I Want To Show You A Glimpse Of Cooking In The South Of France

A group of friends went to the South of France to celebrate a birthday. We started in Paris and made out way to Saint-Rémy-de-Provence where we toured all around the area with different adventures every day. On this day I talked them in to taking a cooking class in Saint-Remy with our delightful Cooking Instructor Giles Conchy from Provence Gourmet . Our venue for this class was outstanding!

Giles took us around the Wednesday market in Saint-Rémy to buy the ingredients we needed for our menu. We picked up artichokes, carrots, olive oils, cheeses, pates, and a pork belly.

We stopped to do an olive oil tasting on French Olive Oils

We headed from the market to visit a winery

Stopping at Domaine d’ Eole for a tasting and to pick up wines for lunch

The tasting included a White Vermentitude, Eole rosé, The K of Eole and we bought all three!

It is time to unload the the car and start cooking

This French kitchen is a dream to able to work in. How fabulous!

We were joined by Carolyne Kauser-Abbott, who is a blogger for Perfectly Provence the blog Perfectly Provence brings together inspired articles by knowledgeable writers in one place. You can read about, traveling in the region, real estate, recipes, rentals and more .

Giles started with a few knife skills

We all gave it a try

We all broke down the artichokes for the stew

Soaking the hearts in lemon water until we were ready to use them. (Look at the bowl so French)

Working with a mortar and pestle to make the tapenade

This is a variety of beets I had never seen, they come roasted at the market and they tasted pickled.

This is gong to be a Plum Clafouti, using almond flour.

Carolyne Kauser-Abbott is working on the artichoke stew, staring with sautéing onions and pork belly

In this Staub pot is the Artichoke Stew with potatoes, pork belly, bouquet garni and carrots.

Laura working on the Parmesan Crust Tapenade Tarts

Fahy is topping the Tapenade onto melba toast

Jo is making the bread crumbs to coat the goat cheese that goes on top of the tarts

Parmesan Crusted Tarts with Tapenade and Goat Cheese

Beet and Curly Endive Salad

Pate and Bull Sausage from the market to nibble on before our lunch

Jo Ellen and Laura layer the Clafouti

The first course

Our lunch venue

We gather for lunch!

Giles serving up the Plum Clafouti

Artichoke Stew with Potatoes and Pork Belly served up

When layering the clafouti, make sure you add fruit, batter, fruit and top with batter to bake.