From stroopwafel to gehaktballen, Dutch treats being shared for potluck

A wide array of foods from the Netherlands will be shared at the first-ever potluck being held by P.E.I.'s Dutch-Canadian Association Sunday.

The association is made up of the growing number of Islanders of Dutch descent, with the goal of getting together to share their culture, traditions and memories.

"Let's bring together some dishes from the Netherlands and as there's 12 provinces, it's going to be interesting — what are people going to bring?" said Marianna Westerkamp, who is on the board of the association and emigrated to Canada in 1996. "Let's see what they all come up with."

"I think there's a lot of new people coming in, so that's wonderful," Westerkamp said. 

'Land of opportunity'

The association usually holds a couple of gatherings each year including a Sinterklaas celebration in December and a summer barbecue. This spring it held a traditional King's Day gathering in April which drew an unexpectedly large crowd, so it decided to add a potluck to share food, fellowship and recipes from the Netherlands. 

While many people move from the Netherlands to Prince Edward Island in search of affordable farmland, Westerkamp said some Dutch people also like P.E.I. because there is less bureaucratic red tape to start up a business. 

"We just saw it as a land of opportunity, when we came here to visit my sister-in-law, we really really enjoyed it here," Westerkamp said of P.E.I. She herself is a real estate agent and helps other Dutch immigrants find land on P.E.I. She travels back to the Netherlands often but is now firmly rooted on the Island.

"The moment you just cross that bridge again and come back to P.E.I., you're like 'I'm home again,'" she said. "It's so pretty here."

What is Dutch food? 

Some traditional Dutch foods Westerkamp expects will be served include bitterballen — moist herbed meatballs battered in breadcrumbs and served with mustard — brined raw herring served with chopped onion, and chewy stroopwaffel cookies with a sticky caramel filling. 

Appeltaart is like apple pie, but uses a sweet cakey dough on the bottom and sides, with a lattice top. 

Poffertjes are a traditional tiny, spongy pancake served with butter and powdered sugar that are popular.

Kroketten or croquettes date back hundreds of years when French food was popular in the Netherlands. They are filled with veal, beef or cheese. 

Westerkamp's husband Jammes will likely be the one cooking their contribution to the potluck, she said — boerenkool and gehaktballen — potatoes mashed with cooked kale and bacon, topped with beef meatballs.

The potluck is for members and friends of the DCA and will be held at the restaurant at Marco Polo Land in Cavendish Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. 

You can also try some authentic Dutch cuisine at the DiverseCity festival Sunday afternoon in Charlottetown. 

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