Today at the Vaison weekly market, our beekeeper Christine Tracol cermoniously presented me with four 1-kilo jars of golden nectar. Last November she placed 10 busy bee hives behind our little stone cabanon, and left them there until sometime this summer, when it came time for them to feast in the lavender fields near Mont Ventoux. But as our honey shows, as the bees feasted at Chanteduc  on the nectar of various rosemary, thyme, and zucchini blossoms, they must have spent a lot of time in the two giant linden flower -- or tilleul trees -- on the property. The honey is payment as "rent" for the use of the property. Nice exchange! Our honey is a golden amber, with an intense, floral flavor. I confess that it is not as extraordinary as her mountain lavender honey, but nothing is!   I'd like to share a favorite melon and honey sorbet:

I went a little crazy this year and ended up with 82 tomato plants. They are just beginning to come in now, and I believe that one NEVER has too many tomatoes. Should there be more than I can deal with, I quarter and freeze them, variety by variety, and cook them up later for multicolored sauces. Many of  my plants did not make it this spring, with too much rain and not enough sun. But there will be plenty to see us through to October. Current high performers include my favorites:  Green Zebra, the bright orange Valencia, Ida Gold and Coeur de Boeuf Orange, the yellow Jaune Saint Vincent and Banana Leg, the fabulous Ananas, Striped Germain and Tigerella, and the always productive Russe. A new and interesting heirloom is the white Beauté Blanche de Canada, a large tomato with ivory skin and pulp and mildly acidic flavor. I confess that I am nearly breathless with excitement when I can slice multicolored varieties and arrange them on a giant white platter, season them with my homemade Fennel and Saffron Salt and sit down to lunch, with a fat slice of my toasted homemade sourdough bread. I hope you enjoy the salt:  saffron, fennel and tomatoes seem to love one another's company.