Hiking and Cooking in the South of France

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. 

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. 

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

This salad is perfect on a hot summer day when the figs are in season. But you can just as well continue serving it well into autumn; the fig season is long in the South of France because of several fig varieties.

Serve the salad with some protein such as burrata, goat cheese, or smoke duck slices. They all go nicely with figs. Add some good country bread for a balanced meal.

2 servings

6 figs

1 green salad pepper

2 handfuls of baby salad leaves

2 mini burratas or goat cheese or smoked duck.

Vinaigrette of olive oil and red wine vinegar

Freshly ground black pepper

Wash and dry the figs and green pepper.

Divide the salad leaves on two plates. Cut the green salad pepper into two halves lengthwise and remove the seeds. Slice  and divide on the plates.

Remove the stems from the figs and cut them into quarters. Divide on top of the salad leaves.

Divide the mini burratas or goat cheese or duck on the plates. Sprinkle with vinaigrette and grind over some black pepper.

Le Grand Lac (2282) certainly is one of the most impressive alpine lakes in the Briancon/Serre Chevalier Region.

The starting point is from Le Pont de l’Alpe (1710 m) by the D1091. Due to the popularity of the trails, even the spacious parking can be quite full during the high season.

We have previously hiked around Aguillette du Lauzet, starting from Le Pont de l’Alpe.

This time we wanted to admire the picturesque lake.

Trail to Alpe du Lauzet

Pics de Combeynot

Towards Clot des Vaches

Clot des Vaches crossroads

Ascent in Rif Valley

Col above Grand Lac

GR57 above Grand Lac

Returning trail along GR57

This recipe is inspired by a starter at our hotel near Col d’Izoard. Served with some good country bread it makes a tasty light lunch on a hot summer day. When choosing the gazpacho, we still think that the Spanish Alvalle makes the best. You can replace fromage blanc with thick Greek youghurt.

2 servings

400 ml ready-made preferably organic gazpacho

4 tbsp. fromage blanc 0% fat

½ cucumber

1 oval tasty tomato

3 slices of Parma ham

Chopped basil leaves

Whisk the fromage blanc into the gazpacho and divide into two bowls. Chop the tomato and cucumber into small cubes and divide on top of the gazpacho. 

Chop the Parma ham into small pieces and divide into the bowls.  Decorate with basil and serve at once. 

 We had previously done a loop hike from Brunissard via Col de Néal where the first stretch of the hike ran along the famous GR5 long distance trail.

We now wanted to explore the GR5 as far as to Col de Ayes (2477 m). Starting from Brunissard, the first less interesting part followed the road to the vast camping. It then climbed to Le Pré Premier and further along a dusty dirt road which went to the Chalets of Claypeto. Just before the chalets, the GR5 forked right towards Col des Ayes, and we were finally surrounded by a beautiful high alpine landscape. The first part was moderately steep, then levelled off a bit before a final ascent to the mountain pass.

Leaving Brunissard

Above l'Eychaillon

Chalets de Clapeyto in background

Towards Col des Ayes

Last stretch to Col des Ayes

Return trail Mont Viso in horizon

Pic du Cros Massif above Arvieux

Thierry Marx is a Michelin star French chef who also directs cookery schools . He is now flexitarian and focused on the responsibility that catering sector has for the society and environment.

This recipe is loosely based on the interview on the French morning TV 1 Bonjour. In fact they only showed the presentation of the dish in his restaurant kitchen but the message was clear: cook from quality ingredients, cook from scratch and do not waste.

2 servings

4 local lamb chops

4 large slices of a round green courgette

4 thick slices of dark tomatoes

Olive oil

100 ml quick-cooking green lentils

Chopped mint leaves to decorate

For the red wine sauce:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small shallot, minced

1 small clove of garlic, minced

150 ml red wine

1 tsp. dried Provençal herbs

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp. tomato purée

Start by cooking the green lentils according to the advice on the package. When done, cover and set aside until needed.

In a frying pan, warm olive oil over medium heat and fry the courgette slices on both sides until golden brown and soft.

In another frying pan, warm 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat and sauté the tomato slices a few minutes on both sides.

In a small saucepan, sauté the shallot and garlic in 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat 5-10 minutes. Add the red wine, herbs, and black pepper. Raise the temperature and cook until reduced by about half. Whisk in the tomato purée, cover and set aside.

Warm a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat the lamb chops with some olive oil and fry about 3 minutes on both sides depending on the thickness.

For the presentation: arrange the vegetables in layers in the middle of the plates. Sprinkle the lentils around the vegetables and drizzle with the red wine sauce. Place the lamb chops on top of the vegetables and sprinkle with chopped mint.

In the Queyras Regional Park, we have previously explored some trails to mountain passes bordering Italy. From Valpréveyre above Abriés, we had earlier climbed to Col d’Urine.

Using Valpréveyre as a starting point, we now wanted to climb to Col de Malaure (2536 m) north of the abovementioned Col d’Urine and in a different valley.

Leaving Valpréyvere

Following Torrent du Bouchet

Crossing Malaure Torrent

Sheep flock by the trail