Hiking and Cooking in the South of France

The prehistoric ruins of Castellaras de la Malle dating from the iron age are located at about 1200 m elevation about 6 km north of Grasse and 3 km east of Saint-Vallier-de-Thiey as the crow flies.

The site can be reached by a good hiking trail from Col du Pilon (783 m) by the 6085 road. We used the spacious parking 100 m before the col. From the parking, we took a shortcut directly to the trail. It was initially a wide dirt track, then a good albeit rocky path marked with yellow. We first ascended in the woods which protected us from the spring sun. Higher up, there were more open stretches. We reached signpost #57, and passed ruins of an old stone dwelling. The itinerary was well marked.

Departing from Col du Pilon

Towards signpost 57

Above signpost 57

Saint-Cassien Lake seen from trail

Wild orchids near Castellaras

Castellaras southwestern wall ruins

Castellaras de la Malle

Mandelieu coast from la Colle

Pine forest near Castellaras

Castellaras de la Malle hike trail

This simple but tasty pasta recipe is at its best in late winter when the local citrus fruit are in season in Nice. Oranges go very well with black olives, olive oil, and chopped parsley.

2 servings

Organic whole wheat tagliatelle for 2 servings

1 organic orange

1 shallot, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tbsp. olive oil

3 tbsp. pitted black olives

2 handfuls of grated parmesan

Freshly ground black pepper

A generous amount of chopped organic parsley

Warm the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Sauté the shallot and garlic for about 10 minutes until soft.

Cook the tagliatelle according to the advice on the package.

Wash the orange and zest it. Peel the white parts of the range and cut it into small pieces. Set aside.

Wash and chop the parsley. Set aside.

Slice the olives and grate the parmesan.

When the tagliatelle is cooked, drain it and add to the frying pan. Add the zest and pieces of orange, black pepper, sliced olives, and parsley. Mix well.

Divide the pasta on the plates and fold in the parmesan with a fork.

Village nègre St-Barnabé

Using the parking of St Barnabé (960 m) as a starting point, we made a short loop hike on the north-eastern flank of Puy de Tourrettes. 

We headed southeast along the GR51 as far as to signpost #261. The initial part was almost flat. At #261 we forked right along the yellow marked path (La Caïre, Tourrettes sur Loup etc), and climbed to signpost #177 where we left the marked trail, again forking right. We followed a wide trail, and ascended to about 1050 m elev. not far from the power lines crossing the mountain flank.

GR51 from St-Barnabé

Leaving GR51 at signpost261

Puy de Tourrettes

Puy de Tourrettes northeastern flank

Pasture at 1060m

Small airplane wreck

Entering Village nègre

Eroded limestones Village nègre

Rock formations Village nègre

Village nègre hike track

Devil’s sauce, la sauce à la diable, is a classic sauce in French cuisine. The base is so called Spanish sauce which is usually made of veal fond. The other ingredients are chopped shallots, tomato purée, Harvey’s sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and Cayenne pepper. Harvey’s sauce and Worcestershire sauce are classic British condiments. Devil’s sauce is often served with grilled chicken legs or oxtail.

The following recipe is my twist of the devil’s sauce. I have used more Mediterranean ingredients like dried Provençal herbs, black pepper, and balsamic vinegar glaze, crema con aceto balsamico di Modena. 

2 servings

4 chicken thighs

1-2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. dried organic parsley

Freshly ground black pepper

For the devil’s sauce:

1 shallot, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

150 ml chicken stock

150 ml white wine

1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar glaze

2 tsp. tomato purée

½ tsp. dried organic Provençal herbs

Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 180° C, roast.

Arrange the chicken thighs in an oven-proof dish and coat with the olive oil. Roast for 45 minutes.

Prepare the devil’s sauce. In a saucepan, cook the shallot, garlic, white wine, chicken stock, and Provençal herbs until reduced by about half. Add the balsamic vinegar glaze, tomato purée, and black pepper. Stir until thickened. Cover and set aside.

Serve the chicken thighs over the devil’s sauce and sprinkle with dried parsley and black pepper. Quinoa and broccoli or some other greens would go nicely with the chicken thighs.

Situated only 6 km from the coast as the crow flies, the mythic hilltop village of Saint-Paul de Vence has become increasingly popular. After many years, we visited the medieval village on a beautiful weekday in April. In spite of many visitors, the atmosphere was convivial. There were also many more art galleries and small quality shops than before. You don’t find any tourist trinket here, but small boutiques selling local perfumes, quality jewellery, and handcrafted olive wood works. 

With this short blog post, we just wanted to share some springtime images of the village. For more detailed info, check here  

Café de la Place

St-Paul de Vence entrance

Art shop in St-Paul de Vence

St-Paul de Vence main street

Art displayed in St-Paul de Vence

Eastern wall of St-Paul de Vence

Side street in St-Paul de Vence

View northwest from St-Paul de Vence

Potatoes are much more frequently used in the traditional Mediterranean Diet than we might expect. In that region, potato gratins are made with olive oil, chicken stock, and some vegetables instead of butter, cream, and cheese in the traditional gratin Dauphinois. 

The following recipe is inspired by a lunch that we recently had in a Mediterranean restaurant in the Canary Islands. Black olives and cherry tomatoes in the potato gratin went very well with fresh white fish fillets like seabass, cod or halibut.

2 servings

2- 3 firm potatoes, pref. organic

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. black pitted olives, sliced

About 10 cherry tomatoes, halved

100 ml chicken stock

½ tsp. dried Provençal herbs

Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 180° C, roast. Bring the chicken stock to simmering in a small saucepan.

Wash and thinly slice the potatoes. Place the potatoes, garlic, olives, and cherry tomatoes in a bowl with the olive oil and toss until well coated. Add the black pepper and Provençal herbs and mix.

Coat two individual gratin dishes with some olive oil and divide the vegetable mixture in them. Pour the chicken stock over the vegetables. Cover with aluminium foil and bake for 40 minutes.

Raise the temperature to 200° C roast and remove the foil. Continue roasting for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are nicely browned on top.

The following short semi-urban loop above Beaulieu-sur-Mer offers great views of the town as well as the nearby Saint Jean Cap Ferrat. Situated in one of the most temperate regions of France, and protected by northern winds, the south-facing mountain flank above Beaulieu-sur-Mer has a microclimate of its own.

Rue du Marché

Place Charles de Gaulle

Above the old cemetery

Below Bd Eduard VII

Above Beaulieu-sur-Mer

In Petite Afrique

Trail to signpost #666

Signpost #666 at trail crossroads

Descent back to Beaulieu

L'Escourcha stairs Beaulieu

Villas above Beaulieu

Home-made pasta sauces made from scratch will always have more quality vegetables and antioxidants than a jar of ready-made pasta sauce. Of course, it is a question of time. Preparing this pasta sauce will take about 20 minutes, plus the time needed for shopping the vegetables. Opening a jar of ready-made pasta sauce and reheating it only takes a few minutes.

Recently, a Swiss preventive medicine clinic advised 30 different herbs, vegetables, and fruit a week to stay as young as possible for as long as possible. This pasta sauce helps towards that goal.

2 servings

Whole wheat tagliatelle or spaghetti for 2

1 small broccoli head, pref. organic

A handful of peeled and unsalted pistachios

1 clove garlic, minced

A handful of grated parmesan

Olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

For the presentation:

4 tbsp. of ricotta

About 1/3 handful of pistachios, coarsely chopped

Fresh organic herbs

Olive oil

In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil. Cut the broccoli into florets and wash in a colander. Cook the broccoli in boiling water for 1- 2 minutes, drain and place back in the saucepan. Add the pistachios, minced garlic, and parmesan and mix into a paste with a hand-held mixer. Add black pepper and some olive oil and continue mixing into a nice creamy consistence. Set aside.

In a mortar with pestle, coarsely chop about 1/3 handful of pistachios. Set aside.

Wash some fresh organic herbs, dry and chop . Set aside.

Cook the tagliatelle al dente according to the advice on the package. Save a cup of cooking water. Drain the tagliatelle and place back in the casserole. Add the broccoli and pistachio pesto and stir until the pasta is nicely coated with the pesto. Add some pasta cooking water and warm the saucepan for 1- 2 minutes, stirring.

Divide the tagliatelle on the plates or in the bowls. Place the ricotta among the pasta and sprinkle over the pistachios and herbs. Pour over some olive oil and serve. 

The following hike features a pleasant walk in Plan des Noves above Vence along the GR51 trail.

The Plan des Noves parking by the M2 road is a natural starting point for walks near Col de Vence as you can choose many directions and the GR51 trail crosses the road here.

Departing Plan des Noves parking

GR51 Crossroads Plan des Noves

Heading north on GR51

Evergreen woods by the GR51

Mouton d'Anou

Cagnes River Valley

Vescagne footbridge

La Cagne riverbed almost dry

More than 40 years ago when we visited the US Virgin Islands, chef’s salad was very popular over there. It was served in a bowl and made from iceberg salad, yellow cheese, ham, and hard-boiled eggs, and topped with a generous amount of blue cheese dressing.

The choice of ingredients for the following Mediterranean twist is totally different and reflects our increased knowledge of antioxidant and fibre-rich foods and heart healthy fats.

Make this salad in winter when the Mediterranean oranges and avocados are at their best.

2 servings

2 handfuls of organic mesclun, baby salad leaves

2 handfuls of cooked white beans

1 Mediterranean avocado

1 organic Mediterranean orange

12 organic local cherry tomatoes

8 black olives, pitted and sliced

2 soft-cooked eggs

2 tbsp. almond flakes

A few organic basil leaves

Vinaigrette from olive oil and red wine vinegar

Divide the mesclun on two large plates. Peel and slice the orange and avocado and divide on the plates. Add the white beans, halved cherry tomatoes, and black olives and place an egg in the middle of the plates.

Drizzle with a little of vinaigrette and top with almond flakes and chopped basil leaves. Serve with some rye bread.