Provence as Seen by (and with!) Martine Bertin-Peterson

I recently had the opportunity to interview Martine Bertin-Peterson, founder of the culinary travel adventure company Goût et Voyage. Martine escorts tours to Provence, Tuscany and Umbria, and she conducts cooking classes. I met Martine when she invited me to speak at Alliance Française in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. We’re kindred spirits in our passion for French markets and for Provence in particular, so we immediately hit it off. In this interview, Martine describes what Provence means to her. She also announces a new trip that she is offering for those who wish to practice and improve their French while enjoying the delights of Provence. It’s a wonderful opportunity to learn on the go with a pro! Read on.  ~Marjorie

Roussillon–one of the most beautiful villages in France

What’s your personal connection to Provence?

I was born in Castres in southwest France and have spent time in many other French provinces. I always come back to Provence. The landscape, architecture, weather, markets, flora, and food come together in a unique way to create what I find to be the perfect environment.

What is your favorite food in Provence?

This is a really tough question for a gourmande like me! I love the cheese–especially the chèvre in all its variations. I love the fact that gorgeous produce and provisions are readily available, allowing chefs to offer seasonal dishes that don’t require fussy sauces and complicated preparation to shine. Oh, and the wine of course–the rosés and the various Côtes du Rhône varietals.

Cheeses at the market

What’s an easy Provençal-style recipe that you make?

Every restaurant and cafe in Provence offers its own version of tapenade to accompany an apéro. A delicious combination of the region’s most popular ingredients–olives, garlic, basil, pine nuts and olive oil–there are a million variations you can serve on toasted baguette slices. Tapenade is so simple and quick to pull together. You’ll never buy a jarred variety again.  

Olives at a Provençal market

I also often make a clafoutis, a light and easy dessert that requires only 4 pantry ingredients (flour, sugar, eggs, cream) and whatever fruit is in season. The cherry clafoutis is the most popular Provençal version, but I have made this dessert with peaches, plums, apricots, apples, and pears–all with great success. (Here’s the recipe for Martine’s cherry clafoutis.)

Cherry clafoutis

What’s a misconception about Provence? 

That Nice and Cannes are Provence. Although Nice and Cannes are in the Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur region, my Provence is that of the Alpilles, the Luberon, and the Côtes du Rhône. Areas that are much simpler, quieter, more traditional and much more laid back than the Côte d’Azur.

Lacoste in the Luberon

What souvenirs do you bring home?

The Savon de Marseille soap products are available in every market in a dizzying variety of scents, sizes, and formulations. I often pick up a dozen bars in lavender, verbena, rose and olive oil to give as gifts. They are easy to pack and make my suitcase smell divine. I always keep a few bars for myself. On a cold February morning, the lavender scent in my shower brings back memories of the warm and sunny Provençal summer. Since Provence is dotted with olive oil mills, I also like to bring back products based on this quintessential regional fruit. There are hand creams, facial creams, lip balms, dry oil sprays, all locally made and beautifully packaged.

Nougat sweets are likely to disappear before returning home

What’s your favorite novel or film about Provence?

I love “A Good Year” with Marion Cotillard and Russell Crowe. On our Taste of Provence trips, we often stop in Cururon to see the basin where the characters had their first date, the café on the square in Gordes is where we enjoy a café crème, and on our day trip to the Luberon hill towns, we drive by the bastide where the movie was filmed. I have also read and re-read all of Peter Mayles’ titles and regret that there won’t be any more of his books to enjoy.

Which are your favorite markets in Provence and why?

For sheer size and variety, the markets at Apt, Saint Rémy, Uzès, Lourmarin, and L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue can’t be beat. These markets spill into the streets and squares of the town and offer a fun and vibrant shopping experience. I actually prefer the smaller, more authentic markets–especially the Friday market at Eygaylières and the Sunday market at Coustellet. Although you can still find souvenirs, you are more likely to see locals seeking out their favorite purveyors, making their weekly purchases, and catching up on the local gossip with their neighbors–often in the middle of the street. 

Saucisson vendor

Describe the program that you’re offering. Who is it for?

I have offered the Taste of Provence program for 5 years. Recently, I’ve had more guests wanting to converse with me and with those we encounter, in French. Many want to use the trip to strengthen fluency and to experience the richness of the region in a different way. The Taste of Provence, en français program provides an immersion alternative to the traditional classroom experience. It is targeted to clients who may have taken French in college or high school and who now want to enhance their (intermediate or higher) conversational skills while enjoying cooking classes, winery tours, visits to cultural sites, markets and charming hill towns. Because the trips are limited to 6 clients, there is plenty of opportunity to converse in French and all of the activities will be conducted entirely in French.

Cooking in Provence

What’s 1 piece of advice for anyone who travels to Provence?

Take your time, avoid the larger towns in favor of smaller villages where you can observe and enjoy the rhythm of everyday life. There’s nothing quite like shopping at a lively market for the day’s provisions and then spending an hour or 2 at a café watching the world go by or snagging a park bench to watch a traditional game of boules (pétanque).

Oppède, a small village in Provence

What’s 1 item you always bring on trips to Provence?

There are 3 things I always bring to Provence – my appetite, my curiosity,  and my sense of humor.

Martine Bertin-Peterson

Martine Bertin-Peterson founded Goût et Voyage to bring together her lifetime passions of travel, cooking and culture. Born in France and fluent in 5 languages, she has decades of culinary experience gained through cooking courses in the United States, France, and Italy. Martine holds an MBA in Finance and an MA in French Literature. She is President of the Alliance Francaise of Doylestown, PA. She resides in Doylestown with her husband who, along with her NYC-based daughter, are regular and willing subjects for her travel and culinary adventures. For more on Martine, click here.  

Photos by Martine Bertin-Peterson.

Related Post:

Journey Through Provence

Markets of Provence