proef

Last weekend found me once again in Proef, a restaurant in Amsterdam's Westerpark that serves local, organic food that is in season and creatively prepared. The atmosphere is cozy and inviting and the meals are satisfying and delicious.

The concept of the restaurant, created by Marije Vogelzang, is perfectly executed. Small details fill the space, from a guest book at each table and the proud pitcher of Amsterdam tap water to the presentation of food and the bathroom decorations.

A salad almost too pretty to eat.

Inside Proef.

The Proefplank, a selection of vegetables served on a board.

Why not roast a marshmallow by the fire?

Chickens wander the gardens outside.

the weekly krat

Being away the last two weekends, one of the things I was looking forward to was receiving a crate from de krat Saturday morning. Once again, this week's offering didn't fail to delight with apple berry juice, fresh bread, an assortment of cherry tomatoes, fresh spinach, a head of lettuce, fava beans, chicory, peppers, red currant berries, Romanesco broccoli, flat-leaf parsley, a Thai chicken pot pie, and lamb sausage (I'm not a meat eater, so the last two items are for ze German).

Below is an afternoon snack that Marcus prepared of fava bean and pea puree with lemon, garlic, and olive oil in a chicory leaf. Yes, it was delicious.

de krat: week two

The second week of fresh, locally produced food from de Krat (the crate) brought another loaf of bread, chanterelle mushrooms, two zucchinis, two yellow squash, two large tomatoes, two fish, a bottle of apple juice, a head of cauliflower, a bunch of fresh mint, a bag of spinach, fennel, mixed greens, and six potatoes.

First on the list to use is the zucchini for a loaf of zucchini bread. The mint will be tossed into a warm glass of water for fresh mint tea with honey. The cauliflower will go into a dish of spicy sauteed cauliflower with sesame. The rest of the items will be inspired by the recipes provided by de Krat along with the weekly crate.

de krat

On Saturday morning, we received the first box full of locally-produced, organic goods from De krat (The crate), which was stuffed full with leek, Chinese cabbage, paprika, chili peppers, tomatoes, squash, lettuce, beets, fresh baked bread, cherries, oregano- and chili-spiced sausage (not for me), and lemon-flavored mayonnaise from The Bio Bandits.

I had been thinking about signing up for a box from Odin, which has a pick up point around the corner from my apartment, but when I heard about de krat I was instantly sold. The boxes are filled with eight different types of fruits and vegetables (although I wish there had been more fruit in this one), as well as other products of the week like bread, milk, eggs, jam, nuts, or cheese. They also deliver free in Amsterdam and include recipes using the products of that week's crate.