Provence in Austin, to the best of my abilities

The south of France is my favorite part of the world that I've never visited. When I lived in Paris, the money and the time off from work never seemed to work out in my favor, but there was this one Provencal restaurant that I loved in the 6th arrondissement. They served kirs made with rose liqueur instead of chambord, and the aromas and flavors of lavender, thyme, goat cheese, and olive oil made me forget the cold and rainy weather. Provencal cooking is much more Mediterranean than Northern French cooking, and relies more on fresh veggies and less on cream sauces and meats. The perfect compromise for a vegetarian Francophile.

photo by Andrew Lee Dolan

A couple of weeks ago I was strolling around Whole Foods (it was a Friday, so no market) with no idea of what I wanted to eat besides "seasonal." I came home with some heirloom tomatoes, a couple of eggplants, a bunch of basil, some goat cheese, and a loaf of French bread. What I came up with was this:

Provencal Gratin

2 heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 Chinese eggplants, thinly sliced (I prefer using these to the more common Italian eggplants. Their smaller size makes them so much more... buttery.)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup goat cheese
1 1/2 cups French bread, cut into cubes
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup sliced basil, reserve some for garnish

Preheat the oven to 375.
Layer the tomato and eggplant in concentric circles around a 9 inch round baking dish.
Drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle the garlic over the vegetables.
Cover and bake for 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven. Add about half the bread cubes and the basil, then bake for 10 min. longer, uncovered.
Remove it again, then add the rest of the bread crumbs and the goat cheese. Bake for another 1o min., or until the cheese browns.
Remove one last time. Once the gratin is cool, serve it topped with basil.

I found this to be a pretty complete meal in itself... we just enjoyed it with a bottle of dry rose!

A late summer's meal

I am an early riser. Ok, not really these days, but I'd like to be. One sizzling late August morning, we luxuriously slept til 10:30 before going to the farmer's market. By the time we got there, most farmers were out of the heirloom tomatoes I'd thought of buying, due to the hour or the weather, and Taco Deli was (gasp) out of tacos.

What most stalls did have in abundance, however, was okra. Now, it's easy to go a long time without having it any way but fried. And while I occasionally do get a craving for something greasy and breaded, I've pretty much weaned myself off fried foods (with the notable exception of fried avocado tacos... sigh).

That's where this recipe comes in. The okra was delicately crunchy and bright accompanied by stewed cherry tomatoes, and was a perfect side for Andy's cashew and sesame-crusted homemade tofu.Okra with Tomatoes (adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian):

1/4 c peanut oil
1 /2 lb okra
20 cherry tomatoes
2 minced garlic cloves
2 tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
optional pinch or two of cayenne (I left this out, since the tofu crust was already spicy)
salt and pepper to taste

1. Cut the tails and tops off the okra and slice it into thin rounds.2. Heat the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the okra and saute for about 10 minutes, until it begins to brown.
3. Turn the heat down to medium-low, add the cherry tomatoes and saute for another 3 minutes or so. Be careful not to let brown turn into burnt.
4. Add the spices and gently cook for another 4-5 minutes, until the tomatoes release their juices a bit.
5. Reclaim your chair from the contented cat, and enjoy!