Tartine in Provence

Tartine en Provence with dried tomato and olive

The Tartine en Provence from Rue Traversette is a vegetarian spread made from 50 percent tomato, plus eggplant and black olives, seasoned with thyme, basil, and candied lemon. A spoonful of Provence in a jar, just as Stéphane prepares it in his cannery in the Languedoc.

Tartine en Provence from Rue Traversette is a Provençal spread made from dried tomatoes and eggplant, with black olives, thyme, basil, and the refreshing highlight of candied lemon. "En Provence" means "in Provence," and that is exactly where this spread takes you, somewhere between Nice and Marseille. A hint of toasted sesame adds a subtle roasted note at the end.

Dried tomato, thyme, and a splash of lemon

The Tartine en Provence has the aroma of sun-dried tomato, thyme, and basil, underscored by salty olive and the bright sweetness of candied lemon. The color is a dark red, the texture coarse, with visible pieces of tomato and olive.

On bread, you first taste the concentrated tomato, then the soft eggplant, before the lemon confit and sesame add a sweet, fresh, and roasted note. Fruity, savory, sunny, with the slight acidity that defines the South. A spread that tastes of warm stones and herb gardens—more like a vacation than an appetizer. The candied lemon keeps everything fresh instead of making it heavy.

On a baguette, with fish, and in pasta

As a vegetarian spread, Tartine en Provence is part of our vegetable spreads and creams and turns a baguette or sandwich into a little piece of the South, ideally topped with chopped olives and a basil leaf. Spread into a sandwich with mozzarella, you won't need any further seasoning.

It pairs well with fried fish and canned sardines, grilled poultry and meat, and a spoonful stirred into warm pasta becomes a quick, sun-ripened sauce. Alongside the fruity Tartine La Magnifigue on an appetizer board, it serves as the heartier, Mediterranean sibling.

When guests arrive, spread it on toasted bread, place a black olive and a basil leaf on top, and the aperitif will already taste like a holiday. A few toasted pine nuts sprinkled over the top turn it into a small starter.

A trip to Provence from the Languedoc

The Tartine en Provence is cooked at Rue Traversette in Saint-André-de-Sangonis, where Stéphane Strobl has been putting vegetables and herbs into jars since 2005.

Provence is right next door, and Stéphane knows its flavors—thyme, olive, and tomato—perfectly. "En Provence" is one of several tartines with which he brings short trips through France to the plate, sometimes to Provence, sometimes to the Basque Country, sometimes to Brittany. Such ideas are his signature; for over 20 years, the former cork merchant has been taking regions and classics and translating them into a spread.

We met Stéphane over 15 years ago. The tiny garage of the early days has long since become a cannery built in 2015, where a small team continues to cook in kettles. What has remained the same is the care put into every jar.

A starter with rosé from Provence

Tartine en Provence tastes rounder at room temperature than straight from the cold, so take the jar out of the fridge in good time. After opening, keep it refrigerated and consume within a few days. It is a lovely starter with a glass of rosé from Provence or the Languedoc, and it feels just as at home on an antipasti platter with cheese and olives. Those who wish to continue their journey can find the other Tartines from Rue Traversette, from "au Pays Basque" to "en Normandie."