A Menu for all Season—Winter

As winter settles over Provence, the Mediterranean reveals its most intimate season. Author Pascale Beale celebrates this quieter time when coastal villages embrace gentle chills perfect for slow, soul-warming cooking. Crackling olive wood fires illuminate kitchens while aromatic braises simmer - rich beef stew with winter vegetables, or lamb tagine cooked with lemons, herbs and perfumed with saffron. The season calls for hearty dishes capturing the essence of a winter garden. Eight complete seasonal menus honor the Mediterranean's winter treasures - ruby blood oranges, hardy greens, and a rare treat of precious black truffles. Around candlelit tables, families savor deep, complex flavors that only patient winter cooking achieves. Beale transforms this contemplative season into culinary joy through time-honored Provençal recipes that warm body and spirit against the crisp winter air, proving that Mediterranean winter cooking offers its own unique pleasures.