Vanessa Zhâ & Olivier Poels 7:20 a.m., February 18, 2024

Gastronomy, leisure... Every weekend at 6:50 a.m., Olivier Poels and Vanessa Zha present a product, a producer and all the good tips for re(discovering) a region.

Antibes and its coastline

You take us for a walk in the south, to Antibes.

To take in the full view, following the coastline. And we start by climbing to the top of its lighthouse. Northeast of Cap d'Antibes. the Garoupe lighthouse, still active. And it has just opened its doors to the public and that is good news, because after climbing its 116 steps, more than 100 m high, you embrace the Mediterranean. From the Italian coasts to Cape Camarat. The Bay of Angels to the east and the Bay of Golfe Juan to the west. We can even see the Lerins Islands...and that alone is a change of scenery.

Even if we don't go as high as our Breton lighthouses, eh Vanessa, you set the scene well. Should we see the coastline, along which we can walk?

There is a 3km trail that starts from La Garoupe beach, goes around the Cape to the famous Villa EilenRock. Besides, just next door, make a stop at Anse de l'Argent Faux, which is also called the “Bay of Billionaires”. And so this trail has the funny name of Tire poil. Because of the almost constant wind which blows our hair!! well you know me I advise you to go out with a naturalist guide. He knows the remarkable species: Sea Lavender, Jupiter's Beard - all white -...and precisely by talking about species I am taking you to a place which aims to introduce you to the natural riches of the Mediterranean. the Sea and Coastal Space – Posidonia. At the end of the Cape. In the middle of a pine forest of more than 2 ha – It is brand new, educational and fun.

What are we doing there Vanessa?

We virtually dive underwater, with an oculus on our heads: It's amazing. We wander among 10,000 liters of aquariums. We also discover the habitats of the Mediterranean and their species. Sandy bottoms with posidonia, this plant (not an algae) central to underwater life. we learn lots of things, what I took for a dead posidonia leaf on the water, while kayaking and in fact it was a fish... A siphonostome, another chameleon of the sea. You look at the sea differently afterwards. Please note that in summer, aquatic outings in kayaks, masks and snorkels are organized with a naturalist.

Addresses ?

A brand new guest house: La Bâtisse en Blanc in Golfe Juan: https://www.labatisseenblanc.com/

The B&B in Antibes – La Bastide Les Cigales - The Alexandra*** hotel: https://www.hotelalexandra.net/fr - The La Place*** hotel: https://www.la- place-hotel.com/ - The hotel La Villa Juan Beach***: https://hoteljuanbeach.com/

Rosti

Want a very comforting and family-friendly winter dish??? I say banco to röstis (with an umlaut on the O). It comes from German Switzerland, it is a crispy potato pancake that can be customized or served as a side dish.

A debate agitates the Swiss: should they be prepared with raw or already cooked potatoes??? In the historical recipe, they were cooked in a dressing gown the day before (dish to recover the potatoes from the day before), but young chefs find the recipe crispier and tastier with raw potatoes.

There are also two schools for the choice of fat: lard (originally) or butter, tastier!

You need a floury potato: agria or bintje

We are going to make a “classic” recipe: 

Ingredients

- 800 gr of potatoes

- Clarified butter (to make or buy, butter free of impurities which does not burn)

- 100 gr of bacon

- 1 onion

- Salt pepper

Preparation

- cook the potatoes in salted water for 25 minutes and let them cool (they should still be firm)

- peel and grate the potatoes

- add the chopped onion and diced bacon

- salt and pepper

- heat the butter in a pan and brown the bacon and onion then add the potatoes

- flatten to form a pancake

- cook for 5 min then turn using a plate

- add butter and cook the other side