I’m fairly easily pleased when it comes to many things. But for me one of my greatest joys is a leisurely lunch with a glass of wine!
I’ve just come across a blog article by Ben from Adventures with Ben, who recounts the time that he visited Zimbabwe and had the best Chicken Sandwich he has ever had – in Zimbabwe of all places.
Well I’ve just been staying in a glorious rental home in the picturesque village of Caromb, in Provence (France). We’d just had a very leisurely start to the day with a coffee and fresh fruit for breakfast followed by a one hour walk through the vines and olive trees on a small lane joining Caromb with the nearby village of Crillon le Brave – the most memorable local road around.
Following the return to our home it was almost time for lunch – I hadn’t thought about food for a couple of hours, so it must be time! We decided not to go out to the market or shops but to make do with what was in the kitchen.
Let me set the scene! It is 28 degrees (82 degrees F), no wind, we are bare-footed, and the lunch table awaits us under the shade of the grape vine covered pergola. Beside us is the petanque playing area and then the crystal clear blue swimming pool, and beyond that the vines and our view over the famous cycling landmark of Mont Ventoux. As well I have my wife Andrea and son Alexander with me! Heaven!
This is our lunch. A tomato salad with vinaigrette and basil, as well as charcuterie and an assortment of cheeses. A bottle of chilled Rosé (some of you may call this “Blush”) is a compulsory addition to any lunch table. To me this dish is a dish from the Gods – no cooking, no preparation required apart from cutting tomatoes, and ripping basil leaves. Now for me if you have the right ingredients you have a treat! When I am not in France I am in New Zealand, and in NZ the tomatoes that are available to us are predominantly hydroponically grown and lack the flavors. In Provence when you walk through a market the tomato screams at you from 50m away “pick me, pick me!” – the flavors of a Provençal sun ripened tomato are intense.
This is the simplest meal you could ever prepare, but the tastiest as well. Look at these photos and be transported to a world of decadent flavors. Can you taste it?!
Perfect lunch in Provence!
Tomato and Basil Salad in Caromb. Sunny Day. Chilled Rose wine. Perfection!
I’m no chef but if you want to create this at home you just need your tomotoes and basil, but you do need a vinaigrette or just a good olive oil drizzled over the salad. Do you have the ideal vinaigrette? My perfect vinaigrette you can make as follows:
- Get a glass jar with a lid
- Pour in Olive Oil 150ml
- Pour in a Vinegar (White or Red Balsamic) (75ml – always half the amount of olive oil) or even just Lemon juice.
- One Garlic Clove finely chopped
- One teaspoon each of salt, sugar, and (grainy) mustard
- Put the lid of the jar back on and shake as if you were making yourself a cocktail!! Pour over your tomatoes and savour this piece of paradise!
Then add some charcuterie and a selection of cheeses, and when washed down with your chilled Rose wine, any worries you have will have gone! Bon appetit! Now what’s for dinner!?
alright, now you’re making me jealous with YOUR lunch. I love a good Charcuterie!
You’ll have to meet up one time in France, and I’ll take you hunting for wild boar, and with a friend we can prepare all the cuts of meat including dried ham and all varieties of charcuterie, and a bit of liver and pigs’ heart just for good measure!! Some people may not like me mentioning that!!
John, your photos and story are absolutely delicious! I really can just about taste it. Looks like you had a wonderful lunch. And to be having it in France with your wife and son — how wonderful is that?!
The other suggestion if you can’t get hold of tomatoes in season, is to use red peppers – just chargrill their skins black, peel the skins off, put on your plate with the vinaigrette and voila – you don’t get any better!!!
French food porn. Plain and simple. Shame on you. =)
But what am I going to have for dinner!!!??? Eat well!
Hi there, you barefoot Kiwis.
This whole week in Auckland has been beautiful, 25 degrees,like Christchurch, and a lovely light breeze – All the same fresh food, ( no garden ripen tomatoes yet, but they will be here soon) all 5 plants,clean sea air, chilled Rose – garden full of white roses, and mignonette ( french/ wonderful flower) and buxus, even a nicely cut lawn – what more could you want, and a petanque playing area next door, our neighbour Fabienne comes from S.E. France, she loves the good life and is very French. Spends time with family every year in France, so come to our sleepy surburb and enjoy it with us.
Airfare not quite so expensive – Open invitation to you all any time !!
Glad you have been enjoying the village life over the seas, sounds fabulous, the walk even better – can’t offer that here, but hey, Savage Memorial and a lovely beach are just within spitting distance.
However, we would not turn down a visit to Caromb, a lovely little piece of paradise and adventure.
Another two barefooted Kiwis.
Couldn’t agree with you more about that being the perfect lunch! We eat that way all the time. The Meditteranean is the cradle of good food…
I like the comment about the difference between hydroponically grown tomatoes and naturally or field grown.
It’s a telling comment as I’ve just left a site where the debate is about increased atmospheric CO2 levels are good for plant growth.
Yeah, but I asked whether there is any increased nuitritive value in those faster growing plants?
Smaller is often more intensely flavoured, and boosted plant growth does not neccessarily equate with a more nuitritious vegetable or fruit.
Like No Vacation Required said: French Food Porn… yummm!
Thanks Norbert. Today I’ve decided it will just be pasta with garlic and chopped up charcuterie with a touch of Harissa paste, and olive oil of course!
Hey John,
I can also attest to this working with yellow heirloom tomatoes. Delicious!
I eat like this often. Nothing better and of course, the added benefit is that no cooking is required.
My fondest memory of France is a simple tomato salad with a vinaigrette. I was only 16 and had no idea simple food could be so good.
Okay………….I had to wipe the drool off to the keyboard. What you have described must be heaven………..no other word for it