini, and the magnificent melons. And there would be Provencal herbs aplenty, like thyme and rosemary. The sun after all, shines in Provence and on the Côte d'Azur most of the year, making it possible to grow many vegetables and herbs over a ten-month period. In fact thyme, rosemary and sage grow in the wild, especially amid the rocks of the dry scrubland called "garrigue". Zucchini and eggplant are grown almost the entire year (no wonder "ratatouille" had to be invented, just to use up the produce). The tender early fruits, the most beautiful and delectable olive oil, the twenty aromates (herbs and spices, fresh or dried), the sixteen “fruits de mer” (sea food), the forty-six species of fish peculiar to the shores of la Gueuse Parfumee (the Perfumed Trollop) and the grapes that the hot sun brings to perfection from Châteauneuf-du-Pape to the hills of Var and Nice, to be gathered into an imposing gamut of excellent vintages. To the substantial and charming gifts with which nature has been so prodigal, the gods add the blessings of imagination, a sharp sense of beauty, and a zest for life. On this land one is frequently transported by a "joie de vivre" that makes everything there seem superlative. This land of the sun considers itself the habitat of a unique people who ally sobriety and refinement, high flavor in food with digestibility, good humor with permanent lucidity of mind. If "the cuisine is superior" it is surely because it is identified with the Rhône, the blue sea, the olive groves, the lavender fields, the acropolises of Montagne Sainte-Victoire, the sparkling porphyry of the Esterel mountains, the splendor of the shores of the Côte d'Azur.
Because of this historic emphasis on vegetables and herbs, on olive oil and garlic, "the Provencal diet became, according to today's understanding diet of nutrition, one of the most balanced and healthiest on the earth." (Pierre Franey)
NEW 4 DAY-3 NIGHT COOKING CLASSES PROGRAM with your chef Philippe (Red and White wines “Vin de Pays” (Local fine wines) are at your disposition during classes)
Day 1: Champagne Welcome Party & Cooking Lesson One & Dinner Feuilleté d’Asperges de Provence à l’Estragon* Fresh Provencal Asparagus in Puff Pastry with a Traditional Tarragon Sauce Poulet aux Quarante Gousses d’Ail Chicken with Forty Garlic Cloves. A Great Provencal Classic! Tian Rouge Red Pepper, Tomato and Fresh Provencal Herbs Gratin Soufflé Glacé aux Fraises ou aux Framboises Strawberries or Raspberries Cold Soufflé Wines : - Kir Royal With Crémant de Bourgogne - “Vin de Pays” (Local fine wines) - Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cru Classé de Côtes du Rhône
* Day 2: Cooking Lesson Two & Dinner Crème de Brocolis à la Farigoulette (Thym Sauvage) The Smooth Broccoli and Wild Thyme Flavored Soup of Provence Dos de Cabillaud Poché, Sauce Poivrade “Marine” Flambée au Whisky Poached Fresh Fillet of Cod, Peppercorn “Ocean” Sauce Flambéed with Whisky Purée Mousse de Céleri aux Pommes Vertes Celery and Green Apple Mousse, A delicious and light substitute for Mashed Potatoes Poire au Vin Rouge et aux Épices Pear Cooked in Red Wine and Spices, served with Vanilla “Bourbon” Ice Cream Wines: - “Vin de Pays” (Local fine wines) - Grave Blanc or Great White Burgundy A Chef’s Selection
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Day 3: Market of Provence Gourmet Lunch at a Local Gastronomic Restaurant Cooking Lesson Three Champagne Graduation Party and Dinner “Award Ceremony” Amuse-Bouches aux Herbes Aromatiques Canapés with Aromatic Herbs La Bouillabaisse de Marseille** The World Renowned Fragrant Fish Stew of Marseille or La Grande Paella Valenciana The Famous Seafood, Chicken, Vegetable and Rice Stew Flavored with Saffron Tarte au Citron "Comme Autrefois" The Simple and Traditional Menton Lemon Tart Wines : - Champasgne Brut Prestige - Tavel or Lirac Rosé Cru Classé de Vin Rosé
*** * Hors saison: Feuilleté de Champignons Sauvages à l'Estragon Outside the Aspargus Season : Wild Mushrooms in Puff Pastry with a Tarragon Sauce ** Quand des "poissons de roches" sont disponibles - When special rock fish are available
Market day is a spectacle that has survived almost untouched by modern times!
Most of the dishes presented in this site have been prepared by our students. Recipes are truly Provencal or Cretan and have some specific regional characteristics either in the ingredients or in the methods of preparation. There has been no attempt to modify those recipes to suit the so-called “foreigner taste”.
See the last recipe of the Chef : ROUGETS GRILLÉS AUX FEUILLES DE VIGNES Broiled Rock Mullet (or Sea Bass) Wrapped in Vine Leaves