World Cup of Food!

Are you stuck to the television set? The World Cup is in full swing, and so far it's been an amazing display of soccer skills. Our team Orange is doing quite well, and is in the middle of their third game. Let's hope the boys make it to the finals!

In the meantime, all these countries have me curious about what they eat. For us, it's clear: Bitterballen are the perfect snack to enjoy during a game. But what about all these other peeps? Check out the World Cup of Food infographic (click here for recipes) that HyperHolidayMarket produced!

Have a great rest of the Cup! Hup Holland Hup!





Broodje Gezond

What a busy summer! We're gardening, pulling weeds, and trying to watch the World Cup all at the same time. With all these activities, it's often too late to cook, or too hot, or I am just too busy. Perfect occasion for that all-time favorite cold sandwich; the broodje gezond ! It's apparent that we love our fruits and vegetables, whether we grow them ourselves or not. Apart from being the main focus of our hot meals (when Dutch kids ask what's for dinner, the answer will be whatever vegetable is served that night!), we also love to add them to our sandwiches. The Dutch love their bread, and two out of the three meals a day consists of those lovely carbs.

A real summer treat is fresh sliced aardbeien, strawberries, on buttered slices of white bread, with a sprinkling of sugar on top! My mom would have those ready for us when we came out of school, with a cup of tea. Another way to get your five-a-day is to slice some fresh cucumber, apple or banana on a peanut butter sandwich (with or without sambal), sliced radishes on rye bread with cream cheese, and pineapple on your tosti. Every family just about has their own favorite combinations!

One of the best ways to get your veggie sandwich in, is by ordering, or making your own, broodje gezond. This literally translates as "healthy roll" or "healthy sandwich", and is one of the most popular choices for a bite on-the-go. These lunch broodjes are often made with white or whole wheat rolls, and are filled with ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato, boiled egg and cucumber slices. If you’re up for it, you can bake your own multigrain rolls, or get some tasty crunchy rolls from your bakery.

Best of all, these sandwiches are easy to make, are filling, and leave you with plenty of time to do other things: gardening, pulling weeds, watching the World Cup...

Broodje Gezond:

Slice a roll in half and butter both sides (leave the mayo for the fries, Dutch bread gets butter!).
Layer lettuce, tomato, cheese and/or ham, boiled egg and cucumber on the bottom roll.
Sprinkle some salt and pepper on the toppings if desired.
Cover with buttered top.
Bite. Chew. Marvel. Repeat :-).

Have a great summer!!!


Meergranenbroodjes

Bread plays an important role in Dutch food. Holland, or the Netherlands, is one of the largest bread consumers of Europe, purchasing about 120 lbs of this fantastic fare per year. Many a tourist, when stepping inside a Dutch bakery, grocery store or sandwich shop, is surprised by the large amount of bread varieties and toppings to choose from. But for a country where two out of three meals mainly consist of bread and bread toppings, the variety is not so much an option as a necessity. 

These two meals (usually breakfast and lunch, although some families will eat a warm lunch and consume their second bread meal at dinner time) will generally contain a variety of breads, with white and whole grain breads as the most common choices at the table. This is not by accident.....bread meals tend to consist of two servings: a slice of bread with a savory topping such as cheese or cold cuts is eaten first, the second serving usually consists of a sweet spread, and finishes the meal, so to say. Besides the standard sliced white or brown (i.e. whole wheat) loaf, a large selection of rolls, luxury breads and crispier options such as beschuit and knäckebröd is also available. 

The Dutch are well-known for their large variety of breads: all variations of wheat are represented, the whole gamut from white to whole wheat, rye, malt and sourdough. Ancient grains such as spelt and emmer have made a fabulous comeback. And not many countries have as many bread toppings as the Dutch do, ranging from sweet to savory and just about everything in between, which makes eating a bread meal interesting and tasty! Where else but in Holland can you put chocoladehagel, chocolate sprinkles, on your bread without anybody raising an eyebrow?!  

Beside white rolls and Dutch crunch, a popular roll is the multigrain roll, or the meergranenbroodjes. A favorite choice for weekend brunches, these rolls are usually eaten with savory toppings, such as cheese or ham. They are also a favorite for that other ubiquitous sandwich, the broodje gezond, the healthy sandwich. 

Meergranenbroodjes
2 tablespoons barley malt syrup
1 ½ cup (350 ml) warm water
3 tsp (10 grams) active dry yeast
1 cup (150 grams) bread flour
1 cup (150 grams) whole wheat flour
1 cup (125 grams) rye flour
½ cup (40 grams) barley flour
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons flax seed
2 tablespoons rolled oats
2 teaspoon salt

Topping
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon rolled oats
2 tablespoons flax seed

Dissolve the two tablespoons barley malt syrup in the warm water, and sprinkle the yeast on top to proof. While you wait, mix the different flours together with the salt. When the yeast has proofed, stir it into the flour and mix until the dough comes together, knead for a good five to six minutes to develop the gluten. Pat the dough out, sprinkle the seeds on top, give it a knead or two to distribute the seeds, then form the dough into a ball. Rest in a greased bowl and cover. Allow to rise at room temperature until double its size, approximately 40 minutes.

Punch down the dough,  and roll back into a ball. Dust the counter with a little bit of flour and relax the dough, covered, for about ten minutes. In the meantime, put parchment paper or a silicone mat on a baking sheet, and mix the seeds for the topping. Place them in a shallow plate. Carefully roll the dough into a circle, about seven inches wide. Use a dough cutter or a sharp knife to divide the dough into 8 wedges, much like a pie. Brush the top of each wedge with a little bit of water, then dip the wet top into the seeds. Repeat with each wedge. Lay the rolls on the baking sheet, with enough space to expand. Cover and let rise for thirty minutes.

Heat the oven to 425F. Bake the rolls for 20 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 195F.

Makes 8 rolls.


Amazon Prime Shopping Suggestions: 

Disclaimer: if you buy through any of the links in the Amazon Prime Shopping Suggestions section, the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program will pay us a small commission on qualifying purchases. It does not increase your cost or price, and it will help us keep the website running. Your support is very much appreciated! 

Don't have Amazon Prime but want to give it a try? This link offers a 30 day trial. 

Spotted!

Every now and then I spend some time seeing who visits the website of The Dutch Table, and how they found us. I love the fact that so many are interested in Dutch Food and so willing to write about it, cook it and share their stories. Most of all, I am grateful that you list the source! I am only too happy to return the favor.

The last couple of weeks, we had people visit The Dutch Table through the links posted on these websites: take some time to visit the blogs, forums and read people's stories. We are all connected through our wonderful Dutch food!


Now tell me, how amazing is that! Give these folks a round of applause, they know what good food is all about! :-)

We are seen here, here and here....but not here!

The annual Saveur Best Food Blog Awards came and went, and I'm sad to say that we've gone another year without even a single mention! Well, sad....not really. I would love to see more exposure to our national cuisine, with all its history, quirks, oddities and influences. But I am not a super duper food photographer, I'm not an exceptional food writer, and I lack the technical skills to turn the website into an amazingly designed online miracle.

But that's really not what it's all about, is it? If I can write the recipe down, show you how it's made and what it's supposed to look like when it shows up at the table, and give you a bit of history as to why or how we cook certain dishes, we're doing pretty good! I hope it encourages you to try and make some things yourself, perhaps reminisce a bit with some of the stories, and trust that you will share this with your children, your family and a good friend or two.

- In the meantime, I am tickled pink to see that The Dutch Table's recipes and photographs showed up on the I Am Expat website, in Benjamin Gartska's article about Dutch Easter Brunch.

- Also, the news section of the website for Dutchies, a restaurant in Hermanus, South Africa, was so kind as to publish some of our pictures.

- And I loved seeing our Dutch mustard soup on the BuzzFeed's list of 15 Deliciously Spicy Dishes From Around The World!

This is what makes me happy! Real people, real interests: and as time progresses I'll continue to capture our food history online: with recipes, pictures and anecdotes. I've been doing this for four years, and I have at least four more years of material, and that's just off the top of my head.

If you don't see a weekly post, don't worry. I've been updating some of the older posts, getting some new pictures in there and re-testing and adjusting some of the older recipes. It's a labor of love, and a live project. The latest updates were Mokkataart en Honingkoek. If you join us on Facebook, on The Dutch Table's page, you'll be kept informed of all updates.

Thank you all for your kind messages, for your support and for keeping our culinary culture alive!

Nicole