Mediterranean

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.

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.

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, 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.