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"  VIEW MORE PHOTOS / GET RECIPES Farfalle tossed with yogurt, cucumber, radishes and mintIn southern France, especially in Provence, you can still discover places that evoke such atmospheric perfection it&amp;#039;s as if a 19th-century landscape painting has come to life. The tableau composed of vineyards, farmhouses and medieval castles is timeless. The Mediterranean sun\u2014even in early fall\u2014remains warm, casting a yellow-blue light across the fields. The air is fragrant with lavender, jasmine and the hint of grapes recently taken from their vines. This is the setting where American chefs Johanne Killeen and George Germon are fortunate enough to have a second home. And where Sunday lunch, like the one pictured here, can be a truly memorable occasion. The couple live in Rhode Island, where they own Al Forno, the acclaimed Italian restaurant in Providence. When in their home in Provence, near Isle Sur La Sorgue, the chefs create the best of all possible worlds. The meals they cook, inspired by frequent trips to Italy, embody the spirit of both Italian and French country food\u2014rustic, full of flavor and impeccably simple. Their 15th-century mas (farmhouse) was painstakingly restored from a near ruin. They even reused sections of ancient houses found at nearby salvage yards. Germon, literally, did the work by hand, assisted by several local artisans. Outside, stone terraces are lined with hydrangea, all kinds of herbs and flower-filled pots. A remarkable 150-year-old olive tree that Germon gave Killeen for her birthday (it was hoisted into place by a crane) sits near the entry. Germon even designed a small outdoor food cellar built into one of the stone walls, where potatoes, onions, lemons and wine are kept naturally cool. View resources for this story Chefs George Germon and Johanne KilleenThe kitchen is command central for the couple&amp;#039;s recipe experimentation, and it&amp;#039;s where they tested the dishes featured in their recent cookbook, On Top of Spaghetti...(Morrow). It is a true Proven\u00E7al kitchen, with two exceptions: They installed a custom Wolf range\u2014with extra BTUs\u2014to give them the heat they&amp;#039;re used to at home. There are also restaurant-style stainless-steel counters near the stove, but the rest of the room is in the style of traditional regional farmhouses, with lots of well-worn brick, stone and tile. Even the center island is old; it&amp;#039;s an antique cabinet with an ancient marble top. Beyond the kitchen is an intimate dining room with a fireplace. Not surprisingly, it is around food that the couple learned the local culture. Extended five-hour lunches with good friends provided an important lesson. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s a committed time; it&amp;#039;s about this moment and it&amp;#039;s sacred. It&amp;#039;s a true eating experience,&amp;quot; explains Germon. The best way to grasp the nuances of a different culture is to live within it, and in this region there is no choice but to slow down. One place the couple learned this is at the butcher shop. &amp;quot;There are always personal conversations with each customer, a particular greeting, a recipe exchange about what you&amp;#039;re cooking. If you&amp;#039;re fourth in line, it can take 40 minutes. You can&amp;#039;t be an impatient American. We just get into the rhythm and listen and learn,&amp;quot; Killeen says. &amp;quot;It is the interaction that&amp;#039;s most important about life here,&amp;quot; Germon adds. Baby artichokesTrips to outdoor food markets in nearby villages, along with selective purveyors, are the sources for ingredients the couple use in their cooking. &amp;quot;Meals always start with an aperitif of some kind\u2014sparkling wine or pastis\u2014and a little food to munch on,&amp;quot; explains Killeen. For this lunch, the antipasti are two kinds of bruschetta: one, with arugula and ham, one with slivered marinated baby artichokes. They&amp;#039;re easy to make; you just toast slices of Italian bread, rub with garlic and layer the ingredients on top. In a nod to Italy, the first course is a delicate pasta. Made with fresh radishes, cucumber and yogurt, it&amp;#039;s a medley of unexpected ingredients. Only the pasta is cooked, so it&amp;#039;s a simply made dish that&amp;#039;s perfect to include in a meal of several courses. Along with the surprising crunch from the vegetables, finishing it with fresh mint yields a bright and clean taste. The main course of citrus-braised lamb exudes an intensity of flavor\u2014both sweet and tart\u2014from the tomato reduction mingling with the citrus. Fresh corn enlivened with cubes of zucchini (nearly the size of the corn kernels) saut\u00E9ed in olive oil makes a delicate, nontraditional succotash. In France, salads and cheeses are served after the meal. Often the couple like to combine the two, as they did here with three blue cheeses\u2014Gorgonzola, forme d&amp;#039;Ambert, Roquefort\u2014served with bitter greens and a hazelnut vinaigrette. The finale, a raspberry crostata, includes an appealing addition. Killeen says she knew &amp;quot;a whisper of cinnamon would make the berries shine.&amp;quot; It&amp;#039;s a subtle gesture, yet it underscores the couple&amp;#039;s approach to cooking: In the search for ways to add dimensionality to dishes, the secret, they&amp;#039;ve learned, is knowing when to stop. View our slideshow "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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