Today, me (Hannah) and Frits are going to explore area Buytenhout. This is a nature and recreation area between Delft, Zoetermeer and Pijnacker-Nootdorp. First I will briefly introduce ourselves; I am Hannah, photographer and my friend Frits is a cook. Together we love discovering and tasting new places! So our mission for today is to explore Buytenhout and along the way collect enough ingredients to make some delicious food tonight.
From train to bike
We decide to take the train to Delft to rent an ov bike. If you come from Rotterdam and fancy a slightly longer route, you can also go by bike. From Rotterdam city centre, it's about 45 minutes by bike to the Buytenhout.
From Delft railway station, it is just a ten-minute bike ride to Delftse Hout. Here we park our bikes so we can take a walk around 'de Grote Plas'. Here we go on a wild picking tour. Among other things, we find dandelions, from which you can make 'tasty' tea (a bit disappointing). And the flowers of the deadnettle are also edible. But wild garlic, which we are actually looking for, is nowhere to be found. Luckily, before we went out I quickly put the 'wild picking guide' on my phone. A handy app indicating picking spots.
I see that a little further on in 'De Balij and the Bieslandse bos' there are wild garlic. And yes, a short walk further on we are suddenly standing in a sea of badger garlic. Special to see how in Buytenhout the different woods seamlessly blend together. During our walk, we never left nature for a moment.
On the way to Hoeve Biesland
After this beautiful walk, we grab our bikes again and drive on to Hoeve Biesland. This is a biodynamic farm producing and selling vegetables, meat, bread and raw milk, among other things.
We do some shopping in the farm shop, cuddle with the cows and eat a nice sandwich. Little tip: if there is a sign advising you to boil the milk first, listen to it! You might get a tummy ache afterwards otherwise....
After this, we get back on our bikes. On the way, we take a short break. At this beautiful spot, we find cleavers. In principle, you can eat this. But is it a good idea? After all, it sticks to your tongue! Before we return to the station, we stop at the cheese farm van Leeuwen in Nootdorp. Here we buy a nice piece of farm-aged cheese.
The way back is beautiful again! Here we cycle through Delftse Hout. Once home, we get to work with our gathered ingredients. We make dumplings with our home-picked wild garlic and Van Leeuwen's delicious cheese. Tastes great!
Wild picking in moderation
Note! Wild picking is officially forbidden, it falls under poaching. In practice, you are not easily fined but always check the rules of the landowner or manager of an area. Staatsbosbeheer allows small amounts of wild picking but keep in mind that it is also food for animals and pollen and pistils of flowers are important for reproduction. Daslookis also available outside the wild, for example through the Harvest Market in Rotterdam and through Rechtstreex. More information on the do's and don'ts of wild picking can be found via Staatsbosbeheer.