Yvette Van Boven’s Endless Summer

It was Yvette Van Boven’s first book, 2011’s “Home Made”, that introduced the world to the Amsterdam-based restaurant (Aan de Amstel) owner’s singular approach to food: carefree, passionate, and, most importantly, fun. Her fans, myself included, appreciate her easy-breezy recipe writing style and whimsical illustrations; both can be found (along with gorgeous images by photographer Oof Verschuren) once again in her latest cookbook, “Home Made Summer” (Abrams), which, you guessed it, focuses on recipes inspired by the upcoming season. To celebrate its release, we asked Boven, who is about to embark on a mini book tour (see all the dates below to see if she will be in your hometown) to share some of her own summer favorites. FV

Favorite summer meal to cook

“I’m a huge fan of chopped salads with lots of herbs and many grains mixed in, like spelt, quinoa or barley. They keep so well in the fridge, so you can make a huge batch and eat it for days. I like to sprinkle crumbled feta or goat cheese on top before serving.”

Ice cream flavor of choice

“We have a chef, Michiel, at our restaurant who makes the best ice cream in the world! His whisky & crunchy oatmeal ice cream blew me away, but his salted caramel ice cream does the trick too.”

The summertime fruit or vegetable you can’t wait to find at the greenmarket 

“Apricots! APRICOTS! APRICOTS! And gooseberries too.”

Regular summer beverage

“A big jug of Pimms Cup, preferably made with homemade ginger ale and lots of cucumber and strawberries.”

Dream summer getaway

“We are currently looking to go to Corsica, the little island just below France—the nature, mountains and the hidden beaches look absolutely stunning.”

The song that always gets you in the mood for summer

“‘Dancing in the Moonlight’ by Toploader”

Your favorite thing to throw on the grill

“Beer can chicken or salmon, smoked on cedar wood, a recipe from my book. Delish”