Marcus Wareing Simply Provence: Episode 15

Marcus’s time in Saint-Remy is nearly at an end. During his trip, he’s been a sous-chef, been run over by goats, searched for snails, steered a combine harvester, and met some incredibly passionate producers along the way. But the main thing he’s learnt when it comes to food is to keep it simple.

Now, he’s been invited to a local farm party, but the catch is that he has to bring a dish. He needs inspiration for a celebratory, but of course simple, recipe. He’s helped out by farmer Sebastien, who runs a community-supported agriculture project, Le Jardin du Papet, where he creates individual veg boxes for his customers in the local community from veg grown on his own farm.

Marcus is astonished by the variety of veg he has growing and starts thinking about what he could make for the party. He stops by a local restaurant, where he learns how to make one of the region’s most famous vegetable dishes with artichokes. It’s the best thing he’s eaten in Provence, but not quite right for a party, so it’s back to his rooftop kitchen one last time, where he makes simple veg and bean topped toasts that celebrate the abundance of produce in Provence. They’re beautiful to look at, but how do they taste, and how will they go down at the party with the locals?