I was sorely tempted to name this recipe “Farewell to summer galette” but managed to restrain myself. Nevertheless, this week really is the week when we wave summer good bye. Not only because fall officially started on Monday, but also…
“What’s for dinner?” is one of the questions I probably have to answer most often. Sometimes, however, I am reluctant to answer. When I know that the answer will not please my offspring, I’d rather keep them in the dark…
My friend Tereza is the best kind of visistor you can get. Every summer we try to spend a few days together, the last few years usually at my sister’s house: three moms and six kids of all ages. Tereza…
Being a freelancer and working from home most of the time can get a little lonely. Nobody to discuss ideas with, drink coffee or gossip. Little feedback too: I send my articles out into the world or give a lecture…
Though it’s still more than a week till summer officially starts, you wouldn’t know it by looking at the thermometer. The days are hot interrupted by a few storms, a walk through the garden yields a handful of assorted ripe…
Do you grow chard? We do, lots of it. It is such a dependable vegetable, at least in our climate. The funny thing is, you never see it at grocery stores, only health food stores usually sell it. But it…
If nettles are not touted as the next miraculous superfood, it is probably just because it is a little hard to successfully market a common weed. If they were difficult to grow and could only be imported from distant countries,…
Early spring is the time of discrepancy between what you can harvest from the garden and what you actually feel like eating. In the garden, it’s still the winter vegetables’ show that’s been on forever: the kale we’ve been picking…
We slaughtered the first winter squash. I hereby declare the fall season open. No matter fall officially started three weeks ago, but the moment I start cooking with squash is the moment I truly embrace the change of season.…
Judging by the number of views the hot tomatillo chutney recipe from last year gets these days, there are currently many gardeners somewhat struggling with the tomatillo harvest. Tomatillo falls in the same category as zucchini: vegetables that are so…
If you grow any type of squash, summer or winter, you probably know that it produces two types of flowers: male and female. The male flowers are on long slender stems, but under the female flowers the fruits are already…
Broad beans (or lima beans) are some of the most reliable, easiest to grow vegetables, at least in our climate. The large seeds are easy to handle and undeterred by cold, they can be sown very early. They’ll do well…
It’s funny how the core of who you are and what you like to do is set at an early age. When I was about 8 or 10, I loved playing with plasticine. Together with my older cousin, we used…
The thing you should know about the Netherlands is, that most of the country is bellow sea level. Which means it would be under water, were it not for the ingenious dams holding the sea back. Therefore, if you live…
What’s eating your crops? Do you have a slug problem? Do you hate cabbage worms making holes in the leaves of your brassica? Carrot fly? Birds? In our organic, very diverse garden, pests are usually not a huge problem. But…