Cooking in the South is playing with scents and colors to create a mix of flavors!

Play with the olives, the thyme, the  rosemary, the lavender, the basil, the tomatoes, the sweet onions, the garlic, the Spanish spices or "bell pepper", the zucchini, the eggplant, the regional lettuce "rougette de Montpellier" or even the sweet almonds, the apricots and peaches...

This list could go on and on... This is only a beginning: you shall discover more once you are here...

In the meantime, here are some recipes to start with:

•  THE RATATOUILLE  :

For 4 people: 4 bell peppers (4 different colors), 2 onions, 5 to 6 big tomatoes, 2 zucchinis, 1 eggplant, some basil, 2 cloves of garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil.

Peel the tomatoes and remove the seeds. Remove the seeds also for the bell peppers. Cut all in pieces.

Roast in olive oil the bell peppers and the onions. Add the zucchinis (cut in little pieces). Let it cook for a few minutes. Add the eggplant (also cut in pieces).

Let it cook for another few minutes. Once the flavors are mixed, add the tomatoes (cut in pieces), salt, pepper and let it cook (low hit) for about 40 minutes).

The part that would make a nice difference it to add, at the end of the cooking, the garlic (crushed in small pieces) and the basil (chopped) and let it cook for another 10 minutes.

Enjoy with grilled meat or fish.

Note: the Ratatouille is a meal that can be easily saved for the next day. When you warm it, all the rich flavors are coming back to another level.

•  THE SALAD MIX AND GOAT CHEESE

For 4 people: Pick the local lettuce (the "Rougette de Montpellier"), another lettuce called the "Roquette" and some sweet onions. Olive Oil, Xeres vinegar, Old Style mustard, salt and pepper, 4 goat cheeses (2 kinds recommended: "Pelardon" or "Picodon"), some pine nuts.

Salad dressing: mix 1/3 of vinegar, 2/3 olive oil, a small teaspoon of mustard, salt and pepper.

The salad: cut the onions in thin layers (rings). Place the lettuces in a plate with the onions and place on top of it your goat cheese, horizontally sliced in 2 pieces. Add some pine nuts and your salad dressing at the last minute.

Enjoy with an olive bread.

•   THE OYSTERS FROM BOUZIGUES :

Nothing simpler than a plate of delicious oysters (from Bouzigues or anywhere else) with the right seasoning.

Just prepare some vinegar with pepper and chopped shallots and add few drops in the oyster as you eat it. You can do the same with lemon.

Don't forget the rye bread, the butter and a glass of a fresh dry white wine.

•   THE SOY CHICKEN :

For 6 people: a nice chicken (about 1.5 kg) cut in pieces or 6/7 farmer chicken legs. 3 squeezed lemons. 5 to 7 chopped cloves of garlic. 11 to 15 tablespoons of soy sauce (preferably the low sodium one). Thyme, laurel, pepper and olive oil.

Marinate the chicken with the lemons, garlic, soy sauce, herbs and pepper for at least 1 night. (turn the chicken once in a while to make sure that all pieces will marinate properly).

Then, put the chicken (only) in a pan with Olive Oil, just enough time to give it a nice brown/gold color.

In a pressure cooker (or any pot with a lead), add some olive oil, the "marinade" (the sauce where the chicken had marinated all night) and the chicken.

Let it cook for about 45mn, low heat.

Serve hot with white rice (a favorite: "basamati" rice) .

Suggestion: you can add also some bamboo shoots before serving.

•   FISH EN PAPILLOTES with LEEK:

For 4 people: Select nice fish filets (white fish preferably), usually 1 per person. 3 to 4 leeks, lemon, cider vinegar, fresh pepper, 'flower of' salt ( which is the top quality of salt), parsley or chives, sour cream (or crème fraiche) and butter. Aluminum foil for cooking each filet.

Wash the fish (pad dry it), add a little bit of vinegar on top, salt and pepper.

In a pan with a nice piece of butter, cook the leeks at very low heat until they are soft/cooked (NOT brown). Stir very frequently when cooking them. Salt and pepper.

In a square piece of aluminum foil (big enough to allow the papillote to close with all the ingredients), place the leeks first, the fish on top with the vinegar, add a zest of lemon, add the parsley or chives and finish with one spoon of sour cream.

Close the papillote (make sure no air can get in/out so the fish can cook with the steam). Put in the oven (low to medium heat - 5 or 6) for about 15mn.

Enjoy with a fresh glass of white wine.