Hiking and Cooking in the South of France

Lately fast food has become very popular in Paris. When yet another hamburger restaurant was opened in Champs Elysees, there was a line! And a restaurateur from Barcelona has recently opened his fast food restaurant in France- with food made in Barcelona.

It seems to us that the French are forgetting their culinary classics. Steak marchand de vin is a classic French bistro recipe, and in fact fast food at its very best; fait maison from local quality ingredients!

In this video clip we show how quickly and simply it can be cooked and served with microwaved or steamed new potatoes and green beans. Anyone can cook this!

For two servings you need two nice fillet steaks, one shallot, one clove garlic, olive oil and butter, new potatoes, and about two handfuls of good quality fresh or frozen green beans. For the wine sauce you need a generous glass of red wine. Freshly ground black pepper and some fresh herbs add the final touch. For the steaks we chose tournedos, which in France come wrapped in a slice of lard. You can of course remove this on your plate. For the red wine we chose Château de Pampelonne.

First sauté the chopped shallot and minced garlic in olive oil in a small frying pan for about 10 minutes until soft. Set aside.

Wash the potatoes, top and tail the green beans if using fresh beans. Place the potatoes and green beans in their separate small microwave dishes with 1- 2 tbsp. water in each dish. Cover and microwave, about 5 minutes for the potatoes and 3-4 minutes for the beans. Set aside and keep warm.

In a heavy frying pan warm olive oil and butter over high heat. Cook the steaks for 3,5 minutes on each side for medium. Take care not to burn the steaks. After 3,5 minutes turn the steaks and pour the red wine in the pan. When the steaks are done, remove them from the frying pan and transfer on the warmed dinner plates. Cover with aluminium foil and keep warm.

Add the shallot and garlic in the bubbling red wine. Continue cooking until the wine is reduced to about half.

Pour the red wine sauce over the steaks and divide the potatoes and green beans on the plates. Grind over black pepper and decorate with fresh herbs.

The little fishing port of Cassis about 17 km from Marseille has long lured painters. Dufy and other Fauvist artists painted here, and later Winston Churchill used to come here to paint. Quoting a recent Elle magazine, these days Cassis is said to be popular among chic Parisian media people. FranceTV2 Telematin showed a report of the local cuisine last summer.

Cassis is also famous for its white wines. There are several small wine shops in the centre of the town selling local wines. We visited Cassis in mid-February, and many of the shops were closed. We were lucky to find one which was open, and bought wines produced by Clos d’Albizzi, Domaine des Quatre Vents and Cassis Bodin 2015.

Massif des Calanques is situated between Cassis and Marseille. Now a national park, it is best known for its several calanques, fjord-like inlets with high limestone cliffs. On a glorious and warm day, we headed from the Cassis Port to Belvédère d’En Vau, a renown viewing point. We initially followed the GR98 trail. A trail map is essential even on shorter hikes. The GR trail is marked with the usual white/red, and other trails (that are numerous in the Calanques) with different colours. But signposts are pretty much non-existent.

From the port we followed the GR signs along streets to Port-Miou where the trail proper started. We made a short detour to Point de la Cacau admiring the pine tree covered peninsula. By the trail, we heard a weird breathing sound coming from under the ground. In fact, there was a fissure in the rock as far as to the sea, and incoming swells pressed the air through this opening. It’s even marked in the hiking map and called trou souffleur.

We continued along the GR 51/98 (also a green trail #8 in the map), climbing in the woods to about 180 m altitude. Here, at a clearing we crossed a blue trail #4. We followed the GR trail west. The trail now descended abruptly to Vallon d’En Vau where the GR merged with a dirt track. We forked right (turning left would have taken us directly to the Calanque d’En Vau beach) and followed the track about 800 m before forking left leaving the wider track. The trail -still marked with both white/red and green-took as rapidly to Col de l’Oule.

From the col, a wide trail now marked blue #2 ran south directly to our goal, Belvédère d’En Vau (170 m). Calanque d’En Vau, considered by many the most picturesque of all the Calanques, was right below us.

We headed back to Col de l’Oule, and chose to take a longer inland route back following first a trail marked with brown north. The trail soon merged with a dirt track (red, #7), and we walked along it as far as to Maison Forestière. Now heading back to Cassis, we forked right and followed a red trail #7a southeast to Auberge de jeunesse. From here, we followed an unpaved track down to Port-Miou. The last part of the hike followed the streets back to Cassis Harbour.

Duration: 5h 50

Climb: 528 m (our GPS data)

Length: 17.7 km

Map: IGN Les Calanques de Marseille à Cassis (9€50 at the Tourist Office)

La Couronne de Charlemagne, the crown of Charles the Great, is a distinctive hilltop (329 m according to the IGN map, although our GPS recorded max 312 m) above Cassis. It reminded us of the Baous above Nice because of its form. We called it the baby Baou because of its smaller size. With some imagination, the hill may have the form of a crown, too.

Charles the Great created a large empire attaching Germany and parts of Northern Italy to France and had himself crowned the “emperor of Romans” by the Pope in 800.

On a beautiful mid-February day, we set from Pas de la Colle by the Route des Crêtes (D141) towards Couronne de Charlemagne. If you start from Cassis, you have to walk along the streets and roads initially. We had hiked over 17km in the Calanques the day before, and thought a shorter walk would suffice today. We got inspiration for this hike from a French hiking book Le Rando Malin. La Provence des Calanques au Luberon by Claudine Francini (Mémoires Millénaires Editions).

From Pas de la Colle (parking by the road), we first walked uphill along the D141A road following the GR51 itinerary little over one km, where the road ended near the top of Baou de la Saoupe. We continued along a good and wide trail (still GR51) heading north. The trail descended a bit to Pas de Julien before starting to ascend to Couronne de Charlemagne that was all the time well visible in front of us. The trail was easy and the ascent short.

The view down to Cassis was great in spite of some maritime low clouds emerging from the sea. Some of the Cassis vineyards were just below us. The trail continued east, descending gently. We were above the railway tunnel and one of the tunnel’s ventilation shafts soon came visible. Here, we forked right (south) leaving the GR trail. There were no signposts nor markings, but it was easy to follow the wide trail, and we walked past the next two ventilation shafts leaving them on our left side. We continued south till we reached a crossroads where we forked sharply right (west) to Vallon de la Bécasse along another dirt track, and soon came back to our starting point at Pas de la Colle.

Leaving GR51 near railway tunnel ventilation shaft above Cassis

Duration: 1H 50

Climb: 259 m

Distance: 7 km

Map IGN: 3245 ET

In Nice, Italian minestrone is a popular winter soup. Our supermarket in Nice sells Italian vegetable mixtures for minestrone soup.

In spring new baby vegetables arrive in shops, and the ingredients change. I have made the traditional delicious La Soupa de’Prima from local spring vegetables which may be difficult to find elsewhere, such as small violet artichokes, local chard and new broad beans.

La Soupe au Pistou is made from vegetables that are easier to find elsewhere, and it is just as tasty! I have lightened a little the pistou recipes that I have seen by leaving out the small pasta shapes. So you can enjoy this excellent spring vegetable soup with a slice of good bread and freshly grated parmesan cheese for protein.

The recipe makes about 6 servings and the leftovers can easily be frozen. It makes a perfect light spring lunch.

6 servings

2 tbsp. olive oil
2 round Niçois courgette or 1 large long courgette, diced
3 small new potatoes, diced
3 shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tomatoes, chopped
200 ml green beans, cut into about 2 cm lengths
200 ml peas
200 ml féves, broad beans
1,2 litre vegetable stock
3 tbsp. tomato purée
Black pepper
Freshly grated parmesan

For the pistou:

A bouquet of basil
5 tbsp. olive oil
A pinch of salt

In a heavy casserole such as Le Creuset warm the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the chopped courgette, potatoes, shallots, garlic and tomatoes for a few minutes. Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil.

Add the broad beans, tomato purée and black pepper. Cover and simmer 20 minutes.

Add the green beans and peas and continue simmering for a further 10 minutes.

Meanwhile make the pistou by crushing the basil leaves with olive oil and a pinch of salt until you get a nice purée which does not have to be totally smooth.

Divide the soup into individual bowls. Add about 1 tbsp. pistou in each bowl. Serve with grated parmesan and tasty bread.

The medieval village of Gorbio (360 m) is only about 3 km from the coast at Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. The road to the village is narrow and winding, and makes the distance seem much longer. Gorbio is well visible from the nearby A8 La Provencale motorway, but the atmosphere is tranquil and secluded. The surrounding mountains are well over 1000 m, notably Cime de Baudon (1264 m). They protect the village from freezing northern winds, giving it a certain microclimate.

Today’s hike took us from Gorbio first along Vallon du Rank to Col de la Madone (925 m) not far from the southern face of Baudon. During the ascent, we actually climbed through the low coastal clouds that were hanging above Gorbio between 600 and 900 m. At Col de la Madone, we turned south then southwest to Plateau de Cabanelles. Several Radio Monte Carlo radio masts could be seen there. They seemed to be more or less dismantled of the transmitting equipment.

The trail continued south to Baisse des Cabanelles (1050 m). From here, the trail descended under Mont Agel (1148 m). At this stage, the clouds were gradually disappearing. The coastline, specially Cap Martin became visible, making this part of the trail very picturesque. There were a few crossroads, but the way back to Gorbio was well signposted. The last km or so back to the village follows The GR51 along a paved road.

Ascent 750 m
Duration 5 h
Distance 9.3 km
IGN Map: Nice Menton Côte d’Azur 3742 OT

Image of trail courtesy of Google Maps

The three islands of Les Embiez are situated west of the Cap Sicié peninsula, just off the coast of Six-Fours-les-Plages. Salt was produced here until 1958 when the islands were bought by Paul Ricard. He is best known as a pastis magnate as he introduced the most famous pastis of France carrying his name.

He constructed a large marina, hotels and restaurants on the largest island. Being an environmentalist, he built an oceanographic museum near the northern tip. Vineyards already existed there when Ricard bought the islands. The western and southern part of the island are still surprisingly sauvage, much more so than one would think after having read some guidebooks. The coast there is dotted with small beaches with crystal clear water, many of them are best accessed by a kayak or dinghy.

We took the ferry from Le Brusc (15€) and reached the island after 12 minutes. From the port we turned right heading towards the oceanographic museum. The coastal trail started behind the museum. It is an about 2-2,5-hour tour along a paved road and natural coastal paths. These numerous small trails running through the maquis are worth taking whenever possible. Right after the museum, at Point Saint-Pierre we had great views of the two smaller islands, Île du Grand & Petit Rouveau.

We headed south where the cliffs got higher and higher. At the southern tip, we climbed to the island’s highest point at Pointe du Coucoussa, dominated by an ancient observation tower. The vineyards were visible from here, as well as the coastline with Les Calanques in the west and Cap Sicié in the east. A narrow straight separates the island from the Gaou islands that are connected to the mainland by a pedestrian bridge.

From Pointe du Coucoussa, we walked back to the harbour passing some of the vineyards.

The classic South of France cassoulet combines white beans, both fresh and preserved pork, sausages, and duck preserved in its own fat. We once had cassoulet at a food festival in Cagnes-sur-Mer. Although it was tasty and succulent, all that pork fat was more than us modern people would want more often than once in a lifetime.

The following recipe is my twist of the classic cassoulet. I chose lean pork tenderloin fillet, good quality tinned white beans and increased the amount of fresh tomatoes and tasty tomato sauce. I call this recipe Mediterranean, because the combination white beans and pork is traditionally just as common in Tuscany. If you want to make your cassoulet Toulouse style, reduce the amount of tomatoes, tomato sauce and pork tenderloin and replace with Toulouse sausages, pieces of fresh duck breast and carrots.

I used tinned white beans for convenience. If you want to start with dried white beans, soak them overnight in water. The next day drain the beans discarding the soaking water. Cook the beans in fresh water about 1 hour or until soft. They should be very tender but not falling apart. The cooking time depends on how fresh the beans are. Cooked beans can be frozen.

4 servings

2 tins of good quality white beans
About 500- 600 g pork tenderloin fillet
16 black olives
2 tbsp. olive oil
3 shallots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
200 ml good tomato sauce
4 coarsely chopped tomatoes, pref. plum tomatoes
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. dried Provençal herbs
Black pepper
Butter
Parsley to decorate

Preheat the oven to 180° C.

Warm the olive oil over medium heat in a frying pan and sauté the shallots and garlic for a few minutes. Rinse the tinned beans under running water and add to the pan. Add the chopped tomatoes, vinegar, tomato sauce, black pepper, and herbs and stir.

Butter an ovenproof dish and place the pork fillet in the middle. Arrange the tomato- bean mixture around the pork. Bake in the oven for 1 hour per 600 g fillet. Pork needs to be well-done but not dry.

After 45 minutes add the olives to the bean- tomato mixture. If it seems a bit dry, add a little water as well. Cover with tin foil if the dish gets too browned and continue baking for 15 minutes more.

When the pork is cooked, transfer it on a carving board and slice. Divide the bean- tomato mixture on the plates, place the pork slices on top and decorate with parsley.

We got inspiration for this hike from a French guide (Mercantour Alpes du Sud Le Guide Rando: by Patrick Mérienne). In the book, there was also an excellent description of how the vegetation changes with altitude.

Saint-Dalmas-le-Selvage (1500 m) is a commune and a village in the northern part of Alpes-Maritimes. Two thirds of the commune are inside the Mercantour National Park. It is known as a cross country skiing and a snowshoeing resort in winter, and as a hiking centre during the summer months.

We drove through the village of Saint-Dalmas-le-Selvage, and continued about 6 km along the now narrower D63 road that went to Col de la Moutiére. We parked at 1960 m altitude, not far from the Refuge de Sestrière and signpost #57 which was our starting point. This part of the road was paved, but there was a warning of an unpaved section higher up. The starting altitude was subalpine dominated by larch woods, but also some pines, wild rhododendrons and blueberries. Some larches in this area are said to be over 700 years old. Above 2200 m the vegetation became more alpine with both smooth meadows and rocky areas. Sporadic larches were seen as high as at 2500 m.

The trailhead at signpost #57 was also the entrance to the Mercantour National Park. There were several parking spots by the road, although the one at the signpost was very small.

Thanks to excellent markings by yellow the trail was easy to follow. We crossed a torrent along a footbridge and ascended in the magnificent larch woods for about 40 min before reaching a bigger clearance with Cabane de Braisse by the trail. The trail levelled off a bit, then continued ascending, following a stream, and passing the last larch woods. We came to a section of alpine meadows before the final steeper ascent to the mountain pass where signpost #59 was located. Just below the mountain pass, one trail continued to Col de Sanguiniere nearby, and further to Estenc in the upper Var Valley. The other trail forked north, towards Col de la Moutiére.

We took the same trail back to our starting point.

Vertical ascent: 640 m

Soft alpine meadow in Vallon de la Braisse

Duration: 3h 30 (walking time)

Map: IGN 3639 OT Haute Tinée 1

Driving time from Nice: 1 h 55

Two very old larch trees by the trail in Vallon de la Braisse

Duck breast and fruit is a sure combination. In this recipe, duck breast is marinated overnight, and the honey and spices in the marinade add warmth to the dish. This is comfort food South of France style on a cold and dark winter evening.

2 servings

1 duck breast

1 pear, sliced

1 apple, sliced

200 ml red wine

2 tbsp. raisins

For the marinade:

1 tsp soya sauce

1 tsp lavender honey or other runny honey

1 tsp quatre épices (a mixture of ground cinnamon, ginger, clove, and nutmeg)

The day before criss-cross the skin-side of the duck breast. Mix the marinade and rub it on the skin-side. Cover with cling film. Marinate in the fridge for about 24 hours.

The next day preheat the oven to 200° C.

Place the duck breast skin-side up in the centre of an ovenproof dish. Slice the apple and place the slices around the duck breast. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes, then turn the duck breast and continue roasting for 15 more minutes.

Meanwhile slice the pear and simmer in red wine for about 20 minutes together with the raisins.

Steam or microwave some new potatoes to go with the duck and fruits.

When the duck breast is cooked, slice it and divide on the plates. Divide the potatoes on the plates and place the fruits on top.

It is not that often that new hiking trails are introduced in Alpes-Maritimes. So when we discovered that a new trail called Les Balcons de Carros was opened above Carros Village, we were eager to test it.

The hike itself is not that long, about 2,5 hours, but nevertheless it gives a good workout because some parts are fairly steep. The trail is very well marked with yellow signs, and with new signposts that don’t exist in older maps.

From the signpost #26 at Carros Village entrance we walked about 50 m along the road to Broc. Then at signpost #27 we started ascending along a small paved pedestrian and cycle route, crossed a small road and continued ascending towards Canal de la Gravière. We soon reached a lavoir (lavoir de la Foux), nicely restored in 2015, and continued our ascent in the woods, now more steeply. At signpost #30 we came to an unpaved forest road, turned left and continued ascending along it.

After a while we came to canal de la Gravière, and continued following it about 200 m to signpost #32. There, an impressive panorama over the Var Valley rewarded us.

From signpost #32 we started descending steeply back towards Carros Village along a recently prepared trail. At signpost #33, we reached the first houses, turned left following a narrow paved road, soon passing the Monastery of Carmel located a bit higher up on the hillside. At this point, navigation was easy as we just followed the yellow marks by the road, and descended back to our starting point.

Duration: 2h 25

Following the small road after signpost 33

Elevation gain: 337 m (GPS data)

Map: 3642 ET Vallée de l’Estéron/Loup

Hiking and Cooking in the South of France

Steak Marchand de Vin Recipe

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Cassis to Belvédère d'En Vau

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La Couronne de Charlemagne above Cassis

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Pistou soup recipe

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Mountains above Gorbio

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Coastal trail around Île des Embiez

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Mediterranean pork tenderloin fillet

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Alpine trail above Saint-Dalmas-le-Selvage

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Duck breast with winter fruits

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New loop trail above Carros Village

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