Sides & Sauces

The seeds crackle open after barely a minute in a dry pan: Place des Épices’ organic cumin seeds, warm, earthy and slightly bitter, balance the honeyed sweetness of carrots roasted until caramelized.

Halved tomatoes blister under a crust of garlicky breadcrumbs, and a generous drizzle of Estoublon’s Picholine Olive Oil, powerful, peppery and fiery, is just the bold partner this Provençal side dish needs.

The pop of berries bursting in a simmering pan, then a spoonful beside a soft wedge of Brie: Noël en Laponie N°695 from Dammann Frères, a limited-edition green tea with cinnamon, pink peppercorn, cranberry and bitter orange, spices up the holiday cheese board.

Carrots roasted until their edges caramelize, warm with cumin and honey, laid over cool yogurt: a pinch of Les Terres Blanches’ Fleur de Sel Marrakech, harvested in the Atlas Mountains, brings together iodine and minerals, earth and sea.

Lift the lid after ten minutes of rest and a floral steam escapes from the pot; cooked in Dammann Frères’ Jasmin Tea Bags, a full-bodied Chinese green tea softened by white jasmine, the rice becomes a fragrant bed for steamed fish.

When the first cold evenings arrive, Brussels sprouts come out of the oven browned at the edges, chestnuts tucked among them; La Compagnie de Bouteville’s Balsamic Vinegar 6 Years adds warm walnut notes and a flash of citrus.

Warm potatoes drink in the vinaigrette best, and a generous grinding of Place des Épices’ organic smoked Kerala black pepper, smoked for four hours over pine shavings, gives them a round, gentle smokiness and lovely depth.

Instead of butter, a generous pour of Estoublon’s Grossane Olive Oil goes into the mash, fresh, grassy and softly buttery, and one last raw drizzle on top keeps its green scent intact all the way to the table.

Hot from the oven, the scored eggplant drinks in a few spoonfuls of Estoublon’s Pomegranate Vinegar, light, fruity and tangy, before crumbled feta, jewel-bright seeds and mint land on top.

After an hour in the oven, the rows of zucchini, eggplant and tomato slump into something soft and fragrant with thyme. A pinch of Les Terres Blanches’ Fleur de Sel Camargue, naturally blushing pink, adds its pronounced taste of iodine.

In the mortar, garlic and basil slowly become a fragrant green paste, and Estoublon’s Couture Olive Oil, a top-tier blend with notes of arugula and fresh herbs and a silky green almond finish, pulls the pistou together.

Charred stripes on eggplant, zucchini and peppers call for a generous finishing pour, and Estoublon’s Bouteillan Olive Oil, balanced and aromatic with its hints of asparagus, tomato leaf and green apple, brings a whole garden to the platter.