“It’s damned good, even if the appearance doesn’t meet the standards of French cuisine” says Farmers Forum’s Nelson Zandbergen, who grew up on a dairy farm in South Dundas. “We’re Dutch. We’re humble.”
Boerenkool — or farmers’ kale/cabbage — is an authentic Dutch dish. Long before kale became cool, the hardworking people of the lowlands prepared this leafy vegetable mashed in a pot with potatoes, as the term stamppot describes. It’s served up with gravy and sausages for a great stick-to-your-ribs meal.
Ingredients:
3 lbs of potatoes
1 white onion (optional)
1 bay leaf
1 lb curly kale
1 tsp salt
1 pinch ground pepper
1 lb smoked sausage
½ cup milk
2 tbsp butter
Splash of vinegar
Brown gravy
Instructions:
1. Peel and dice potatoes and onion
2. Clean, trim and chop kale
3. Add potatoes, onion, kale and bay leaf, pinch of salt and just enough water to cover all in a dutch oven
4. Cover and boil gently about 25 minutes
5. Steam or grill the sausage
6. Prepare packaged gravy (or make from scratch)
7. Remove bay leaf, drain vegetables and mash
8. Add milk and butter
9. Add salt and pepper and splash of vinegar
10. Serve with smoked sausage and gravy
11. Loudly say “eet smakelijk!” before eating.
