Rural association spreads edible garden gospel

The Taste Caravan is an initiative of Landelijke Gilden, which aims to draw people from across the region to the countryside. Different experts will join the caravan at various stops along its tour to offer tastings and hand out recipe cards. Its experts include herbalists, tapas specialists and jam makers.

Madam Confituur, as the name gives away, will tell you everything there is to know about jam, jellies and marmalades, such as the five golden rules to making jam and what do when the fruit just won’t set. These and other questions will be addressed during Madam Confituur’s demonstrations, after which the audience will be invited to taste the results.

And forget the classics, for there will be more exciting flavour combinations to try, including pumpkin jam, orange jelly with lemon thyme, pear jam with ginger and the oh-so-daring endive jam with a touch of balsamic vinegar and black pepper.

The Aarde-nd-werk workshops feature Christel Van Vooren, owner of the organic herb farm and distillery Netelvuur, which transforms its home-grown herbs into natural, healing products like aromatherapy oils and homeopathic drugs.

Van Vooren will demonstrate how to make a range of products using ingredients straight out of the garden, such as pesto and gremolata, fresh flower tea, honey mustard from the beehive, curries, Carmelite water from the herb garden and even “instant” soup. You can also learn how to whip up a superfood smoothie and sweet-and-sour condiments like chutney, pickles and ketchup.

Finally, learn how to make 10 different delicious Spanish tapas. Made using as many fresh ingredients from the garden as possible, these tapas add up to a complete meal, worthy of serving to any number of dinner party guests.