Another American comes under the spell of la vie Provencale. This time, the author is a native of France, but after having lived in California since her teens, Lenard and her American husband leave their Los Angeles home for the Luberon mountains. These essays chronicle the idyllic moments-- sipping rum-laced tea with a local duchess on a cold evening -- and the misadventures-- having their money taken by an unreliable gardener-- of country living, sprinkled with anecdotes of Vincent Van Gogh, Brigitte Bardot, and other notable French figures for whom Provence has held a similar allure. Each chapter concludes with a recipe for traditional Provencale fare.  (FRN449, $14.00)