Grilled vegetable soup with fried lemon zest
We ate a soup at our friend Astrid’s who is a great cook. And since she had a French mother, we have pretty much exactly the same taste. We know exactly what we think is ‘délicieux’ from each other. She made a soup with fried lemon zest in it. Not normally tasty. And so I made it a few days later in the restaurant. Almost too good to be true.
Tomato soup with borlotti beans and fennel seeds
Tomato soup is always good anyway. But if he still manages to surprise, that’s great. And this one does. The fennel seeds and borlotti beans are responsible for this. And those borlotti beans add body and bite to the soup. And that really makes a difference.
Orzo salad with borlotti beans, peas and arugula pesto
This is a surprisingly surprising salad I must say. Orzo is addictively delicious because of its structure, the beans give crunch and the pesto does its spicy and spicy work together with the arugula and the red pepper. Incredibly tasty, also as a meal salad.
Citrus rice
In addition to a sweet dish, I like to put down a fresher dish. I love those complementary or sometimes even contrasting flavors. That’s how I came up with the idea of cooking rice in citrus juices. Of course, depending on what you want, you can make it from quite sweet to a bit more bitter or sour. It’s just what you want. In any case, it is really very different. And that’s always nice, such a surprise.
Salad with unforgettable dressing of sun-dried tomatoes
You can simply make the green salad with the green ingredients that you like best. Here I added some edamame beans and avocado. Plus fresh herbs such as flat-leaf parsley, mint, dill and coriander. But the dressing is the winner, so don’t let the salad compete with the dressing. The salad should provide the crunch, that’s the most important thing.
Olive soup à la Ellen
We went for lunch with our dear friends and good cooks Wim and Ellen. And Ellen conjured up an olive soup that was so delicious and surprising that I immediately knew one thing: we are going to serve it with à la Damaris. I had never come up with the idea before and judging by the reactions of our guests, I was not the only one. I gave it an à la Damaris touch but other than that all credits go to Ellen.
Parsnip and celeriac crème brulée
I love the combination of savory and sweet. And I really like to surprise guests with a combination that they absolutely do not expect. And this crème brulée ‘ticks all those boxes’. It was a big hit at the restaurant’s Christmas dinner. And it might as well be at your home.
Jerusalem artichoke puree with fried spring onion, pine nuts and hazelnuts
Jerusalem artichoke, it’s not an everyday vegetable. But it’s worth playing with in the kitchen. Its nutty taste, delicious structure and ability to easily adapt to its environment make it a fantastic vegetable. The vegetable garden we work with had a good harvest this year and we took advantage of it. Served here with delicious spring onion with star anise. And some crunchy hazelnuts and pine nuts fried in spicy pul biber. Talk about layers of flavor.
Celeriac skewers with quince chutney
Celeriac served in a special way. And really nice, of course. The combination with the chutney is fatally tasty. It’s a small job, but you immediately put something festive on the table that is also delicious. So great.
Crispy fried leeks with creamy caper sauce
Leeks usually play a minor role in dishes. But not in this one. Here, leeks have a real leading role and he can wear them with verve. Leeks like you never eat them. It’s a bit of a chore, but it’s not so tasty. A big hit. Also on your table, for sure.