Foods of Provence

A co-worker is about to go to Provence on vacation, and I was eagerly telling her all my ideas of what to see and do there. I re-read my journal from my trip and found an interesting theme. Every location was punctuated with a description of the food that I ate. Provencal food is not the same as the haute cuisine that we imagine, when we think of French food. Rather, it is good country cooking with an abundance of seasonal items, a plethora of olive oil and garlic, and a pervasive assortment of local herbs.

Here was my journal entry from a dinner at La Cour de Rohan, in Aix:

We all insisted we weren't hungry, but ended up splitting a wonderful meal. Goat cheese omelet and salad; canteloupe; lobster tail; eggplant tapenade; seafood soup; ham; pate; spinach pie, and peach tart. I ordered hot chocolate and it was out of this world -- thick and dark. Nirvana in a cup.

And here are some other memorable foods from Provence:
Banon – a white cheese
Bourride – just as tasty but less annoying than bouillabaisse, which has enough bones for an entire village
Pastis – an anise flavored liquor, the french version of raki or ouzo. For sipping, not drinking
Vin de noix – slightly syrupy strong red wine, flavored with walnuts. Marvelous and aromatic.
Fougasse --bread made with olive oil and various other ingredients such as olives, anchovies or cheese
Soup with pistou – the French version of minestrone with pesto on top
herbal desserts. For example, we had thyme sorbet and lavender ice cream. It’s worth it just for the experience! Although the lavender ice cream was an interesting example of how the subconscious works. I kept wondering why it tasted soapy, and finally realized that it didn't, but my mind was merely associating lavender with soap.
Provencal wine – it’s generally not well known, and is not considered as good as the other regions, but you might as well drink the local wine when you are there. I liked especially a local blend of Syrah and Genache.
Candy – I forget what it is called, but Aix has a delicious nutty nougat. Also, the supermarkets and department stores have lovely little hard candies in tiny tins, with unusual flavors – anise, lavender, etc.
Salad - my favorite was the salad at the goat farm. Mixed greens with walnuts and raisins and thin crispy apple slices, served with a dressing of olive oil and walnut oil and lemon juice. And of course, goat cheese made in the little 'factory' next door. After seeing the worker plunge his arms up to the elbow into the vat to scoop out the curds, we made sure to drink the wine at lunch for its antiseptic properties.
Cassoulet. Well, it's not specifically Provencal, but it's a hearty delicious, distinctive casserole. Best to share one -- it is richer than we are used to.

It is curious that I love to try so many foods, considering the fact that I score a zero in risk-taking generally. What my friends really have trouble understanding is that I love trying different foods even if I don't especially like them. Which really helped me in the jalapeno donut episode mentioned earlier!