Chef Monik is a private chef based in the Luberon, known for her creative, plant-forward cooking and her workshops held in front of her garden of herbs and edible flowers.
Her food is colourful, thoughtful, and grounded in small-scale Provençal produce. For travellers hoping to find a private chef in Provence or discover a hands-on cooking class, her approach connects guests directly to the region’s flavours and its seasonal rhythms.
Favourite seasonal product: einkorn wheat
“Einkorn is local, sustainable, healthy and delicious. I use the flour in tarts, the seeds in my nasi goreng, I infuse them, and I even make a plant-based drink that becomes the base of my ganache.”
Monik’s signature ingredient is einkorn wheat, a grain native to Provence that she values for its flavour and its history. It is grown with minimal water, requires no fertiliser, and has remained genetically unchanged, making it easy for the body to digest. She uses the flour in savoury tarts and the whole grains in dishes such as nasi goreng. She also roasts the grains for herbal infusions and creates a plant-based drink that she uses in desserts such as chocolate ganache.
Provence shapes Monik’s kitchen through its produce, its landscapes and its culture. She draws inspiration from small-scale organic farmers, abundant local markets, edible wild herbs and the region’s culture of sharing food. She describes Provence as a place where colour, freshness and community inform daily cooking.
A culinary journey shaped by passion and creativity
Although trained as a lawyer, Monik has always been passionate about cooking. She made a full career change in 2018, teaching herself through practice, experimentation, and creative exploration. Her recipes were soon published in Provence: Foodtrip ensoleillé (Hachette) in 2020 and in Régal magazine in 2021. In 2021 she wrote and published her own recipe book, Plein de couleurs, un livre d’assiettes et de recettes aussi. Today, she cooks for Pilates, detox, painting and coaching retreats, and she regularly works with the town of Cabrières d’Avignon, the Théâtre National La Garance in Cavaillon, festivals, families, companies and travellers staying in the Luberon. Her career reflects a balance of creativity, independence and a strong connection to the region around her.
More about Monik
Cooking classes in the Luberon
Monik offers unique cooking classes in her garden-side workshop. Before aprons go on, she leads guests into the garden to pick edible leaves and flowers. She prepares a herbal tea for the group and explains the benefits and uses of each plant. These ingredients then reappear in the recipes prepared during the workshop. When the weather allows, guests cook and dine beneath the awning overlooking the garden. She offers recipes from her book, many of them plant-based, always original and deeply connected to the region. By spring 2026, she plans to present recipes from her second book.
Market-fresh menus from the Petit Palais market
Monik also offers “Market Fresh” menus built entirely around her favourite local producers. She particularly enjoys the Petit Palais market on Saturday mornings, where she sources:
• Artisanal spelt pasta from Marie-Eve Gauthier
• Trout from Monsieur Meyer
• Lamb from Nathanaël, a farmer in Saint-Gens
These menus allow guests to taste ingredients selected only hours earlier, prepared with clarity and precision.
Where Monik eats in Provence
Her favourite restaurant is Le Tayac in Ménerbes. She admires the colourful vegetable-driven dishes created by Nicolas, the botanical garden at Domaine de la Citadelle next to the restaurant, and the welcoming hospitality offered by Margaux.
Recipe: Monik’s golden ball turnip tart
A colourful, savoury tart built on einkorn wheat flour and roasted golden ball turnips. This recipe reflects Monik’s approach to flavour: seasonal, creative and grounded in Provençal ingredients.
Ingredients
- 150 g einkorn wheat flour
- 50 g ground almonds (ideally homemade)
- 5 cl olive oil
- 5 cl water
- 1 teaspoon herb salt
- 250 g Comté cheese
- 3 large golden ball turnips
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Dried cranberries
- Hazelnuts
- Crushed pumpkin seeds
- A few oregano leaves for garnish
- Salt and pepper
Preparation
Make the tart base
- Mix the einkorn wheat flour, ground almonds, olive oil, water and herb salt to form a smooth dough. Place a sheet of parchment paper on the work surface, flatten the dough with your fingers, cover with another sheet and roll it out until large enough for a 32–33 cm pizza pan.
- Remove the top sheet, place the pan upside down on the dough, trim the edges, then transfer the dough (still on its paper) into the perforated baking pan.
- Bake for 12 minutes at 200°C (convection setting). Allow the base to cool.
Prepare the filling
- Slice the Comté and lay it over the cooled tart base. Cut the turnips into sixteen wedges each and roast them in olive oil with the honey. Add dried cranberries, hazelnuts and pumpkin seeds, season, and mix gently.
- Spread the mixture over the Comté and return the tart to the oven at 160°C until the cheese melts.
Finish and serve
- Cut into eight slices and garnish with a few oregano leaves.
Chef Monik offers a distinctive blend of creativity, botanical knowledge and Provençal identity. Her cooking classes and private chef services bring together local produce, seasonal rhythm and thoughtful preparation. For travellers staying in the Luberon, her food offers a colourful, grounded and memorable expression of Provence.
À bientôt,
