At Home in Provence is a stunning cookbook that explores a modern take on life in this sunny French region from co-owner of winemakers Maison Mirabeau, Jeany Cronk. Sharing recipes and table settings, and offering a nuanced look at the local culture and style, the book delves into wines, entertaining ideas, and features short essays to give readers a taste of life in France.

The 60 recipes showcase the seasons, focusing on simple cooking with local produce bursting with freshness, made to be shared. From dishes to serve up at a casual lunch such as St Tropez Ceviche to mains with a Mirabeau twist like Coq au Vin Rosé, as well as delicious desserts, including Lemon Madeleines with White Chocolate Dip, there’s a vast array of recipes to bring a taste of Provence to your table.

Divided into four distinct sections: Les Vignes (what to cook in the harvest season, the culture of winemaking, how to taste and understand what to look for in a good Provençal rosé), Le Village (cooking with inspiring market produce, the slow rhythm of village life, food markets, fêtes), La Ville (exploring the chicer side of Provence’s culinary landscape, the bustle of city life in towns of the region, culture) and La Côte (delving into salty seaside recipes, the bright blue sea, picnics on sandy beaches, coastal spots), each chapter is bursting with stunning location photography, from the turquoise Mediterranean to the verdant vine-covered hillsides.

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Rustic Vegetable Tart

Serves 4 to 6, or 10 to 12 as an apéritif

The rustic, savoury, free-form galette seems to have gained more popularity across the pond than it has in its actual country of origin. While the French are rather finicky with their pristine pastries – and as a result more likely to leave the expert pâtissier to it, rather than attempt them at home – the joy of the galette lies in its ease of shaping, allowing you to perfect the extra flaky crust yourself. This makes a large tart perfect for feeding a crowd as a nibble or picnic dish.

knob of salted butter

5 onions, thinly sliced

1 heaped teaspoon Dijon mustard

1–2 small aubergines (eggplants; thinner ones are better for this), sliced into 7mm (¼ inch) rounds

4–5 tomatoes

olive oil, for cooking

basil leaves, to serve (or pistou, see page 119)

salt

FOR THE PASTRY

200 g (7 oz/12/3 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon caster (superfine) sugar

225 g (8 oz) cold salted butter, cubed

75 ml (2½ fl oz/5 tablespoons) ice-cold water

First, make the pastry. Put the flour, salt and sugar into a large bowl and add the cubed butter. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until it is roughly distributed (don’t worry about chunkier bits of butter, they add to the flakiness).

Add the cold water gently, shuffling it around with your fingers but not kneading it. Dip the mixture out onto a clean and lightly floured work surface, then gently but firmly press the dough together until it forms a very rough ball. Use a floured rolling pin to roll it out to a rectangle (don’t worry if it’s still rough), then fold it in thirds. Roll it out the other way and repeat. Do this twice more, then roll out to the dough into a 30 x 20 cm (12 x 8 inch) rectangle on a piece of baking parchment and place on a tray or cutting board in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes.

Heat the butter and a good glug of oil in a wide frying pan over a medium heat, then once the butter is foaming, add the onions and a generous pinch of salt. Cook for 15–20 minutes, partly covered, stirring every so often. Once the onions are soft and sticky (you don’t want them too coloured), remove from the pan and set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan (400°F).

Remove the pastry from the refrigerator and roll it out to about 5 mm (¼ inch) thick. Slightly trim the edges if you want them neater. Spread the mustard over the pastry leaving a 3 cm (1¼ inches) border around the edge. Spread the onions out as evenly as possible on top, then layer on the aubergine and tomato slices, half overlapping. Brush lightly with oil and season with salt.

Bake in the oven for 30–40 minutes until the pastry is crisp and the vegetables soft.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool, then top with basil leaves or drizzle with pistou.

Published with permission from Quadrille Publishing c/o Chronicle Books.