Windmills and Wooden Shoes

Last day for the Netherlands, so here are a few more sights to see if you happen to head that way:

Windmills and Wooden Shoes – No trip to the Netherlands would be complete without these! Try a tour of Zaanse Schans, a popular tourist area in North Holland. There you’ll find the famous windmills, wooden houses and old-fashioned stores, including a wooden clog factory. From there you can drive (or your tour might take you) to the fishing villages of Marken and Volendam. Along the way, stop at a cheese factory, where Dutch cheeses are still being made in the traditional way.

Erasmus Bridge – This amazing architectural delight is shaped like a harp and soars over Europe’s largest harbor in Rotterdam, linking the northern and southern halves of the city. Beautiful by day and dazzling by night!

A Dutch Delight

The Dutch aren’t noted for having the most exciting cuisine in the world, but some of the recipes I found really made my mouth water. Farmers Cheese Soup, which contains bacon, onions and more, sounded particularly delicious to me. The recipe, however, had too many ingredients and too many steps, so you won’t find it here. Nor will you find the recipe for Lamb’s Tongue with Raisin Sauce. Need I explain why? Instead, I chose a vegetable – one of my very favorites – with a sauce nearly as popular in the U.S. as it is in the Netherlands. The photo shows it with white asparagus, which is a little more difficult to find and definitely pricier than its green counterpart. My guess is you can make it with either color, especially since the recipe doesn’t specify.

Asparagus Hollandaise
8 -10 asparagus spears per person (approx. 3.5 pounds)
1 tsp. salt
4 whole eggs & 4 egg yolks
8 slices boiled ham
4 Tbs. dry white wine (e.g. Pinot Blanc d’ Alsace)
1 cup melted butter
Pinch of nutmeg
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
Pinch of salt and white pepper
2 Tbs. finely chopped flat leaf parsley

Soak the asparagus in cold water as soon as you get them home. Rinse and peel with a potato peeler (start from the head and work your way down). Cut the woody bit off the end. Place the asparagus and salt in a large pot, cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Take off the heat and leave the asparagus in the hot water for 15-20 minutes, or until tender. Meanwhile, boil 4 of the eggs and chop finely. Slice the ham into fine strips.

For the Hollandaise, beat egg yolks and wine until foamy. Place on a low heat and beat continuously until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and add the melted butter in a thin trickle, while continuing to whisk. Add the nutmeg, lemon juice, salt and white pepper. Whisk again, and set aside.

Gently drain the cooked asparagus. Be careful not to damage the tender heads. Plate them up, making sure the asparagus are facing in the same direction, and top with the Hollandaise sauce, chopped ham and boiled eggs. Scatter parsley over and serve with the rest of the chilled wine.

Fields of Flowers

With tulips popping up everywhere these days, the Netherlands seemed the perfect subject for this week. Though tulips are the big draw in Holland, they are not alone in washing the countryside in a vibrant palette of color. But first, let’s clarify the “what and where” of Holland, as some people mistake it for a country. Holland is a region in the western part of the Netherlands. It’s capital is Amsterdam. One of the largest cities in Holland, Rotterdam, is home of Europe’s largest port.

Okay, geography lesson over. Let’s talk flowers. Each spring, countless tourists come to Holland to view huge fields of tulips. There are many types and colors covering vast areas of land (see the aerial view photo). But tulips aren’t the only flora worth seeing in Holland. Fields of crocuses burst forth in early spring, followed by daffodils and then narcissi. In April, tulips and hyacinths cover the land, blossoming until the middle of May. This is also the time of year when the Bollenstreek Flower Parade takes place. Volunteers spend months creating floats with 1.5 million flowers! Imagine how beautiful they look cruising down the street.


And still there’s more! Come August, the gladioli grow tall, each plant bearing numerous large colorful blooms.

To visit the tulip fields, go from late March through early May. They are located in Lisse between Leiden and Amsterdam. And as you might expect, there are plenty of hotels located in Lisse.

Check back in a few days for a Netherlands recipe!