Arles Provence South France

Arles is in the Camargue region of Southern France and was made famous by the visit of the painter Vincent Van Gogh. The Romans called this part of France Gaul and it had a famous theater at Orange which has excellent acoustics. The ruins from the Roman period abound in the region around Arles in the south of France. The locals still do the traditional dances at the festivals that are held throughout the year. Local dishes use the farm produce fresh from the fields and is rich and hearty. Aubergines can be baked and tomatoes that have been blanched and peeled, cut in half and the pulp and seeds cut out to be used later. The onions are chopped and diced, oil is added to the frypan and the onions are satueed lightly. Add pepper and salt then combine all the ingredients for this traditional Arles dish.

Arles means the town in the marshes and many varieties of birds can be found here as well as small horses. Small black bulls are also native to this area. Good horsemanship is necessary for this rugged terrain. The bulls are used for non lethal Bull fighting that is a favourite spectator sport. Filet de Taureau is a traditional Arles dish that uses the fillet of beef. Bacon is wrapped around the filet of beef and tied securely with string. Oil is poured into a large frying pan and heated. Salt and pepper is added and followed by a sprinkle of dry basil. It is then cooked in the oven. A sauce is made from onions that have been sliced and diced and chopped olives, then parsley is added. Oil is put into a frypan and the onions are fried with cooking wine with butter. The olives go in next and finally the parsley is added at the end. The filet of beef is sliced thinly with the sauce on top.

Provence is noted for the colourful work of its craftsmen producing table linen to fashion accessories. Provence is famous for its lace in silks and damask. Decorative hand painted fabrics are made in the villages of Provence that are exported to exclusive boutiques around the world. Hand carved printed blocks are used to print the fabrics and needs outstanding skill and patience. The provencal print has become a vital part of the French fashion industry.

The olive was introduced into the provence area around the Roman times and there are several varieties that are produced - both green and black. The olive fruit is collected by hand and taken to the factory where it is pressed for its olive oil. Olive oil is used in many traditional recipes. Olive Bread is a traditional french pastry that has the olives kneaded into the dough in a cylindrical shape. Some breads use olive oil in the dough and thoroughly mixed in to form the individual loaves. All these traditional breads are done by hand. Leavened bread spread to Gaul from France and was used from that time.

Limestone from the hills are used in buildings. The Camargue area is protected and only supports limited agricultural endeavours. The black camargue bull needs little supervision and can be harvested without a lot of trouble.

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