Valloire: Pain de Sucre

Valloire Village

La Borgé

Departing La Borgé

Trail to Poingt Ravier

La Mitre and Grand Galibier

Tree tunnel on trail to Poingt Ravier

Almost at Poingt Ravier

Le Poingt Ravier

Slopes east of Valloire

Trail north of Poingt Ravier

Crossing Villard stream

View northeast from Pain de Sucre

Valloire seen from trail

Return trail to la Borgé

Crostini with mushrooms, goat cheese, and figs

The following recipe makes a simple but tasty autumnal lunch when local figs are in season in the South of France. The sweet taste of figs compliments nicely with the tartness of goat cheese. 

2 servings

4 slices of country bread

Olive oil

8- 10 mushrooms, champignons de Paris

6 figs

About 100 g goat cheese, la bûche de chevre

Baby salad leaves

Vinaigrette

Preheat the oven to 200° C roast.

Cut 4 nice slices from a country bread and brush them on both sides with olive oil. Roast for about 7 minutes until golden.

Clean the mushrooms and slice them. Sauté in olive oil until nicely coloured.

Cut 8 slices from the goat cheese.

Wash and dry the figs. Cut them into 4 sections.

Divide the crostini on two large plates. Place 2 slices of goat cheese on each bread slice. Divide the mushrooms and figs on the crostini slices placing the extra figs on the plates. Sprinkle with some olive oil. Place a small handful of baby salad leaves on the plates and sprinkle with vinaigrette.

Beuil: Col des Moulinés loop

Several new hiking itineraries have been recently added to the randoxygène web site. We decided to check the loop starting from Beuil (Cougne 1440 m) to Col des Moulinés (1981 m).

We used the parking by the D30 road just before the bridge over the Cians River. After crossing the road, we saw the signpost #41 next to several old houses (Cougne on the map), and started to ascend along a narrow trail, passing several properties. Apparently, the trail had not been much used and was quite overgrown in places. We reached a partly forested ridge (Crête du pre Picas), now heading northwest. 

Beuil-Cougne

Above Cougne

Tête du Garnier

Trail to signpost#43

Mont des Moulinés southern flank

Beuil seen from Col des Moulinés

Mont Mounier and the Col

Descent to Cians Valley

Boeuf Bourgignon à la Côte-d'Or

Bœuf Bourgignon is the famous beef stew from the Bourgogne Region. In a recent TV-show on the French morning TV, Télématin, a cheffe from the Côte-d’Or Departement showed her version of the recipe. The meat was separately simmered for 3 hours in Pinot Noir red wine with mushrooms and leeks so that the beef was super tender and the thick sauce almost black in colour. The vegetables were separately sautéed and simmered until soft. Her choice of vegetables was more adventurous; to the usual carrots and onions also courgettes, turnips, and green asparagus were added. I was inspired!

The following recipe is my twist of the TV-show. I simmered the beef for 2 hours on the hob in a heavy cooking pot, cocotte, and then cooked it for 1 hour in the oven. I simmered the vegetables in another cocotte until soft.

2 servings

About 300- 400 g stewing beef

500 ml Pinot Noir red wine

1 leek, sliced

4- 6 mushrooms, chopped

Olive oil

For the vegetables:

1 small onion, halved

1 clove garlic, minced

1 carrot, cut into 3-4 cm long chunks

2 small courgettes, cut into 3-4 cm long chunks

1 turnip, peeled and halved

Olive oil fresh herbs to decorate

In a heavy cooking pot, cocotte, warm 2 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Lightly brown the beef. You may need to do this in batches. Set aside. Sauté the mushrooms and leek in the same pot for a few minutes. Transfer the meat back to the pot. Add a pinch of salt, some black pepper and pour in the Pinot Noir. The beef should be covered by the wine. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to simmering. Cover and cook for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 180° C.

Transfer the cocotte uncovered into the oven and cook for 1 hour.

Meanwhile warm 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat in another cocotte. Sauté the vegetables for a few minutes. Add 100 ml water, reduce the heat to simmering and cover. Cook for about 2,5 hours until the vegetables are soft. 

For the presentation:

With a slotted spoon, take up the vegetables from the pot and divide on the plates. Divide the beef in the centre of the plates and pour over the sauce. Decorate the vegetables with some chopped fresh herbs. Bonne Appétit!