Yesterday, we went to the beach. Dad, Nelly my stepmother, Eugénie my cousin and my three brothers. It was a hot sunny day and we were lucky the sky was cloudless. After shopping for lunch, we stopped to eat near the beach in Saint Jean de Monts. 

The beach was almost empty when we set our towels on the soft hot sand. A few minutes later, everyone was enjoying a cool bath in the ocean. Saint Jean de Monts is a wonderful place to enjoy the beach as a family. The waters are quite still and not very deep, which allowed us to go quite far without risking our lives.

We were lucky enough to find some "pignons" (pine shellfish), some small but delicious once cooked shellfish which appear when the tide is low. After having fun in the water, we spent a few hours digging in the sand and caught two buckets of them! Some people even helped us fishing. 

It was a good time, as a family, full of joy and good memories to share with friends. 

We didn't leave late but with the feeling of having enjoyed the maximum of the day. 

When we came back home, we washed the shellfish and my father cooked them. Simply but delicious. We enjoyed them with a piece of bread and some salad and a glass of white wine of course! So french, so simple, so good!

Pine shellfish

Serves 6 persons

- A kid bucket of pine shellfish

- 2 tablespoons of olive oil

- 6 blades of parsley

- 3 garlic cloves

- A tablespoon of butter

- Salt and pepper to taste

In a frying pan, heat the olive oil. Once it's hot, throw in the shellfish. Cover and let the shellfish open, stirring from time to time. 

Once the shellfish are opened, add the butter, the garlic and the parsley. Stir and add salt and pepper. Cook for two minutes and serve as soon as possible.