We decided to have a quiet day today, although Ed, Ineke, Frances & I went into the Hema store for the 1 Euro (AUS$ 1.30) breakfast. Afterwards we went our separate ways, basically exploring the centre of Etten-Leur.After lunch, Ineke, Frances & I rode about a 10kms round trip on the bicycles to buy fresh white asparagus, new potatoes and strawberries from local farms for dinner. The rest of the afternoon was filled with friends dropping in (Loes & Bram), grandchildren and general social activities.
Dinner tonight was like an episode from Iron Chef, with Ineke as the chef and the secret ingredient being… white asparagus. The entrée was a traditional asparagus soup using the asparagus skins (they have to be peeled before use) as a base for the stock. The main course was a casserole of white asparagus, ham, eggs and a creamy sauce with the new potatoes as a side dish. This was accompanied by a bottle of Champagne we’d brought from Reims.Desert was prepared by Frances, a berry fruit salad with ice cream, whipped cream AND custard – after all it is Holland. This was set off by a Bramenlikeur (blackberry liquor) from De Santspuy.
This was our last supper with Ed & Ineke – we’re off to London tomorrow – 10 days to go.
