We left Paris and headed to the south of France where we could catch the last summer rays in the Côte d'Azur. We are not sure what is going on with the weather here in Europe as we fade into winter, but lets just say our rain jackets haven't been out in a long time. We both had read the book "A Year in Provence," so we were pretty excited to get our own experiences here in Provence. Our time here was filled with long mornings in the outdoor markets buying and sampling the most incredible local produce and snacks around.
We decided to splurge a little here in Aix en Provence and do a cooking class. This class was a small group of 4, us and a couple from Australia. We met at the outdoor market at 9:00 AM and the rest of the day was nothing but fun. We discussed what ingredients were highlighted this time of year, we decided on oysters, sea urchin, mussels, and artichokes, We gathered our ingredients and then headed off to the best baker in town. Food, and bread, check! But we still needed wine so off to the château we went!
Morel mushrooms.
For the cooking class we went back to the chefs house where we began to cook. We drank pastis, cooked, drank wine, and cooked a little more. It was 75 degrees out. Lastly we shucked some oysters and it was time to eat!
This winery was very remote and tucked away into the mountainside.
Anytime we needed some fresh herbs they were gathered from his garden.
A perfect day to cook outside.
Pastis is a French aperitif that originated in Marseille. In Provence it is also common to drink water with a small amount of flavored syrup in the bottom of the glass. Our favorite was almond flavor with sparkling water.
Provence is the sought after land of slow life in the sun and endless wine. We were lucky that the weather was on our side during our time here. From here we head north and we are taking this weather with us. Off to Beaune.
