Summer is the time for sun-soaked fruits and vegetables, for ratatouille and salade niçoise (which, according to Niçois custom, should be made only with raw vegetables). Violet eggplant, golden zucchini blossoms, vine-ripened tomatoes, little round zucchini, red peppers, local strawberries and perfumed peaches all try to outdo each other on the market stalls. Early morning, evening and the natural air conditioning of the Vieux Nice — always a few degrees cooler than the rest of the city — provide the only respite from the heat. In July, the Nice Jazz Festival attracts music fans who savor the classic street snacks pan bagna (a round loaf layered with tuna and fresh vegetables, then doused in olive oil) and pissaladière (onion pizza) during open-air concerts.

Les Petits Farcis sample summer menu:

• Stuffed zucchini blossoms
• Poulet à la niçoise (Chicken with red and green peppers)
• Mesclun salad
• Strawberry tart