The sky is intensely blue, the air is warm and filled with sweetness and the fields are bursting with ripeness. Yes… it's real, I am in Provence! My husband Marc and I arrived in this gentle and beautiful land only a few days ago, and already we both feel like we belong here. Every corner is filled with beauty… so much beauty! Since my goal for this little getaway was relaxing and cooking with local ingredients, I couldn't have found a better place to rest my weary bones.

So I am spending my days reading Provençal cookbooks, driving through the vineyards of Gigondas and Chateauneuf-du-Pape, walking through medieval villages and of course shopping at local farmers' markets along the way. Already I have found a couple of truly spectacular ones, all bursting with the richness of this harvest season.

Aside from the unbelievable fresh and large cèpes (the French name for porcinis) that just appeared in the markets for the first time this season only a couple of days ago (a sight that made me melt!), the fruits of Provence truly stand out. They are so succulent and fragrant… they are intoxicating! And so I filled my bag with perfectly ripe poires William (a small and more fragrant version of our Bartlett pears), fuzzy white peaches, aromatic red Muscat grapes and plump, fresh black mission figs. Once I got back to our perfect little cottage here in St. Rémy de Provence, I got to work. The results were most pleasing and definitely delicious!

The pear and rosemary jam featured here is bursting with fruitiness. I serve it with a tray of assorted local goat cheeses: a banon (a semi-ripened raw milk cheese wrapped in chestnut leaves), a brique, a crottin de Chavignol (aged and drier in texture) and a delightful fresh crottin covered in vegetable ash. The pears complement the sweetness of the cheeses while the rosemary accentuates their earthiness. All in all a fabulous canapé or an elegant end to a light meal. I serve it with a glass of local white wine, a 2005 Côte du Rhône Blanc de Blancs from Domaine Jean David, in Séguret (a region just north of Gigondas) made with Roussane grapes.

The basil used in the frisée and basil salad with white peaches and fresh figs has miniature leaves and an intense flavor. It is commonly used here instead of the large-leaf sweet basil we are so accustomed to in the States. It is sold by the plant, and you put it on your windowsill until you have used it all up… then you buy another plant. The cost for the generous little shrub is only 2 euros (about $2.50). What a deal…! I have been plucking at my basil plant for a week now and it is still perfectly bushy. I love this concept!

Last but not least, aside from the divine foods and wines this country lavishes upon us, we have also found the most magnificent cottage, located just a few minutes outside of the charming and historic town of St. Rémy de Provence in Southern France (where Van Gogh spent his last year, painting prolifically). "Le Moulin Entre Deux Mas" is a hamlet of five 16th century homes actually built upon a Roman aqueduct, all lovingly restored by the personable and delightful William Moore, an American expatriate who says he wants to spend the rest of his days here. William has a gift for making his guests feel at home as soon as they step through the front door: he is always available to answer any question or attend to any need - and he leaves warm croissants at our doorsteps every morning. Yes… it's real, we are in Provence! For more info, check out his website: www.provenceparadise.com, and see below the pictures I just took of his gardens.

All the way from Provence, bon appétit!

"Au moulin entre deux mas" 16, avenue Théodore Aubanel, F-13210 St.-Rémy de Provence, France - Tel/Fax: +33 432 621 768 - Cell: +33 607 826 663 - web: www.provenceparadise.com