Serves two:

• 250g dried white beans or:
• 1 can/jar (large) white beans, drained weight approx. 500g
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 200g finely chopped onion
• 1 tbsp. flour
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. finely chopped mint
• 2 tsp. smoked paprika
• pepper, salt
• 1 red chili pepper
• 1 pointed bell pepper, sliced ​​into rings
• 2 tbsp. oil
• mint leaves

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A simple variation on a national dish from the Republic of North Macedonia attributed to Tetovo, a city located in a region where the large white beans (gravče) grown for this dish (tavče). Very popular, you can buy earthenware dishes for it at every market, and there even existed a pop group called Tavče Gravče. The dish is said to date back to the Ottoman era, the period when paprika made its appearance in Europe. Back then, people ate vegetarian out of poverty, so the saying goes. A brown onion sauce (zaprška) thickened with flour adds a very refined flavor. But just as we Dutch never forget our stamppot, the North Macedonians love this unadorned ‘comfort food’ just as much. Nowadays sometimes with a fried fish or a sausage, but also simply as it should be. Well, simply? The dish gives rise to heated discussions about the ingredients that provide the most flavor: bay leaf, dried peppers, dried paprika… as far as I’m concerned, especially fresh paprika and especially mint!

Serves two:*

• 125 g peeled floury potatoes
• 125 g eggplant in slices
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 shallots in rings
• 1/2 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp. pitted black olives
• 1 can of tomato puree (70 g)
• 200 ml of water
• 2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh oregano, marjoram or parsley
• pepper and salt
• 125 (yellow, green, red) bell peppers
• 125 zucchini
• 225 g Halloumi in small thin slices
• handful of cherry tomatoes
• tufts of whole herbs of your choice

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“When the farmer and his family go into the field early in the morning, they only take an earthenware pot, cutlery, some condiments, bread and a jar of olive oil,” writes Theonie Diakidis-Mark, born in Rhodes, one of the 2,000 Greek islands, in Greek Island Cooking (1972). And then she describes turlú briámi. A dish prepared on a wood fire in a closed pot with fried seasonal vegetables. That looks very much the same as the briam(i) from Crete and the turly I once ate in Sakkara (Egypt), prepared in an earthenware dish called bram. Türlü is Turkish for ‘all kinds’ and also denotes a ‘ratatouille’, a word that the French cannot properly explain and which could well be a muddle of the Turkish word.

Here Chorta sto fourno – ‘vegetables from the oven’, popularly made in Cyprus. Also called Polypikilo – potpourri there, of course avoiding any reference to Turkish origins. This is one of the Cypriot versions of ratatouille. All the ingredients are grown over there and the cheese is also made on Cyprus (see also Pilav with leek and halloumi on this site). This is my version. It is authentic to place the dish in an oven at 175-200˚C for 1-2 hours.

Serves two:

• fresh bunched carrots as needed
• scrubbed new potatoes
• 25 g butter
• white pepper, salt
• 250 g salmon fillet with skin
• handful of red shiso leaves

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This salmon thrives on the summer vegetables, but especially on the purple-red curly shiso (Perilla frutescens). I have been hooked on that herb ever since I tasted it at our Japanese daughter-in-law’s. It fits perfectly into that subtle cuisine, with its picturesquely beautiful dishes. Many people say it tastes like cumin, cinnamon, or mint, but for me, the scent of carnations comes closest.

We are quite particular here in the Netherlands when it comes to fresh herbs. Fortunately, since the sixties, it hasn’t been just parsley and celery anymore, but most shops have remained stuck with a small assortment from the Mediterranean region. Admittedly, some markets and specialty shops offer more choice, but they aren’t found in every village, which is why I was happy to read that you can order this little herb in my country online under the name Shiso purple from, among others, Groentebroer.nl. For UK: Classic fine foods. The plant is currently thriving in the sun in my little garden (it turns even more purple then; if you want to keep the leaves somewhat green, it needs to be in the shade). After purchase, let it acclimate to the outdoors out of direct sunlight for 24 hours. Then plant. Initially, water from the base. It cannot tolerate frost but is firm. Therefore, to overwinter, the herb must be kept indoors in a pot