The skies are still azure blue, the sun still shining and the hillsides are a riot of colour. The thick forests of the Haute Savoie have cast off their assorted green hues and are clad in jewel-like rich golds, vibrant reds, and ambers.  It’s a last celebration of nature at its finest and one that, in my book, deserves an Oscar.

I can smell Autumn dancing in the breeze

On the Autumn menu

Autumn also has other gifts to offer.  Now that the grape harvests are over, it’s the turn of the humble mushroom, the fat succulent apple, and the soft golden pear to take centre stage. Not forgetting of course, the centuries-old French tradition of hunting, not my cup of tea, but extremely popular in the Haute Savoie.

Wild about the game

A recent conversation in our local supermarket went a bit like this…

‘Squirrel?  Nobody eats squirrel’!

‘Yes they do, look, it says there ‘chevreuil’, see…. ‘squirrel’.

Cue long-suffering look from other half. ‘That’s deer, a roe deer in fact’ he says rolling his eyes. ‘Are you sure’ I mutter peering closely at the label. Of course, he was right… as always. Autumn is when all sorts of strange things appear on the menus of local restaurants. It’s hunting season in France or ‘La Chasse’. Here in the Haute Savoie, the season lasts from 11 September 2022 to 15 January 2023.

Restaurants proudly advertise their ‘Carte de Chasse’ detailing a variety of ‘gibier’ or wild game, most with incomprehensible names. There’s the ‘Sanglier’ or wild boar which according to the hunters are overrunning the world, and baby wild boar or ‘Marcassin’ which look a lot less cute when they’re lying on a plate.

There are ‘chamois’, the majestic mountain goats you might have spotted clinging to a rock face.  There are the elusive ‘Pedrix’ or partridge, very tasty with honey and dried fruit apparently, not to mention the poor old pheasant, ‘le Faisan Sauvage’ who really doesn’t stand a chance.

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness – John Keats

Basically, just about anything that moves in the forest from mid-September till February has a chance of ending up on a plate. Which is why we don’t walk or hike through the woods during the autumn months. But…..we do still enjoy all the other wonderful things that Autumn in the Haute Savoie has to offer.

Autumn Mushroom Foraging

Mushrooms! Hundreds of delicious mushrooms.  There’s a saying in English ‘to know your onions’ which means to know a lot about something, to be an expert. Here, it’s not onions that are important, it’s mushrooms.

Foraging for mushrooms is a favourite French pastime, (how they don’t all get shot in the forests is a mystery to me) but with over 3000 different varieties, many of them deadly, it pays to know your mushrooms.

The most popular types of foraged mushrooms in France are Girolles, Chanterelles, Ceps, Bolets and Morilles. If you’re hell-bent on picking your own then any French pharmacy will identify them for you free of charge. You’re also advised to take a photo of your mushrooms before you cook them so if you do keel over after eating them you can show the photo to the Anti-Poison Centre.

The etiquette of mushroom picking

Mushroom foraging has a certain etiquette. Far from wandering the countryside and filling your pockets with mushrooms, there are certain rules that should be followed. No foraging on private land without permission for one, and there are limits to the quantity you’re allowed to pick. Apparently, you should only use a wicker basket and the mushroom should be cut with a special curved blade. Who knew that the humble mushroom could be so exotic?

An apple a day…

While we’re on the subject of food…it’s also apple season in France.

There are apple festivals in many Haute Savoie villages around this time of year. At St Paul en Chablais they celebrated their ‘Fete de la Pomme’ last Sunday and it didn’t disappoint.

Small white tents dotted like mushrooms around the community centre sheltered everything from rural arts and crafts to beekeepers, from cheese sellers to jam makers.  Apart from the children carving small wooden toys with chisels and bandsaws, other highlights were the super-talented local orchestra rattling out a medley of big band sounds.

All of this accompanied by gallons of freshly pressed apple juice and a very quaffable ‘pommier’ made with white wine and apple syrup, a heady mixture that, I thought, made the band sound even better.

All this talk of autumnal food has reminded me of my favourite apple dessert, yes you’ve guessed, it’s the ubiquitous Tarte Tatin.  There are lots of delicious apple tart and apple cake recipes online. You might like this one by Raymond Blanc.

Autumn the year’s last loveliest smile

So, while Paris in the Spring offers romance, elegance, and sophistication, here in the Haute Savoie in Autumn you can be shot in the woods, poisoned by mushrooms and let your children run riot with a variety of wood carving tools.  What’s not to like?

 

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The southern shore of Lake Geneva is home to some outstanding restaurants.

 You can sit and eat only inches from the water’s edge. 

The warm spring and summer months see dozens of colourful brollies shading outdoor diners from the midday sun.

While you sip your glass of chilled Rosé you can sit back and listen to the water gently lapping the shoreline.

You can watch boats drift lazily by or wonder at the variety of wildlife skimming the surface of the lake. Or why not go for an aperitif or dinner to watch the spectacular evening sunsets?

Discover the best places for spring and summer lunches
or for watching the evening sunsets by the lake.

Here are my favourite restaurants with their ‘feet in the water’ of
Lake Geneva.

La Table de Y’Anne at Meillerie

Let’s start with the Table de Y’Anne. The smaller of two restaurants with terraces on the key side in Meillerie.

The Table de Y’Anne is run by a young French couple. Anne cooks with flair and passion using fresh seasonal products. Yann provides a warm welcome, an excellent knowledge of wines and great table service.

The tiny outdoor terrace has exquisite views of the Lavaux vineyards, Vevey and Montreux and of the lake itself. Top food, top views.

Before the lakeside road was built the little village of Meillerie was only accessible by water.

Its tumbledown fishermen’s cottages are only slowly being restored but it has heaps of character.

L’Oxxy Beach

My personal all-time favourite location! 

Should I even be telling you about the Oxxy?  I might not get a table next time!

Think Bohemian beach bar with an Ibiza vibe, floating curtains, colourful tables, and long lazy days at the beach.

Yes, you’ve got it, this little outdoor restaurant is the epitome of summer.

Located on a small but popular beach between Publier and Thonon.

This beach is a favourite with young families. It has a shallow, cordoned-off swimming area. In July and August lifeguards sit and sun themselves behind mirrored sunglasses.

Serving mainly hamburgers and salads which go perfectly with a glass of iced rosé or a cold beer.

Don’t forget to bring your swimming costume as you can rent
paddleboards, canoes, and pedalos at the Oxxy too.

Perfect at lunchtime or for watching the evening sunsets over the Jura by candlelight.

Le Radeau at Amphion

It would be hard to get any closer to the water’s edge than the Radeau (The Raft in English), one of the last remaining restaurants built on stilts in the shallow waters of Amphion.

It really does have its ‘feet in the water’.

On warm days lunch or dinner is served either in the fresh bright restaurant or at tables along the promenade.

It’s also possible to reserve a table at the end of the little jetty for really memorable experience.

If you enjoy watching the wildlife on the lake this is the place for you.

After lunch you can walk 100 metres along the quay side to the popular beach at Amphion or continuing walking along the lakeside to the river Dranse.

Menu du Jour here is excellent value and I can personally recommend the Vacqueyras wine.

There’s parking at the rear of the Hotel de la Plage attached to the restaurant.

Les Cygnes

The Cygnes hotel (the Swans) in Evian is a local legend.

Opened in 1926 it has all the old fashioned glamour of an Agatha Christie novel.

In spring and summer, you can dine in style in the shade of trailing vines on the terrace. The crisp white tablecloths and the blue and white theme add a summery nautical feel.

The Cygnes has an extensive menu including vegetarian and allergen free dishes and the lunchtime Menu du Jour is excellent value.

Listen to the water lapping against the terrace as you watch yachts drift by and the occasional powerboat mooring up to join you for lunch.

On balmy summer evenings, you can dine here with a backdrop of twinkling lights from the Swiss shore and watch the vibrant sunsets.

Le Pied dans l’Eau at Corzent, Anthy sur Leman

Well, the clue is in the name here!

This popular outdoor restaurant nestles at the Thonon end of the white pebble beach at Corzent. It has sweeping views of the lake and of the Jura mountains in Switzerland.

The large terrace of the Pieds Dans l’Eau supports a pergola that is hung with white drapes in summer to shade the diners.

Serving mainly steaks, seafood and salads, the service here is fast and efficient

Car parks are situated on the edge of the village but you could enjoy the 4 km stroll along the quiet country lane leading to Corzent if you park in Thonon.

Good for building up an appetite and walking off your lunch afterwards.

If you’re looking to dabble your toes in the lake, and enjoy great food surrounded by awesome scenery, you won’t go wrong with the ‘feet in the water’ restaurants on this list.  I hope you enjoy them!

Before you go be sure to check out some of my other posts about Lake Geneva and follow me on Instagram @talesfromthebalcony for more recommendations

A Grand Day Out in Geneva

5 Romantic Things to Do in Evian

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Why tartiflette?

Long thought of as a traditional Haute Savoie dish, tartiflette was invented in the relatively recent 1980’s as a way to promote sales of Reblochon cheese. Since then, it’s gone on to become a firm favourite, served in almost every bar and restaurant in the ski resorts of France and elsewhere. My neighbour even has a bumper sticker on his car that says ‘In Tartiflette we Trust’…yes, it really is that important. In fact, it’s not surprising, it is the perfect winter warmer.

Traditional Tartiflette recipe
Prep Time: 10 mins Oven Temp: 180C (fan oven)
Cooking Time 30-40 mins

Ingredients

1 kg of potatoes
2 onions
2 cloves garlic
200 gr bacon bits
500 gr Reblochon cheese or other rich creamy cheese
200 ml cream or full-fat milk
200 ml white wine
Sprinkle nutmeg
Salt and pepper

Method
1. Peel and parboil potatoes, cut into thick slices
2. Cut cheese into thick slices
3. Chop onion, add bacon bits and crushed garlic and fry until golden
4. Add white wine to bacon mixture and reduce over a medium heat
5. In heat-proof casserole place a layer of potato, cover with a layer of bacon and onion mix, then add a layer of cheese slices, season to taste.
6. Continue layering, finishing with a layer of cheese.
7. Pour cream over the final layer of cheese, sprinkle with nutmeg, and place in a preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.

Obviously, if you’re on the Keto diet then this might not be for you, but when it’s cold outside, and you feel in need of a bit of TLC, you can’t beat a good tartiflette. 

Bon Appetit

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If I had my way the Xmas tree would be out, and a small bare oak tree covered in mistletoe balls would be in. Are you with me? Just think, no more pine needles to get stuck in your feet and freak out the cat. No dodgy Xmas lights you need a 30-foot stepladder to put up. No dangling baubles or tattered tinsel. Instead, we could have one of the world’s most mythical plants bringing minimalistic harmony to our tiny flat.

The roots of the Mistletoe myth

Mistletoe has been revered for centuries. In the pre-Christian era the white berries were symbols of male fertility. In Ancient Greece, the berries were called ‘oak sperm’ and were used by heroes such as Aeneas to reach the underworld.  For the Druids it was central to the ‘Ritual of Oak and Mistletoe’; while the Norse gods were even more inventive and fashioned the woody twigs into arrows. A famous Norse legend has the god of winter, Hodur, killing his twin brother Baldr with a mistletoe arrow. The Norse equivalent of Kryptonite apparently.

I like the Roman view of Mistletoe the best. It was seen by the Romans as a bringer of peace, love and understanding and hung above doorways and throughout their houses. Perhaps this is where the Christian association with a kiss begins.  Throughout the Middle Ages it was linked not only with fertility and vitality but also with protection from witches and ghosts.

I’d be quite happy to be visited this year by the ‘Ghost of Xmas Past’, in fact maybe all those Xmases spent with my parents on the Isle of Wight weren’t that bad after all.  I wouldn’t even mind a visit from the ‘Ghost of Xmas Yet to Come’ because I know it’ll be a heck of a lot better than this one.

An ecological keystone

Mistletoe has had a bit of a reprieve in recent years.  From being classed purely as a parasite it is now seen as important to the biodiversity of the planet. It not only provides nesting sites for birds but is a source of high-quality food for a wide range of forest and woodland animals.

Mistletoe, while relatively rare in the UK, can be found growing in abundance in France, including in and around Thollon, of course. Worldwide there are over 1500 different variants of the plant, and it’s even found in Australia and South America,

Apart from the decorative..

Mistletoe has also been used for medicinal purposes, treating arthritis, high blood pressure and epilepsy. In Nepal it was even used to mend broken bones. But, be careful, it’s toxic and will cause vomiting, blurred vision and seizures if eaten and can be fatal to cats and dogs. So, for goodness sake don’t eat it or there’ll likely be no more Xmas’s yet to come.

There you are, so much more interesting than a rapidly dehydrating Xmas tree that would have been much happier left in the forest, and by the way……refusing to be kissed underneath the mistletoe is considered to be bad luck

So where does the wine come in?  It would be rude not to have a small glass of mulled wine while putting up the mistletoe tree so here’s my favourite recipe in case you’d like to join me.

Thollon Mulled Wine

1 bottle good French red wine
½ bottle Maple Syrup
6 cloves
2 sticks cinnamon
2 star anise
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
A little ground nutmeg to taste
2 or 3 slices of orange

Preparation

• Place all ingredients in a saucepan and stir well.
• Put on a medium heat and bring to a simmer. (Be careful not to let it boil or this will burn off the alcohol, and quite frankly spoil the taste)
• Turn the heat to low and leave to barely simmer for 15 minutes.
• If preparing ahead, turn off heat and leave spices to infuse for a couple of hours before reheating gently when ready to drink.
• Remove from heat and sieve out the cloves, star anise, cinnamon sticks, hand orange.
• Taste and add more maple syrup if necessary
• Serve warm in a heat proof mug or glass

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