A recipe to find joy in the little things
In our family, getting together is a form of rocket science. Not because we don’t want to see each other, but because life has its own agenda. A cousin with seven-month-old twins. Another cousin living between work and his next flight to Bali and Australia. Yet another cousin who moved to Italy two years ago. And me, the only niece, heading in that same direction.
The times we’re all in the Netherlands? Rare. The times we all actually have free time at the same moment? A small miracle. Just like the family BBQ we somehow managed to organize in a single week, despite all the scheduling chaos.
My aunt and uncle’s Big Green Egg was fired up, the meat was soaking in marinade, one wine was chilling, another was decanting and thanks to the Dutch summer weather, the dining table was set indoors.
Say “Van der Post family,” and you say meat. Four different kinds were waiting and there was even some hesitation about adding poultry. Delicious, of course, but among all that meat, I wanted to create a little breathing space. So I drove to the wholesale market for fish. And there they were: razor clams. A whole net full. Perfect.
Razor clames love smoke and fire, making them ideal for the Big Green Egg. The best part: no need to wait for a season, razor clams are available all year round.
And yes, when you read this recipe, you might think: Italian? Where exactly?
In terms of flavor: not really.
In terms of ingredients: kinda.
But in terms of feeling, eating together with family? Totally.
What I used
✦ Razor clams (just enough for you and your guests)
✦ Lamb's ears (dito)
✦ Handful of pine nuts
✦ An apple
✦ Two handful of haricot verts
✦ Couple of spoons of olive oil
✦ Chopped parsley (fresh..always fresh)
✦ Some garlic
How I made it (but feel free to do it your way; trust your senses)
✦ Start by rinsing the razor clams. This takes a while and when you think they're clean, keep going.
✦ Wash the lamb's ears, trim the haricots verts and dice the apple
✦ Pound parsley, garlic and olive oil into a smooth paste.
✦ Half goes into a wok with the lamb's ears, haricots verts, apple and pine nuts
✦ Grill the razor clams for just 3 minutes on a warm bbq, turning once.
✦ Toss the vegetables in a big bowl, place the razor clams on a platter and spoon over the rest of the parsley-garlic oil.
Done! Fresh, healthy, simple and full of little joys.
What I might try next time
I’ll make it even simpler. Just razor clams, with a light dressing of juice and zest from half a lemon, fresh basil leaves, and a generous tablespoon of olive oil.
Your turn!
We all learn cooking in our own way. From our mothers, our grandfathers, a holiday abroad or a happy accident at home. These moments shape your taste, the ingredients shape your style. But taste and style are not fixed; they move along with the rhythm of your life.
Don’t think of recipes as strict rules. Think of them as gentle directions, little suggestions along the way. A here-and-now moment. And it's entirely yours. Because nobody tastes what you taste. So play with it, dance in your kitchen and find your own rhythm.