Fall in love with France, one recipe at a time.

A weekly recipes letter for those who love French food in all its glory.

A gentle menu for evenings when you want French pleasure without the weight.

Light at the French Table: A Three-Course Meal That Loves Your Body Back

The kitchens of France always teach us something about balance. We learn it in the way an old copper pot holds both heat and patience, or how a market vendor in Lyon can speak about tomatoes as if they were characters in a play. Balance, in France, is not an idea. It’s something you eat, something you feel, something you pass around the table.

Tonight, let us cook with that spirit in mind. A three-course dinner that feels like silk rather than velvet, built from vegetables, grains, clean proteins and little touches of indulgence where they belong. The kind of meal you can serve on a Wednesday evening without excuses, or on a Sunday with candlelight and a glass of Sancerre. Healthy, yes — but never austere. French cuisine doesn’t understand punishment. It understands pleasure in its most natural form.

We begin in the Auvergne, with a bowl of warm green lentils that always taste like the earth after rain. They mingle with roasted vegetables — carrots blistering slightly at the edges, zucchini turning soft and sweet, red onions giving that hint of mellow smoke. A spoonful of Dijon mustard turns the whole thing into a conversation between sharpness and warmth. A crumble of chèvre is the small wink that says, “Life is still delicious.”

The main course arrives in a whisper rather than a shout. Cod, tucked into parchment like a letter meant for the sea, bathed in lemon, parsley, thyme and a faint breath of olive oil. As it bakes, the parcel swells like a secret. When you open it at the table, steam escapes with the perfume of the Mediterranean. The fish stays pearly and tender, the tomatoes collapse softly, and the fennel melts into something almost floral. Served with quinoa or green beans, it feels clean, honest, effortlessly elegant.

And because a French dinner without dessert would be as strange as a baguette without its crackling crust, we finish with fruit — but prepared with affection. A tartare of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries dressed with honey, lemon zest and ribbons of basil. No cream, no pastry, nothing heavy. Just freshness, sunlight, and the sweetness that berries carry when handled with respect.

Throughout the meal, the wines play their part like gentle companions rather than protagonists. A Sancerre Blanc cuts through the lentils with mineral precision, while a Chablis brushes softly against the cod’s citrus and herbs. For dessert, a Crémant de Bourgogne Rosé offers bubbles like tiny bells.

This is the kind of dinner that leaves you feeling lighter than when you sat down, yet fully satisfied — the French paradox at work, alive and well.

Starter

Salade de Lentilles Vertes du Puy

(Warm Lentil Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Fresh Goat Cheese)

Ingredients

• 200 g green lentils (1 cup)

• 2 carrots, sliced

• 1 medium zucchini, cubed

• 1 large red onion, cut into wedges

• 2 tbsp olive oil (30 ml)

• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard (15 g)

• 1 tbsp sherry or red wine vinegar (15 ml)

• 80 g fresh goat cheese (3 oz)

• Salt and black pepper

Instructions

Rinse the lentils and simmer them in salted water for about twenty-five minutes, just until tender. Roast the vegetables at 200°C (400°F) until golden around the edges, about twenty minutes. Whisk the olive oil, mustard and vinegar into a warm dressing, then fold the lentils and vegetables together. Add chèvre in small pieces just before serving so it melts only slightly.

Wine pairing: Sancerre Blanc.

Main Course

Cabillaud en Papillote

(Cod en Papillote with Lemon and Fresh Herbs)

Ingredients

• 4 cod fillets (about 150 g / 5 oz each)

• 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced

• 200 g cherry tomatoes (1½ cups)

• Zest and juice of 1 lemon

• 2 tbsp olive oil (30 ml)

• Fresh thyme and parsley

• Salt and pepper

Instructions

Heat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Place each fillet on a sheet of parchment, scatter fennel and tomatoes around it, drizzle with olive oil, and add lemon zest, juice, herbs, salt and pepper. Fold the parchment tightly to form sealed parcels and bake for fifteen to eighteen minutes. Open the packets at the table and let the aroma rise like a blessing.

Wine pairing: Chablis.

Dessert

Tartare de Fruits Rouges

(Red Berry Tartare with Basil and Honey)

Ingredients

• 200 g strawberries (1½ cups), diced

• 150 g raspberries (1 cup)

• 150 g blueberries (1 cup)

• 1 tbsp honey (15 ml)

• Zest of ½ lemon

• 4 basil leaves, finely sliced

Instructions

Combine berries in a chilled bowl, stir in honey, lemon zest and basil, and let rest for ten minutes. Serve cold, letting the juices form their own natural syrup.

Wine pairing: Crémant de Bourgogne Rosé.

Recipe Articles

Saint-Jacques—those delicate scallops cherished along the French coast—invite quiet appreciation when gently seared and paired with golden saffron risotto.

This harmonious dish is a patient dialogue between sea and field, transforming simple ingredients into something truly unforgettable.

With each creamy spoonful of risotto perfumed by saffron and butter, and scallops caramelized just until their centers tremble, the meal captures a refined yet comforting essence of French cuisine.

Enjoying this meal—preferably with a glass of crisp Chablis or aromatic Viognier—feels like holding a fleeting sunset on your tongue.

It’s a reminder that in a bustling world, a quiet, carefully prepared dinner can stop time and awaken the senses, no matter how far you are from the shores of Saint-Malo.

This playful twist on classic ratatouille layers eggplant, zucchini, colorful peppers, and tomatoes, then tucks them beneath a golden, herb-laced crumble topping.

The result: a comforting yet elegant dish that captures the rustic generosity of Provençal kitchens.

As the vegetables roast, their sweet aromas mingle with thyme, smoked paprika, and a hint of spice while the topping bakes crisp and buttery.

Best served alongside roast chicken or fish, this crumble is equally divine enjoyed on its own—and arguably even tastier the next day.

Local wine lovers can pour a Côtes du Rhône Villages or Bandol Rosé for a truly regional experience.

This is a dish that evokes late-summer markets, laughter in the kitchen, and the sun-drenched spirit of Provence.

And so…

And if you ever wander through the market in Sète at sunset, you’ll see men and women building meals just like this, picking up fennel bulbs and handfuls of basil with the same care a jeweler uses to lift gemstones.

If you’re ever near Montpellier on a warm afternoon, look for us by the fish counter. We’ll be choosing cod with clear eyes, planning a dinner that breathes rather than weighs.

Bon appétit

Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thefrenchfork

Mail us today at:

servicedesk@thefrenchfork.com