Welcome to Provence
Bonnieux is perched on top of a hill within the Petit Luberon mountain range, nestled between the rocks that rise above the vineyards below. Across the small valley to the west, Lacoste, sand colored and fortified, sits on it’s own perch with a clear line of sight to the village.
One Protestant, one Catholic, and they each have tried to destroy the other over the centuries until bigger issues eventually intervened. Welcome to the life of a perched village.
I am awakened by the morning breeze that carries the slightest hint of bay leaf and I open my eyes to the early light rising just behind the mountain. Above me is a fresco from the 12th century and I feel that maybe this should be a museum and not part of the apartment my wife and I have rented for the week. The blue of the ceiling adds a sky like quality to the room which used to be the Arch Bishop’s private chapel when he resided here. Below me on the floor is a ring for a very heavy chain and I begin to wonder about its purpose until I realize that some riddles are better left unexplored.
I get up and go to the window, looking out between the bars and two foot thick walls to the street below. The apartment is within the ramparts of the village and the structure and coolness of the stone provide the warmth of safety. There are, properly, no screens to obstruct my view, and as I gaze upon the oaks and redwoods across the way I take a deep breath. I have finally made it to Provence. And everything is how I had imagined.
This week I made a quick dish to assist with the armchair traveling, a relative of ratatouille, it is a bit easier to make and heartier. Here, my friends, is a taste of Provence. Enjoy! It’s great cold on crusty bread!
La Bohemienne (Eggplant and Tomato Stew) From Made in Marseille (Amazon).
Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
2 onions
2 pounds ripe tomatoes (chopped but not skinned or seeded)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup chopped parsley
3 pounds eggplant, peeled and cut into cubes
1/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. I used a stock pot to hold all of the eggplant and I don’t know that there is a sauce pan made to hold the mountain of cubes.
Sauté the onions until golden, but not caramelized. About 8 to 10 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, garlic, and parsley. Salt and pepper to taste (don’t over do it, but don’t skimp the salt). Reduce the temp to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid from the tomatoes has evaporated. About twenty minutes.
Add the eggplant cubes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant and tomatoes have blended together into almost a paste with texture. About 45–60 minutes. I needed to add water occasionally to keep from scorching.
Just before serving, remove from heat and stir in the grated cheese.
John lives in New York with his wife and is the author of articles, short fiction, and novels. He is an incurable wanderlust and is currently working on the novel The Heart.
Follow John on Twitter: @John_Harbour
Visit John at www.johnharbour.com
