| Gourmet
Food & Provençal Cuisine |
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Provençal
cooking is often called "la cuisine du soleil"
cooking of the sun. Why ? The quintessential Provençal
ingredients - olives, tomatoes, garlic and herbs
need lots of sun to ripen. Their intense, sun- ripened
flavours are found in all the famous dishes of this
region ratatouille, daube, soupe au pistou and many
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This
is a richly agricultural region, and the fields and orchards
of Provence provide fresh fruits and vegetables for dinner
tables all over Europe. Melons and apples, artichokes,
figs, peaches, cherries, tomatoes, courgettes, aubergines
and, of course, grapes are all grown locally.
Other typical local products include truffles, goats
cheese, honey and of course all the fish of the Mediterranean
used for bouillabaisse and bourride, the two great Provençal
fish stews. All
of this fresh produce is to be found in the
local markets in the villages and towns. Near Lourmarin
the main ones are Cadenet on Monday, Cucuron & La
Tour d'Aigues on Tuesday, Robion on Thursday, Lourmarin
on Friday, Apt on Saturday and Isle sur la Sorgue on
Sunday
Of course, the younger and most imaginative chefs of
the area like Edouard Loubet at Le Moulin, and
Reine Sammut at La Feniere are constantly experimenting
with
new interpretations of the classic recipes. But you
can be sure that whatever they are creating, it
is based
on the incredible quality of the basic Provençal
ingredients.
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Vineyards
&Wineries in the Luberon
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 The
villages of the Luberon, including Lourmarin,
are surrounded by vines. Driving through this
magnificent countryside one gets the impression
there are vines literally ‘everywhere’.
Of course, there are plenty of other agricultural
products in this completely non-industrialized
area, but the lion’s share of the land is,
indeed, devoted to wine production.
There are, in fact well over forty vineyards in
the "Côtes du Luberon" area. One
of the better known estates, Château Constantin-Chevalier,
owned and operated by a charming Swiss gentleman,
is, in fact, our next-door neighbor. His vines
start right in front of Les Olivettes, just beyond
the olive trees and next to the cherry orchard.
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| For on overview in English of Luberon Wines see : www.foodtourist.com/FTGuide/content/I1974.htm |
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