Provence is France, but its cuisine is of its own, a prism to the Mediterranean. It is the land of olive oil, sun-kissed vegetables, cypress trees and beguiling light, and of food rich in colour and loud in flavour. Provence has a cuisine that is rich and varied, with historical influences from Liguria just down the coast, Arab conquest, Phoenician sailors, Roman tradition and local innovation. The markets are a sight to behold – there are tomatoes blushed deep reds and pinks, and gnarled in the sun, tables filled with flowering rosemary, peppery winter savory, or basil for your pistou, courgette flowers to be stuffed with ricotta, and local goat’s cheeses wrapped in chestnut leaves or topped with a bud of lavender. There’s seafood, saffron and wild fennel for bouillabaisse or pink-hued garlic and
