The City of Utrecht and the Highest Church Tower in the Netherlands

One thing that I truly miss about my former home in California is the proximity to hills and mountains and the beautiful views they offer to those willing to climb them.  I loved trekking up into the hills above my home in Berkeley and looking out on a clear day over the City of Berkeley, the San Francisco Bay, and the City of San Francisco beyond that.  I miss the drive along the Big Sur coast and taking in a scenic ocean vista from atop a sea cliff. I miss the excellent views from the mountains bordering the Yosemite Valley and the San Joaquin Valley.

View from Sentinel Dome, Yosemite National Park, California

By contrast, the Netherlands is almost completely flat.  There are no sweeping mountain views here. There are a few very gently sloping hills in some parts of the country, but the topography just does not approach the heights to which I was accustomed in California.

So, to fulfill my need to observe the world from higher elevations, I must utilize human-made perches in the form of the giant church towers sprinkled throughout the Netherlands. This brings me to the subject of this post: the City of Utrecht and the Domtoren.

Utrecht's Domtoren: the highest church tower in the Netherlands

The City of Utrecht is home to the Domtoren, the highest church tower in all of the Netherlands. If you climb to its highest viewpoint, which is over 900 meters above Utrecht, you can get a pretty good view of the city and beyond. Last weekend, I visited Utrecht with a group of friends and climbed the Domtoren after taking a lovely tour around the city and visiting its many other beautiful sights, including the Oude Gracht canal and Utrecht's many churches and gardens

The view of Utrecht from the Domtoren. No mountains here, but it's beautiful despite its lack of topography.

Here are some more photos from my day in Utrecht....

The Saturday flower market:

Flowers for sale

In and around the Dom Church:

Cathedral of St. Martin and Domtoren

Inside the garden at the Cathedral of St. Martin

Entrance to cloister

Garden at Cathedral of St. Martin

Views along the Oudegracht, one of the main canals in Utrecht:

 

This part of the Oudegracht corresponds to a former fork of the River Rhine

Old churches, repurposed:

This was a church, but now it's Café Olivier with an excellent Belgian beer menu.

This church has been converted to apartment units.

Here's a close-up of the "for sale" sign.

More scenes around Utrecht:

Anne Frank monument

Utrecht University Hall in Dom Square

Typical Dutch streetscape, with the exception of the UFO crashing into ProRail headquarters

Dutch Food: Pumpkin Soup (a.k.a. pompoensoep)

Homemade vegan pompoensoep with crème fraiche

Sometimes, the names of Dutch foods can be very confusing to a native English speaker.

Take "boterham," for example.  To an English speaker, it probably sounds like a combination of butter and pig flesh.  However, it's really just the Dutch name for a slice of bread, even if that slice of bread has had no contact whatsoever with either butter or ham.  Confusing, right?  When a word in one language sounds like a completely different thing in another language, it is called a "false friend."

On the flip side, there are foods like "pompoensoep," which sounds a lot like it's English name - pumpkin soup.  Pompoensoep is a linguistic cognate, and it's also no false friend in my growing repertoire of Dutch cuisine. In fact, it has become one of my favorite winter recipes because it's so perfect for the cold and blustery weather in the Netherlands.

So, I'm sharing my recipe for a vegan version of pompoensoep, adapted from this recipe for pompoensoep on albertheijn.com.  The original recipe calls for the addition of crème fraiche before serving the soup, so I've thrown in a bonus recipe for vegan crème fraiche, too.

Enjoy!

Vegan Pompoensoep (Pumpkin Soup)
(Serves 4)

Ingredients:
1 small pumpkin, about 1 kilogram, rind and seeds removed, scraped, and chopped into small cubes (reserve the seeds for roasting*)
2 medium carrots (about 150 grams), peeled and diced
1 large onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 liter (about 4 cups) water
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 vegetable bouillon cube
salt and pepper, to taste
optional: red chili pepper sauce (such as sriracha), to taste

Chopping up a pumpkin can be hard work! 
Tip: place a kitchen towel around the pumpkin to prevent it from slipping while cutting.

Instructions:
1. In a large soup pot, saute the carrot an onion in olive oil for about 5 minutes, until the onion turns translucent. Then add the cumin, garlic, and pumpkin, and saute 5 more minutes.
2. Add the water, bay leaves, and vegetable bouillon, and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Remove the bay leaves, and allow the soup to cool completely before putting it into a blender.  You can divide the soup into a couple of large bowls to speed the cooling process, but NEVER put hot soup in a blender!
5. Once the soup has cooled, carefully puree it in a blender in portions. When all of the soup is pureed, return it to the large soup pot, and add the chili sauce, salt, and pepper.  Thoroughly reheat the soup over low heat.
6. Before serving, top each bowl of soup with a dollop of vegan crème fraiche (see recipe below) and garnish with a sprig of fresh parsley.

Roasted pumpkin seeds

* To roast pumpkin seeds: remove the orange goo from the seeds, toss the seeds with a bit of olive oil, tamari, and paprika, and then place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet in the oven for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).

Vegan Crème Fraiche
Note: This recipe makes a lot of crème fraiche, so you could divide it in half if you will only use it as a soup topping.  It can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few days.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup (180 ml) soymilk
3/4 cup (180 ml) sunflower oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon agave syrup (add another half teaspoon if using unsweetened soymilk)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional, but I recommend using vanilla-flavored soymilk if you leave this out)

Instructions:
1. Pour all ingredients into a blender.
2. Blend on medium speed until very thick.
3. Refrigerate in an airtight container until needed.

Vegan crème fraiche in a repurposed airtight container

A Weekend in Paris

One of the best things about living in Groningen is that the beautiful cities in the Netherlands and the rest of Europe are just a train ride away.

Last weekend, my husband and I took advantage of our proximity to France and spent a long weekend in Paris.  Paris is less than 6 hours by train from Groningen, and it is possible to plan the itinerary with just one connection in Rotterdam.  So, getting there is extremely simple and affordable.

Our trip to Paris was focused on three main activities: discovering as many of its vegetarian restaurants as possible, walking, and museums.

Even in the bitter cold - temperatures hovered around freezing during our entire Friday through Monday trip - we found Paris to be a very walkable city.  The Seine, Notre Dame, and the Eiffel Tower served as landmarks for finding our way around the main sights.  We supplemented our walking with Paris's subway system.  Upon arrival at the Gare du Nord, we picked up 3-day Paris Visite Metro Cards for about €22 each.  These unlimited ride cards were very handy, and the subway system extremely easy to use.

The Seine

Although French cuisine normally is not associated with vegetarian food, Paris has a plethora of vegetarian and vegan-friendly restaurants, some with French dishes and others representing cuisines from Asia and the Middle East.   Our favorites from the trip were Saveurs Végét'Halles in the 2nd arrondissement, Tien Hiang in the 11th arrondissement, and Loving Hut in the 11th arrondissement.  We also visited the vegetarian-friendly Maoz, Veggie, and Le Pain Quotidien for lunch breaks from sightseeing and museum-visiting. Our most exciting food-related experience was definitely visiting Vegan Folie's, an all-vegan organic bakery on the Rue Mouffetard specializing in cakes and cupcakes.  This is where we picked up an absolutely amazing slice of chocolate-peanut "cheese"cake.

Le Pain Quotidien

Savory vegan crepe at Loving Hut Paris

Dinner at Saveurs Végét'Halles

Vegan Folie's: vegan cakes and cupcakes in Paris

We chose to visit two museums on this trip to Paris: the Musée d'Orsay and the Musée du Louvre, spending the better part of Saturday in the Orsay and most of Sunday in the Louvre.  We definitely could not view the entire collection of either museum in just a weekend, but we tried to see a few of the highlights of each.  In the Orsay, we made sure to spend some time with its collection of impressionist works by Monet, Manet, Renoir, Cézanne, and Dégas, as well as its post-impressionist collection of Van Gogh, Seurat, and Signac.  At the Louvre, we focused our visit on its Greek and Roman sculptures, Italian Renaissance paintings, and 18th and 19th century French paintings, saving almost an entire wing of that museum for a future visit.

Musée du Louvre

The Mona Lisa Crowd at the Louvre

We had a lovely time in Paris. We left with a great impression of the city, hoping to return as soon as we've saved up enough money.

Here are some more photos from the trip:

Jardin des Tuileries

Walking in the Jardin des Tuileries

View of Paris, with Eiffel Tower in the distance

Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel in the Jardin des Tuileries

The Centre Pompidou

Notre Dame Cathedral, as seen from the Seine

 Close-up of Notre Dame Cathedral

Tour Eiffel, at night

Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile

Typical Dutch: Hagelslag

"Hagelslag" was one of the first Dutch words I learned way back when I first visited the Netherlands. Actually, the phrase, "Spreek je Engels?" comprised the first, second, and third words that I learned, so I suppose that "hagelslag" was technically the fourth word in my growing Dutch vocabulary.

My first encounter with hagelslag was at a breakfast buffet at a hotel in Groningen. While perusing the food options, I became extremely confused as to why there were chocolate sprinkles in the breakfast buffet, but no cupcakes or ice cream in sight. So, I asked the attendant, who explained to me that, in the Netherlands, people eat chocolate sprinkles called "hagelslag" on bread for breakfast.  This is a typical Dutch breakfast item known as "boterham met hagelslag."

Amazed at this ingenious use of chocolate sprinkles, I decided to try it for myself, and went about toasting my bread, spreading some jam on it, and then topping it with some of the dark chocolate ("puur") sprinkles from the buffet. I felt a little bit sheepish about eating chocolate sprinkles for breakfast, but they were very tasty.

The "hagelslag aisle:" The large amount of space in Dutch supermarkets devoted to hagelslag
has led me to conclude that these chocolate sprinkles are a staple of the Dutch diet. 

Since moving to the Netherlands, I've learned that the correct way to consume hagelslag is to sprinkle it on untoasted bread that is covered with butter or margarine.  Despite this, I continue to toast my bread first because I prefer my chocolate sprinkles to be slightly melty.  I'm also guilty of using hagelslag as a cupcake topping.

This photo of my home-made chocolate cupcakes topped with hagelslag
demonstrates a controversial use of the Dutch sprinkles.

Dutch Food: Split Pea Soup (Erwtensoep, Snert)

The basic ingredients in vegan erwtensoep: split peas, leeks, carrots, and celeriac

In my quest to discover the joys of Dutch cuisine since moving to the Netherlands 4 months ago,  I've attempted to "veganize" several traditional Dutch soups (for example, see my previous post about bruine bonensoep).

One of my favorite soups - split pea -  is known as "erwtensoep" or "snert" here in the Netherlands, and is considered a typical Dutch food.  Traditional recipes for erwtensoep call for Dutch rookworst (a type of sausage) and/or bacon (see, for example, this Albert Heijn recipe).  As sausage and bacon are definitely not vegan, I've made my soup with tamari-marinated seitan (wheat gluten) that is sauteed with veggies, olive oil, and cumin, in order to add some of the flavor, texture, and fat that would be provided by the meat.  You can leave out the seitan if you are uncertain about it, but I think you'll miss out on the texture.

Tamari-marinated seitan for erwtensoep

After making erwtensoep a few times, it's become my go-to meal when I need a warm, hearty lunch or dinner. This very thick soup is an excellent winter dish, and it will hold up pretty well in the fridge for a couple of days.  

Here's my recipe:

Vegan Erwtensoep
(makes 8 servings)
Ingredients:
500 grams (about 2 cups) dried green split peas, rinsed
3 pints (about 6 cups) water
1 vegetarian bouillon cube
400 grams (about 2 cups) seitan, diced (you can find this in a shelf-stable jar, as seen above, or in the refrigerated section near the tofu at most health food stores)
45 ml (3 tablespoons) olive oil
1 small celery root (a.k.a. celeriac), peeled and diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1 medium leek, sliced
5 ml (1 teaspoon) thyme
5 ml (1 teaspoon) cumin
2 bay leaves
1 small bunch (about 3 tablespoons) fresh celery leaves, chopped
1 small bunch (about 3 tablespoons) parsley leaves, chopped
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:
In a large soup pot, sauté the seitan, carrot, leek, celery root, and cumin in the olive oil over medium-high heat for about 8-10 minutes. 
Add the water, split peas, vegetarian bouillon, thyme, and bay leaves.  Mix well.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 75 minutes, stirring occasionally.
After about 75 minutes, the split peas, celery root, and carrot should be very mushy. If the split peas and veggies are still firm, continue simmering until soft.
When the split peas and veggies have softened, use a large wooden spoon or potato masher to carefully mash them together, breaking apart the split peas and veggies that have retained their shape.  Mix in the chopped celery leaves and parsley, and allow to simmer for 5-10 more minutes, stirring constantly.
Before serving, remove the bay leaves and season with salt and pepper.

I like to serve my erwtensoep with a thick slice of whole wheat bread spread with a thin layer of mustard, or a simple salad of greens tossed with a light lemon vinaigrette.

Enjoy!

Simmering erwtensoep: this vegetarian version includes seitan instead of sausage

Exploring Groningen: China Light Festival at Hortus Haren

The entrance to the China Light Festival at Hortus Haren

I've been taking advantage of my abundance of free time lately to explore new things in and around Groningen, from chamber music performances to urban gardens.  Last week, my explorations took me to the Hortus Haren Botanical Garden in Haren, which is a village just south of Groningen.

To celebrate the Chinese New Year (the 23rd of January), the Hortus Haren is currently decorated with fantastic light displays presented by the Groningen Confucius Institute. These displays can be viewed in the evenings through the 29th of January.

My husband and I visited Hortus Haren on a particularly cold evening, with temperatures hovering just above freezing. We were concerned that the cold weather would interfere with our ability to enjoy the outdoor light displays. However, after downing a couple of glasses of glühwein from a stand that was conveniently located within the botanical garden, we forgot about the cold and charged on through the wintery weather.  The result: an absolutely dazzling experience and a deeper appreciation for the detailed craftsmanship involved in the creation of light displays.

Here are my photographs of my favorite displays: