Tessa's Kitchen in Provence

Provencale Cookery Courses

During the quiet periods of spring and autumn, Tessa Nelson is offering you a quiet getaway in the countryside of Provence. The setting is in an idyllic old farmhouse surrounded by vineyards. The cooking classes will be custom designed to cater for your skills and your needs. Tessa, an international chef, will not only teach you to entertain your own palate but those of your friends.

We will visit the markets to discover the senses and tastes of Provence, learning how to choose the very best of what is available. We'll design our menus together and create simple and delicious meals. Tessa will guide you to find the culinary specialities of the region, to sight see and visit the vineyards and to sample the local wines. We might take a trip to the Gorges du Verdon, sit by the Lac St Croix and enjoy a picnic of delights made by you. Of course you will also have time for yourselves, to watch the blossom bright on the almond trees in the garden, or soak in the colours of the vines, red, hot orange, yellow and gold in the setting of the autumnal sun. Who knows we may even watercolour together!

The terrace outside your aparment

CUSTOM DESIGNED COOKERY CLASSES TO SUIT YOU

Here's what your week in Provence will look like

Saturday;

Arrival late afternoon: Tessa can come and pick you up from the airport or from our local train station or you can come with your own transport. You'll have time to settle in and enjoy the surroundings, with a light dinner cooked by Tessa. We will discuss the week ahead, reviewing any questions you may have, and you will recieve your copy of The Kitchen Booklet containing the recipes chosen for your week as well as the overall planning, and also providing plenty of space for your notes. Tessa will have sent you a questionaire in advance of your stay here, so that the course is designed aorund your needs and desires.

Sunday:

Market day in Vidauban or Salernes, we start out early enjoy the market and the local scenery, and come back and to start our first day of cooking. As we prepare lunch we will work on your technical skills and basic culinary knowledge. We will finish at mid afternoon with a short talk about the next day. Dinner will be on your own, either in your accomodation or in a local restaurant. Tessa will of course provide you with recommendations and directions.

Monday;

An at home day we will not only prepare lunch but also an early evening three course meal , to be enjoyed with some delicious local wine.

Tuesday;

Local market day in Lorgues, which is great fun, full of colour, fabulous flavours and aromas. Here you can buy gifts to take home , drink a cafe au lait ,and idly watch the hustle and bustle of the market- but not for long, time to shop, and gather together the ingredients for Our Market Menu. Then it is home to cook up a storm and enjoy the fruits of your labour.

Wednesday;

Is a well earned day off from cooking, and can be used to enjoy the sights and sounds of Provence. A trip to the incredible Gorges du Verdon. Sit by the lac St Croix and enjoy a picnic of delights which you have made. Go to Saint Tropez, or Frejus or Saint Raphael. Go to the old Town in Nice and visit the wonderful flower market. Or just laze around at home and soak in the beauty of Provence.

Thursday ;

Bouillabaisse day! This is our longest day, we leave early for the drive to Cannes over the Esterel Mountains, arriving in time to really soak up the essence of an early morning Provencale Market. This is the moment to savour a coffee and croissant whilst listening to the fishermen discuss their catch. The Marche Fourville at Cannes (home to the film festival) is a favourite and it is here that you can get the authentic ingredients for the Bouillabaisse, the quintessential provencale dish. We'll drive back along the coast with its magnificent views of the Riviera and along the coast westward towards Spain. Then home to make the our Bouillabaisse!

Friday;

A day to hone your skills to cover any culinary questions you may still have and a time to reflect on the week that was, and to cook whatever may be your hearts desire.

Saturday;

Time to pack and go, but not before enjoying a delicious last breakfast and The Tessa Nelson Certificate of a week well achieved.

ACCOMMODATION

The ground floor apartment of this farmhouse,(sleeps 3-4) which has, two bedrooms one master bedroom with double bed, and a large bedroom with two single beds, shared large bathroom with shower and jaccuzi bath, and a large self catering kitchen. A large terrace and a big wooden table set in the shade of the Neflier tree.

There are of course plenty of local places to stay, and we are happy to recommend local hotels or B&B's.

PRICES and Options

The course is a suitable for one to four persons

The Course for the week for one person is: 2500.00 Euros. (not inclusive of apartment)
This includes the cookery course itself, transportation to and from markets, Wednesday sightseeing as well as ingredients for our recipes, the food, wine and travel.
For each additional person the cost is 1150 Euros.

For each non participating guest, who also enjoy's the luxury of eating the food you have cooked the charge is 800 Euros

The Farmhouse Appartment at our off Season Rate is 550.00 euros per week.

Airport and or train pick up can be arranged. Please contact us for prices.

50% deposit will be made payable on booking.

To contact Tessa please email her on: tessa.nelson@orange.fr

Telephone: (00) 33 (0) 4 94 68 73 76

WHERE WE ARE

Our farmhouse is located just outside Lorgues a medieval Templar village, 15 minutes from Draguignan, 15 minutes from Les Arcs, a delightful village with a great daily market, 20 minutes from Salernes which is renowned for its pottery tiles. Forty-five minutes from Saint Tropez, great shopping and a fun thursday market. Aix en Provence is just an hour away. The Gorgues du Verdon and the Lac Saint Croix are only 35 minutes away. The countryside is magical, you can walk straight out of the house into the vinyards and to the woods, with great views of rolling hills and woodland. If it is warm enough you can swim in the pool, or take a drive to the sea. We have bikes if you like cycling and great walks for those of you who are hikers.

TRANSPORT

The airports nearest to us are

Nice (Alpes Maritimes) One Hour by car

Toulon-- one hour by car

Marseille --one hour and thirty minutes by car

Our local train Station is Les Arcs Draguignan and the TGV frequently stops here.

The lac St Croix at the Gorges du Verdon

QUESTIONAIRE

What would you like to learn or improve on? Basic Culinary Skills are important in an efficient and fun kitchen, for example knowing which knife to use for what and how to use it, is always and added bonus.

How to choose and cook fish, meat, vegetables.

How often do you make the following: Mayonaise, Bearnaise, Hollondaise?

How much do you know about steaming, roasting, fast cooking slow cooking, grilling, using a wok, a BBQ, cooking lamb, cooking salmon, cooking tuna.

Would you like to learn strictly Provencale or would you like to add a touch of spice?

Would you like to spend more time cooking savoury than sweet, or visa versa?

How would you rate your culinary expertise.

None at all

Cook a little, but don't know much and want to learn more

Cook well but there is room for improvement

Cook a lot and well and want new ideas to fine tune what you already know

What are your dietry requirements,

Are you vegan, gluten free, low fat ,high fat, vegetarian, high in fibre, etc.
A more detailed questionaire will be sent to you when you have made your booking.

OTHER PLACES TO STAY IN OUR AREA

We hope you will stay with us, but some of you may prefer other accomodation these two are owned by people we know and are very nice places to stay.

La Sarrazine run by Hilary Smith. http://www.lasarrazine.com/

La Maison du Midi: http://www.maisondumidi.eu/

Some local sightseeing and views

Almond Blossom in the garden we have around 20 almond trees, many provencale recipes use almonds, and to my delight when cooking some 13th century recipes I found them in almost everyone, along with ginger, saffron, cumin and honey.

Some more about Tessa

Trained in Switzerland French Classical Cuisine. Head Chef. Howard Arms Ilmington. Second Chef, Draycotts, Draycott Avenue. Chef/Manager, GTC, Sloane Square. Chef/Manager, Watermill Theatre Restaurant, Newbury. The Catering Company London. Clients included, The Sainsbury's, the Rothschilds, Lord Derrick Holden Brown. Tessa then left England to work in France and ultimatly in the yachting world. She has lived in France for the past 17 years, working as a freelance chef on both yachts and in villas, and paints which is her other passion and cooks.

Tessa had write ups in The Good Food Guide, Punch, Harpers Bazzare and The Evening Standard.