Provence is a paradise for foodies, which is why Laura Vidal and Harry Cummins, of Paris Popup, a nomadic restaurant, didn’t think twice about setting to set up shop at L’Grand Hotel Nord Pinus in Arles this summer. The Paris Popup’s ever-changing menus are characterized by the regional ingredients they find in each destination.

From rosemary and lavender to fleur de sel and picholine olives, the flavors of Provence are incredibly dynamic. And if a visit to the region isn’t on your travel agenda, fear not; Laura has shared her favorite ways to incorporate classic Provençal flavors into your home cooking this summer.

Rosemary

In the Middle Ages, rosemary was thought of as a love charm – brides wore a rosemary crown and grooms a sprig pinned to their shirt. Today, it’s often recommended by naturopaths as a remedy to cure ailments like heartburn and fatigue. Provence’s warm, sunny conditions and long periods without rain make it the ideal growing home for rosemary. It’s known to thrive in “harsh” conditions; you’ll often see it springing up in between rocks. It adds an earthy and aromatic flavor to stews, meats, breads, pastas, and everything in between.

How to use it: Fresh rosemary with oven-roasted lamb is a tried-and-true pairing, but if you have a charcoal barbecue, you can try Paris Popup’s more rustic method. “Put burning coals under a bed of rosemary and place a rack of lamb overtop, cooking for a few minutes on each side,” says Laura. Once cooked, you can welcome guests to pick up the lamb with their fingers and eat it right then and there.

Lavender 

Lavender is practically synonymous with Provence. In pictures, the lavender fields don’t look real; softly sloping rows of beautiful, fragrant bushes. In real life, you’ll pinch yourself. From June through August, biking through the back roads of the Luberon where it grows wild is an unforgettable experience. Even more so than rosemary, the uses of lavender stretch far beyond the kitchen. Its essential oils are said to improve circulation and aid in the healing of scars or cuts. It’s unmistakable fragrance, of course, widely used in perfumes and other beauty products.

How to use it: “Take lavender and infuse it in an ice cream or panna cotta” recommends Laura. “This adds a herbaceous touch to a sweet and light dish.”

Olives

Olives and olive oil are an essential part of Mediterranean cuisine. Provence produces fewer olives than Greece and Italy, but what is does produce is top-grade. Olives de Nyons (black olives), Picholine olives (green olives with a nutty flavor), and niçoise olives (varied in color and small) are among Provence’s most beloved varieties. You’ll find an abundance of olive trees growing inland, with many groves in the Alpes de Haute Provence region, just northwest of Aix-en-Provence. The big olive harvest is at the end of the Fall when temperatures have cooled.

How to use it: There are many unique ways to use olives beyond tossing them in your niçoise salad or crushing them for a tapenade. Laura has a much more interesting idea. “Make a refreshing, light olive jelly by juicing your own olives, and serve alongside the catch of the day from your local market.” You’ll never have cream sauce with your salmon again!

Camargue Sea Salt 

Flamingos, horses, cattle, and over 400 species of birds makes the Camargue wetlands in Arles a paradise for nature lovers. Wedged in between the Mediterranean Sea and the Rhone River delta, a visit to Camargue provides endless photo-ops. More importantly, for foodies, it’s home to about 10,000 hectares of salt marshes that yield the celebrated Fleur de Sel. The salt gets its signature pinkish color from algae in the local waters. Harvesting, a delicate process, takes place at the end of each summer by shoveling the salt with a wooden rake to form crystal mountains. Each crystal varies in size and therefore melts at different speeds, so Fleur de Sel promises a prolonged flavor experience compared to regular table salt.

How to use it: “Simple!” says Laura. “Balance a super-sweet dessert, like chocolate or caramel, with the earthy pink salt. You can even drizzle chocolate with olive oil as well, this opens up a whole new world of flavors for simple desserts.”