Serre Chevalier: Traversing from Casse du Boeuf to le Bachas

Here’s an interesting crossing in the Serre Chevalier mountains. It was a hybrid itinerary (bus, chairlift and hiking) as our base was in Le Monêtier-les-Bains.

We took the local bus from Le Monêtier-les-Bains to Villeneuve/Station 1400. We walked a few hundred meters to La Casse du Boeuf chair lift and were on our way to high ground (2270 m) in no time.

Monêtier-les-Bains bus stop

Casse du Boeuf upper station

Under Serre Chevalier

Blossoming alpine meadow

Col de Serre Chevalier

Leaving Col de la Pisse

More blossoming meadows

Rugged trail from Col de la Pisse

Trail cut by landslide

GR54 reached

Easy summer cooking

In the hot high-summer, cooking has to be simple. Long oven-roasting is better suited in the cooler months and can be replaced by a Dutch oven: Cooking in a heavy enamelled cast iron pot under a lid, such as Le Creuset. 

Ratatouille, the famous South of France summer vegetable stew, is ideal to make in a Dutch oven. I especially like the variant with fresh tomatoes. Make it in a larger amount so that the next day chopped fresh tomatoes and black olives can be added to the reheated stew. When the weather is very hot carbs on the plate can be omitted and the vegetables served with a piece of meat or chicken.

In the first photo, ratatouille is served with rolled turkey escalopes. Flatten the escalopes, coat with Dijon mustard, roll and fasten with cocktail pick. Fry on both sides in olive oil until golden brown. Add chopped shallot and garlic in the pan and sauté for a few minutes. Pour in some white wine, add a bit of chicken stock and balsamic glaze. Partly cover and continue cooking until the sauce has reduced and the turkey is done. Stir in some crème fraiche for a nice sauce, grind over black pepper and serve.

The next day ratatouille is served with organic fried chicken breast. Fry the chicken breasts in olive oil until golden brown on both sides. Sauté some chopped shallot and garlic in the pan and pour in  the white wine. Add some chicken stock and Dijon mustard and continue cooking until the chicken is done and the sauce is reduced. Again just before serving stir in some crème fraiche and grind over black pepper.

Ratatouille with fresh tomatoes goes also nicely with a steak, duck breast or lamb. In the second photo, ratatouille with fresh tomatoes is served with a fillet steak. 

Marinated beef heart tomatoes

During the hot summer weeks one does not wish to spend a lot of time in cooking. Luckily local tomatoes are at their best and don’t need much preparing.

The following recipe is my twist of a recipe that I happened to see in a French magazine. The marinade in that recipe was influenced by Japanese cuisine and used soy sauce, sauce ponzu, and sesame oil.

I have used Provençal ingredients for my marinade: the very best olive oil and balsamic vinegar. And topped the tomatoes with sliced and pitted black olives and chopped basil leaves.

Serve the tomatoes as a first course or in the centre of a lunch salad combined with some protein such as ham, smoked duck slices, cheese, and so on.

2 servings

2 beef heart tomatoes

Sliced and pitted black olives

Chopped basil leaves

For the marinade:

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Freshly ground black pepper

Plonge the tomatoes in boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes, then in cold water. Peel the tomatoes and cut into sections into a bowl.

Mix the marinade and pour over the tomatoes. Let marinate for 5- 10 minutes. Sprinkle with sliced black olives and chopped basil leaves.

If serving the tomatoes for a lunch salad, divide them in the centre of two  plates. Place some baby salad leaves and your choice of protein around the tomatoes. Decorate with chopped basil and serve with some good country bread. 

Serre Chevalier: Lac des Partias from Casse de Boeuf

Here’s a short walk from Casse du Boeuf chair lift south to Lac des Partias. Located inside the Des Partias Natural Reserve, the small lake lies in a valley at about 2100 m elevation (East of Ravin de Jafaret on the map).

On another heatwave day in the Southern Alps, it was great to use the familiar chairlift to reach the high ground, 2270 m in this instance. 

Serre Chevalier western flank

Col de Serre Chevalier

Descent from Col Serre Chev

Trail to Partias

Stream halfway to Partias

Lac des Partias