Mussel Days Zierikzee

Every August we are celebrating the start of the new season for Mussels and Oysters in the Southern region thats called Zeeland. This is the part of the Netherlands I was born, so it of course is a special place for me. This year we visited Mussel Day in Zierikzee, a small harbor town on the top island of Zeeland. They celebrate the start of the new season and at the same time ask Poseidon to look over their fishermen by saving him from an island. Eight ships sail out and everybody is welcome on board. The Mussel princes is on the first boat and that the one to save Poseidon.

Afterwards you can eat loads of Mussels for a very low price, yummmm. Next year we'll be visiting the Oyster days :)

Tagliatelle with Purslane (Tagliatelle met Postelein)

2 hands full of Purslane (washed and dried)

200 gr Tagliatelle

100 ml Cooking Cream

50 gr Butter

Zest and juice of 1 Lemon

2 table spoons of chopped Parsley

100 gr Parmesan


Cook the Tagliatelle according the instructions. Heat the Cream slowly in a big pan. Add the Butter, Zest and Lemon Juice, keep stirring till the butter is completely melted and than turn of the fire. Add the Tagliatelle and the Purslane to the warm cream, stir, cover with the Parsley and Parmesan and ready!

Chicken from the oven (kip uit de oven)

One of my favorite, very simple, chicken recipes. Just put the chicken legs in a pan with some potatoes (not peeled, just cut in pieces), cherry tomatoes (cut in half), cloves of garlic (about 8) and a whole lot of fresh basil. Salt, pepper and olive oil on top:

Shove it in the oven for 1.5 hours on 180 C. Stir the tomatoes every half hour and voila:

Very nice with some green bean salad and fresh bread

Blauwe Theehuis Vondelpark

One of the best spots in town on a day the sun comes out. Or actually any day is doesn't rain. For a croissant and coffee breakfast in the morning, a sandwich in the afternoon or a piece of their lovely apple pie. Don't mind the dogs running around.

Salad with Mackerel

In "De Krat" of last week we had a very nice smoked mackerel from Franks Smokehouse. We didn't eat much at home this week so we didn't have a chance to eat it until this Sunday (while the new "De Krat" has already arrived) Also lettuce, tomatoes and fresh basil from De Krat, Crazy Citrus dressing by Bio Bandits (very nice!!!) as well from a couple af weeks ago. So all I added myself where some nice black olives and radiches.

Geitenboerderij Ridammerhoeve

In the middle of the "Amsterdamse Bos" you can find the wonderful goats farm De Ridammerhoeve. A perfect place to visit with kids, but also wothout or woth really small kids it's a nice please to visit. 

You're allowed to just walk among the goats, cuddle them en bottle feed them before you go and admire pig Yolanthe and all of her newborn piglets or get a goats cheese tosti to accompany your goats milk cappuchino

La Cave Insolite

The nicest little wine shop just around the corner of our house. The lovely lady behind the counter deserves more customers than she gets. So much knowledge and service on the nice little da Costaplein, where the neighborhood come together under the big trees to let their children play. Every now and then they have a wine tasting for the neighbors to come to know each other and also of course the perfect wines La Cave sells.

IJmuiden

To clear your head after a day behind a computer. A long stroll with the dog (IJmuiden is one of the few Dutch beaches dogs are allowed unleashed all year long) No sunworshippers here, just people that love to be active on the beach. And than take place at the the terrace of the Beach inn (not for people who don't like dogs), eat some fish, drink some beers and watch the sun sink into the sea...

Little sis' birthday

And she cooked us up a really nice meal, including oysters, mussels in a Thai soup, lam chops with a apricot couscous and a red fruit tiramisu for a desert. Hmmmm, little sisters learned how to cook reaaaaaallly nicely 

De nieuwe meer

Just outside the city, on your way to Amstelveen there is the forest of Amsterdam "Amsterdamse bos". There loads of activities here: canoeing, running tracks, visit the goat farm, swimming pools for children etc, but it can mainly be a place to relax from the business of the city, especially if you have a dog. 

On nice and sunny Sundays it can be really busy in the forest so we take a D-tour and walk along the "nieuwe meer". Dogs can run and swim freely while not bothering anyone.

Visiting Grandma in zeeland

Always favorite: changing the city for a trip to the homelands of Zeeland. Hope to ever have a little place here to visit every now and then for I don't come here enough. A little oasis: grandma's garden with flowers everywhere, together with here home grown veg en fruit.

Italian Salad

A salad to kick off from the last couple of weeks: balsamico, olive oil, tomatoes, olives, pecorino, parmezan, pine nuts and of course some basil