Italian salad plate

This colourful salad plate with Italian antipasti flavours makes a nice lunch on a warm autumn day when the basil and local tomatoes are still in season.

The day before cook slices of courgette and red bell pepper in olive oil in a grill pan. Cover and let marinate overnight in refrigerator.

2 servings

4 slices of grilled and marinated red bell pepper

2 slices of grilled and marinated courgette

Olive oil

4 slices of cantaloupe melon

4 slices of Parma ham

2 tomatoes, chopped

8 black olives, pitted and sliced

About 250 g ricotta

2 handfuls of rocket

Freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil vinaigrette

Fresh basil to decorate

Place the chopped tomatoes in a bowl with 1 tbsp. of olive oil, and the sliced black olives. Mix and let marinate for a few minutes.

Divide the ricotta in a nice heap in the middle of the plates.

Arrange the grilled antipasti vegetables in one corner of the plates.

Divide the cantaloupe slices on the plates and top with Parma ham. 

Place a heap of rocket in one corner of the plates and the marinated tomatoes in their corner. 

Grind over some black pepper and sprinkle with olive oil vinaigrette. Decorate with basil. Serve with some good country bread for a balanced meal.

Camp des Fourches to Col de Pouriac

The northern corner of Alpes Maritimes offers quite peculiar alpine sceneries and hiking itineraries during the summer months. The road over Col de la Bonette closes sometimes quite early depending on weather after which access to today’s starting point at Camp des Fourches (2240 m) is not anymore possible.

We had previously hiked to Pas de la Cavale, and now wanted to explore the trail to Col de Pouriac (2506 m) at the Italian border.

Camp des Fourches

GR5 east of Camp des Fourches

Pas de la Cavale and Salse Morene

GR5 from Col des Fourches

Signpost#37 to Col de Pouriac

Riverbed in Salse Morene

Halfway to Col de Pouriac

Nearing Col de Pouriac

Col de Pouriac

Stuffed red bell peppers and orzo

Stuffed bell peppers is a classic Mediterranean dish. The stuffing used to be made from ground lamb or a mixture of lamb and beef. Nowadays it could be made from vegetables and sausages or vegetables and some cheese.

In this recipe, the stuffing is a rich and thick Bolognese sauce made from beef, herbs, and tomato paste. The bell peppers are served on a bed of creamy orzo or other small shape pasta.

2 servings

2 large red bell peppers

Olive oil

Orzo for 2 servings

1 tbsp. crème fraiche 15 % fat or cream

For the Bolognese:

About 250 g ground lean beef

1 shallot, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced 

olive oil

150 ml chicken stock

3 tbsp. organic tomato paste

1 tsp. dried Provençal herbs

Freshly ground black pepper

Chopped basil to decorate

Start with the Bolognese. Warm 2 tbsp. olive oil in a heavy sauté pan and lightly brown the ground meat. Add the shallot and garlic and continue sautéing for about 5 minutes.

Add the chicken stock, tomato paste, herbs, and black pepper and mix well. Let simmer for about 10 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 200° C roast.

Wash and dry the red bell peppers. Cut “hats” from the stem ends and remove the seeds. Fill the peppers with the Bolognese.

Oil a small oven-proof dish with olive oil. Place the bell peppers in the dish with their decorative “hats” on the side. Roast for 20- 30 minutes until the peppers are soft.

Meanwhile cook the orzo according to the advice on the package. When the pasta is done, drain it and return to the saucepan. Mix in the crème fraiche.

Divide the orzo on the plates and place the red bell peppers on top. Decorate with basil.

Walk from Antibes to Juan-les-Pins

This delightful walk starts from the parking facing the harbourmaster’s office, next to the Antibes old town.

Port and Fort Vauban

La Gravette Beach Antibes

We started along the seafront, passing the Picasso Museum then the Albert 1er Square. We reached Plage du Ponteil where we forked right, crossing the Ponteil Park and followed  Boulevard du Cap then Chemin des Sables over the peninsula to Juan-les-Pins. Juan-les-Pins is today part of the City of Antibes.

Antibes seafront

La Pinède Juan les Pins

Av Georges Gallice Juan-les-Pins

Golf Juan