If you have more than a day to spend cooking and relaxing on the French Riviera - and I hope for your sake that this is the case! - you can choose from this selection of programs lasting three to five days. For information on one-day programs, click here.

Five-day cooking courses

Each season on the French Riviera brings an abundance of local ingredients and recipes. For students who want to explore the sun-drenched cooking of this region for more than a day, Les Petits Farcis offers five-day intensive courses a few times a year for a maximum of six students. This affordable program covers the basics of Provençal and Niçois cooking, providing students with a full repertoire of recipes to take home. Each two-hour class starts at 10.30am and is followed by a leisurely lunch. Afternoons are free to relax on the beach or visit the area. Renting a car isn't necessary, as there is a convenient system of buses and trains that will take you to places such as Cannes, Antibes, Monaco, Eze, St-Paul-de-Vence and Villefranche sur Mer.

The friendly hands-on classes take place in my beautifully renovated 17th-century apartment just off the world famous Cours Saleya market. On Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday we'll prepare a full menu of fresh, seasonal dishes before sitting down to lunch and toasting our efforts with delicious wines from the region. On Thursday we'll tour the food market before tasting Provençal olive oils and enjoying a Mediterranean lunch that someone else has prepared!

You will leave with a complete recipe book, my list of recommended restaurants in Nice, and a Petits Farcis apron to take home.

A Taste of the Sun: September 21-25, 2009

Make the most of the season's bounty, cooking such typical Niçois dishes as petits farcis (stuffed vegetables), ratatouille and soupe au pistou (the local version of minestrone). Desserts will draw on the last strawberries and the first local apples and pears.

Cost: 650 euros per person

Includes four hands-on cooking classes followed by three-course lunches, a market tour followed by an olive oil tasting and lunch, a complete recipe booklet, my list of recommended restaurants, and a Petits Farcis apron to take home.

A Taste of the Riviera three-day program

July 9-11, 2009

If you’re fascinated by the colourful food markets in Provence and want to learn more about the local cuisine without feeling the least bit stressed about your cooking skills, this program is tailor-made for you.

Day 1 – "A Taste of Nice" food tour followed by a typically Niçois lunch
9.30am-2.30pm
Location: the Old Town in Nice
Nice is the only city in France that is famed for its street food, a reminder of the days when the county of Nice belonged to the Italian-ruled Kingdom of Savoy.  On a fascinating three-hour tour, you will learn about the history of Nice and its food and taste such unexpected delicacies as pissaladière (caramelized onion tart), socca (chick pea pancake), fougasse (Provençal flatbread) and tourte de blettes (a sweet pie with a surprise ingredient). You will also sample a selection of Provençal olive oils, taste vinegars flavored with passion fruit or piment d'Espelette, discover the secrets of French cheese and visit an artisanal pork butcher. After the tour, I will lead you to a typically Niçois bistro for a delicious lunch with local wine.

Day 2 – A relaxed cooking class with Rosa
11am-2.30pm
Location: the Old Town in Nice
Whether or not you’re an experienced cook, I will make you feel at home in my kitchen as you prepare a three-course meal of light Provençal dishes that are easy to recreate at home. I am happy to cater to your tastes and adapt the menu to any food allergies or intolerances.
Sample menu:
Tomato-tapenade tart on a parmesan sablé
Sea bass fillets with sauce vierge
Poached pears with vanilla ice cream

Day 3 – A tasting under the olive trees
2-6pm
Location: the Nice back country, departing from the Old Town in Nice (transport provided)
My charming French husband Philippe, who you will have met during the cooking class, will drive you up to an olive farm in the stunning countryside near the Italian border. After touring the farm with the owners, you will taste its organic olive oil and delicious olive paste, tapenade and jams – all in an idyllic setting under the olive trees.

Price for the three-day program in July: 450 euros
Includes lunch with wines on Day 1 and 2, transport on Day 3 and all tastings.

To reserve your spot in any of these programs, please send an e-mail to rosa@rosajackson.com or call +33 4 9355 7579. We are happy to provide suggestions for accommodation in Nice, either at a privately-owned apartment or in a nearby hotel.

Les Petits Farcis continues to offer half-day and full-day market classes that include a visit to the Cours Saleya market and a hands-on cooking class followed by a four-course meal, with an optional afternoon food walk.