Here as the Centre of the World, in terms of food

June 3, 2006

Here as the Centre of the World banquet with local food from Twente and Overijssel. Guests getting giggly on the bubbly.

A week and a half ago, my colleagues and I at the Dutch Art Institute (DAI), were in the throes of an international symposium on ‘all things periferal’ for artists and mediators. Illustrious guests from Overijssel and the ‘rest of the world’ were invited to discuss this (contemporary art) subject for two solid days in the Rijksmuseum Twenthe. Early in planning phase of this event, I decided that the symposium would be more coherent if, during the the event, we attempted to eat food grown and produced from within the province, a Twente tasting menu. In a huge gesture of over-confidence, I took upon myself the task of organising the symposium’s food side, in particular a sit-down banquet for fifty, on the 23rd of May. All of the food for the banquet and incidental feedings would come from within the province of Overijssel, within a 60 kilometre radius of the event epicentre.

Here as the Centre of the World Banquet Menu
fork -local pickled beet with smoked herring, and strips of rhubarb
spoon - turnip green mash with goat cheese
knife - lumps of bread

Kruudmoes:

barley, buttermilk and fatback porridge served with ground up local greens including: ground elder (zevenblad), white deadnettle (dovenetel), kohlrabi leaves, applemint, spearmint, peppermint, curly leaf parsley, beet greens, spinach, sorrel and ‘Roman’ chervil