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PROVENCE: GEOGRAPHY MATTERS
“Provence” has more efficacy as a "brand" than as a place. One rarely if ever hears any residents of the Vaucluse say that they live in "Provence." The word is heard frequently in its adjectival form: provençal.
As geography, the term "Provence" suffers abuse. The French consider contemporary 'Provence' to take in three administrative department:
- Vaucluse
- Bouches-du-Rhône
- Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
Confusion pops up due to the administrative region PACA: Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.
When "Provence" is employed for the department of the Var (Toulon, St, Tropez) or the department of the Alpes-Maritime (Côte d'Azur) or even the five departments of the Languedoc-Roussillon, it is the "brand" asserting itself.
This is a regional distinction that Peter Mayle buys into 100% in his book Provence A-Z. In fact, if Mayle had been 'geographically-correct,' his iconic best seller would have been titled "A Year in the Luberon."
The Luberon and the Comtat Venaissin, referred to as the “Comtat,” are the two large regions within the Vaulcuse,
Category Archives: Food
PROVENCE SUMMER PAIRINGS: STUFFED SMALL MARSEILLE PEPPERS WITH A FRUIT-INTENSE RED — AN AMIDYVES FROM OLIVIER B.
Stuffed small green peppers — Petit Marseillais are a Provencal delicacy. From three to four inches in length — Petit Marseillais are found at the stands at farmers’ markets in Provence during the summer. If you rent a gite in … Continue reading
PROVENCE SUMMER PAIRINGS: A DAUBE PROVENCAL WITH AN AOC VENTOUX SAINT JEAN DU BARROUX BY PHILIPPE GIMEL
A Daube is a slow-cooked red meat stew which calls for marinating the meat, usually beef, for eight hours. Cooked in a “daubière,” this typical Provencal dish is served with pasta and grated cheese along with a sauce made from … Continue reading
Provence Summer Pairing: Simple is As Simple Can – Tomato Tart with a Vacqueryas Rosé
There is pleasure in the predicable: visiting a castle in Ireland a pig scampers across the hallway; sipping bitter served lukewarm at a London pub, or relaxing in Provence at “l’heure d’apéro,” the late afternoon early evening tradition of taking … Continue reading
PROVENCE SUMMER PAIRINGS: “LA SOUPE AU PISTOU” AND A FRUITY AOC VENTOUX RED FROM THE CHATEAU UNANG OF JAMES KING
Everyone in Provence has his or her own recipe for the classic Provençal vegetable soup, “La soupe au pistou,” made from a market-fresh assortment of beans, eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini, potatoes and onions along with a small amount of macaroni or … Continue reading
Provence Summer Pairing: Melon and Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise
For a bracing summer tonic, perk up servings of fruit or fruit tarts with a Muscat de Beaumes de Venise from the AOC Beaumes de Venise. Produced from the Muscat grape, this wine of velvety texture and of moderate sweetness … Continue reading
VELLERON – FARMERS’ MARKET EXCEPTIONAL
There are weekly markets in the Vaucluse such as Carpentras on Friday, Apt on Saturday and L’Ise-sur-la-Sorgue that combine farmers’ markets and flea markets and a lot of other stuff to boot. Then you have Velleron, the mother of all … Continue reading