Your cooking team is absolutely thrilled that spring has arrived. We had almost given up all our hopes for a normal spring. Global warming? Not in Maastricht! We were more than fed up with the cold, gloomy weather and wintery food such as cabbage, carrots, old potatoes and so on. But at last, this week there was day when temperatures rose to above 15 degrees Celsius. And what a fine day it was!
A day like this has a special name in Dutch. A few years ago, one of our famous Dutch writers, Martin Bril, named it ‘short skirts day’: the first day of the year when women and girls wear skirts without pantyhose. Don’t mind your white hairy legs, girls, be proud and show them. Maastricht has enough parks to hang out, take a blanket and just pick your spot. If you look for something different, follow the path along the streamlet called the Jeker and you will find a quiet place to lay your head.
Before leaving home you need to make a few preparations if you want to enjoy the day and the warmth of the sun as long as possible. Because, of course, you will want to eat your dinner within minutes upon your return. Everything is prepared beforehand, so nothing to worry.
Pasta and Spinach
Ingredients
- pack of frozen spinach (either with or without cream, it’s up to you)
- 400 grams of pasta
- 6 big eggs
- grated cheese
Preparation
Start by defrosting the spinach. The easiest way is to take it out of the freezer in the morning, but if you have forgotten, buy it on your way to the park, put it in a plastic bag and let the sun do its work.
Put on a large pan with water and salt to your liking. Toss the pasta into the boiling water and when they are ready (it takes about 8 or 9 minutes) drain them and set them aside till you are ready to assemble you dish. This is the stage where you leave your house, either with or without the bottle of wine. Don’t forget to bring glasses; it’s not very classy to drink straight from the bottle.
When you return home, your spinach will be completely defrosted. Mix the eggs and add salt and pepper. Take a large frying pan, add a little butter and add the pasta. Toss it around for the pasta to be well coated with the butter. After this, add the spinach and mix well together. Finally add the beaten eggs and sprinkle over some cheese and season well. It’s entirely up to you what kind of cheese you choose, you can either take a Gouda type of cheese, young or old, or a blue cheese variety , and even a cheddar would do very well in this dish.
If you haven’t finished your bottle of wine yet, do so now: Beautiful weather calls for a celebration!