Provencal cuisine

Family dinner

Peasant Soup
Provencal cod pilaw
New chicken in casserole
Arugula salad with eggs
Zucchini au gratin
Pernes strawberries (with old Clos des Papes wine)

Peasant Soup
Proportions for 4 to 6 people: Cut 50 grams of leek into small squares, 150 gr. new carrots, 100 gr. turnips, 150 gr. potatoes, lettuce. Put these vegetables in a saucepan of the desired size, and 60 gr. fresh butter; place the pan on the heat, cover it and let the vegetables steam for 8 to 10 minutes; add one and a half liters of water, 12 gr. salt. Re-cover the pan, continue cooking for 30 to 35 minutes. At this point, if the vegetables are tender, they should be completely cooked.

When serving the soup, add 2 tablespoons of fresh butter; serve small strips of oven-dried bread at the same time.
Note. - You can optionally add to this soup: peas, flageolet beans, green beans, a few sorrel leaves.

This soup can, when poured into the soup bowl, be bound with 2 or 3 egg yolks spread with a few spoonfuls of cream or, in the absence of cream, simply milk and a few pieces of butter.

Provençal Cod Pilaw
For 5 to 6 people: take 1 kilo of very fresh cod, carefully remove the bones and skin; put them in a saucepan with a chopped onion, a bay leaf, a few sprigs of parsley and 6 to 8 crushed peppercorns, two thirds of a liter of water, 8 grams of salt; boil for 12 to 15 minutes.

On the other hand, cut the cod meat into cubes (the size of a walnut), season them lightly with salt and pepper, dredge them in flour and cook them in a pan in a few spoonfuls of olive oil.

During this time, we will have cooked the rice following the method below: Heat in a saucepan, 3 spoonfuls of olive oil and 2 large spoonfuls of finely chopped onion. Place the pan on the heat, as soon as the onion begins to turn golden, mix in 300 grams of rice and, if possible, add a spoonful of curry powder. Add the broth prepared with the bones, add a pinch of saffron or the decoction of a few saffron leaves. Cover the pan, cook for 18 to 20 minutes.

Mix the fish with the rice, place it in a vegetable bowl. Serve at the same time a gravy boat of tomato sauce.
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Note. For people who don't like cooking with oil, you can make the same preparation by replacing it with butter.

Zucchini au gratin
Choose 6 to 8 medium-sized zucchini, divide them in half lengthwise, lightly salt them, dredge them in flour, cook them in a pan in a few spoonfuls of oil, taking care to place the cut sides in the oil. .

Once cooked, drain them, remove the flesh with a spoonful and chop it. Place the skins of the zucchini in a gratin dish, garnish them with the following preparation: Lightly brown 2 spoonfuls of finely chopped onion in 3 spoonfuls of oil, mix in the flesh of the zucchini, 3 spoonfuls of tomato puree, a strong pinch of parsley, 3 to 4 spoonfuls of bread crumbs, 4 crushed anchovy fillets or the equivalent of anchovy essence. Everything being closely linked, garnish the void with the zucchini, sprinkle them with breadcrumbs mixed with grated cheese; sprinkle the surface with the oil used to cook the zucchini. Brown over low heat for 15 to 18 minutes.

Pernes Strawberries with Old Wine from Château des Papes
Choose 1 kilo of beautiful, ripe strawberries, remove the stalks, immerse them in iced water, quickly remove them from the water with a slotted spoon, drain them well, put them in a terrine, sprinkle them copiously with sugar, cover the terrine, let them macerate for 25 to 30 minutes, then sprinkle them with a bottle of good old Clos des Papes wine.

To serve them, place them in Champagne glasses.

When our excellent Cavaillon melons appear, make a marriage, equal parts melon and strawberries, sprinkle them with Frontignan wine and served in the same way in Champagne glasses.

To vary the taste, you can replace the Frontignan with a dry Curaçao. Orange gives this delicate dessert a completely delicious note. I am certain, if Alexandre Dumas returned to this world, he would attach to the contract, for the Cavaillon melon, a few beautiful baskets of our exquisite strawberries from Pernes, and as a gourmet, in prose or verse, he would bless the God who created to please us with such good things.

A. Escoffier.