We spent last week talking about what's old in Provence – now let's delve into what's new! Emily delves into vegetables that are surprisingly modern, considering how deep their associations are with the region's most famous dishes, while Caroline opens your eyes to the arrival of the region's most famous – and perhaps most beloved – wine. Plus, enjoy a recipe for les petits farçis from none other than Rosa Jackson, owner of the Niçois cooking school of the same name.

Petits Farcis cooking school
https://www.petitsfarcis.com/

Provence Wine Tours
https://provencewinetours.com/


Recipe: Les Petits Farcis Niçois, by Rosa Jackson
Serves 2

Every Niçois has a family recipe for les petits farcis, the little stuffed vegetables that are also sold at many traiteurs (delis) and butchers in the Old Town. These stuffed vegetables should be served warm or at room temperature to best appreciate their individual flavors.

Vegetables to stuff:
2 small onions, red or white (I like red)
2 small round zucchini or 1 small regular zucchini
2 small tomatoes

Stuffing:
1 small zucchini
1 small onion
4 oz white mushrooms (100 g)
1 clove garlic
6 oz ground or finely chopped raw meat (veal, pork, chicken or a mix), or cooked lentils for a vegetarian version (160 g)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 egg
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (25 g)
2 sprigs fresh basil
Breadcrumbs, as needed (probably not more than 2 tbsp)
1 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Cut a cap off each round zucchini, set it aside and hollow out the inside using a melon baller or spoon. If using long zucchini, cut each one into 7.5 cm (3 inch) chunks horizontally and hollow out the inside from one end, leaving it closed at the other end. Discard the insides if they are seedy, otherwise keep them for the filling.

Cut the onions in half lengthwise, make a small cut next to the root and scoop out the inner layers, leaving two outer layers. Set aside the insides.

Cut a cap of each tomato, set it aside and hollow out the inside, keeping it for another use. Sprinkle the inside of the tomato with salt and set aside, upside-down, on a plate lined with paper towels.


Half-fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add 1 tbsp salt and the hollowed-out onions and zucchini with their caps. When they are just soft, after 3-4 mins, transfer them to a bowl of ice water. Set aside 1/2 cup of the cooking water.

To make the stuffing, cut the mushrooms and zucchini into large chunks. Place each of the vegetables, including the onion trimmings and the zucchini trimmings if using, into the food processor without overfilling it and mince using the pulse button. Transfer to a large bowl. Don’t worry if they give off some liquid in the food processor but try to avoid puréeing them. Mince the garlic by hand and set it aside.

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat in a sauté pan. Add all the vegetables and cook until they soften and their juices evaporate. Add the garlic during the last 2 minutes of cooking.Transfer the vegetables to a bowl and stir in the raw meat. Add the parmesan, eggs, chopped basil, 1 tbsp olive oil and breadcrumbs as needed to lightly bind the mixture. Season well with salt and pepper.

Arrange the vegetables in a roasting tray. Stuff the vegetables with this mixture, topping the tomato and zucchini with their caps, and pour the reserved cooking water into the tray. Roast them in the oven at 350 F (175 C) for about 30 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and the stuffing is browned. Baste from time to time with the pan juices. Just before serving, drizzle with a little more olive oil.

Serve warm or at room temperature with mesclun.



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Credits
Host: Emily Monaco. @Emily_in_France; Website: http://www.tomatokumato.com and http://www.emilymmonaco.com
Host: Caroline Conner, https://www.parisundergroundradio.com/carolineconner; https://www.instagram.com/winedinecaroline/, www.winedinecaroline.com; www.lyonwinetastings.com
Producer: Jennifer Geraghty. @jennyphoria; Website: http://jennyphoria.com


Music Credits
Mon Paris by Ikson https://www.iksonmusic.com; https://youtube.com/ikson


About Us
France is home to thousands of wines, thousands of cheeses, and countless recipes – almost all of which are inextricable from their local terroir. Terroir is a word that links foods, wines, and more to the places they're from and the people who make them. Let culinary journalist Emily Monaco and chef and wine expert Caroline Conner take you through the ins and outs of France's phenomenal regional richness.