spring onion

So you’ve decided to channel your inner farmer, roll up your sleeves, and head to a Dutch farm for a spring onion picking adventure. Good choice. Spring onions are the cheerful, slightly punchy cousins of the onion family—easy to grow, even easier to pick, and they don’t make you cry like their bigger, bulbous relatives. In the Netherlands, several “pluktuinen” (pick-your-own gardens) let you wander through neat rows of these green-and-white beauties from April to October. Look for firm, crisp plants with leaves of 20–40 cm and a small white bulb, and skip any with yellowing or slimy leaves. Just give them a gentle tug at the base or cut them at soil level with a small knife—watch the soil fly! It’s oddly satisfying. Best done in the cool of the morning, with friends and family: one person pulls, another shouts “That one’s perfect!”

Once you’re home, keep them unwashed, loosely wrapped in a damp paper towel in a perforated bag in the fridge, where they last 5–7 days. Just before using them, rinse them well (sand hides in those layers) and trim off the root end and any wilted tips. The white part is mellow and crisp; the green tops are grassy and fresh. Use them raw for crunch, or cook them for sweet, savory depth. Here are two simple recipes to put your haul to work:

Recipe 1: Spring Onion & Ginger Stir-Fry

Ingredients: 1 bunch spring onions (sliced diagonally), 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger (julienned), 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tsp sugar, 200g firm tofu or chicken (optional), sesame seeds.
Method: Heat sesame oil in a wok or pan. Add ginger and the white parts of the spring onions; stir-fry for 1 minute. Add tofu or chicken, cook until golden. Toss in the green tops, soy sauce, and sugar. Stir for 30 seconds. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve over rice. Takes about 8 minutes—faster than your farm trip.

Recipe 2: Spring Onion & Cheese Scones

Ingredients: 2 cups self-raising flour, 50g cold butter (cubed), 1/2 cup finely chopped spring onions, 1/2 cup grated cheddar, 1 egg, 1/2 cup milk, pinch of salt.
Method: Rub butter into flour until crumbly. Stir in spring onions and cheese. Whisk egg and milk, then mix into dry ingredients to form a dough. Pat into a 2cm-thick round, cut into triangles. Bake at 200°C for 12–15 minutes until golden. Perfect for soup-dipping.

Pluck van het veld

vegetables, flowers, herbs, berries

noord-brabant

Pluck van het Veld is a pick-your-own vegetable and flower garden in Cromvoirt, near ’s-Hertogenbosch. The farm grows over 70 varieties of vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers, all cultivated without chemical pesticides or synthetic fertilisers. Visitors with a seasonal subscription can harvest their own produce from May to mid-December, selecting from a weekly list of available crops. The selection changes with the season, ranging from early greens like spinach and radishes to summer staples such as tomatoes, courgettes, and beans, and later in the year, root vegetables like carrots, parsnips, and sweet potatoes. Herbs and edible flowers are available throughout the season, and subscribers also receive a bundle of tulips in spring.

'T Leeuweriksveld

vegetables, berries, herbs

drenthe

At ’t Leeuweriksveld in Emmen you pick your own vegetables and herbs from April to October. The farm grows a wide variety of seasonal produce, including leafy greens like spinach, lettuce, and kale, root vegetables such as carrots, beetroot, and parsnips, and crops like beans, peas, and courgettes. Herbs like basil, parsley, and oregano are also available for picking. The selection changes throughout the season, with early crops like radishes and spring onions giving way to tomatoes, peppers, and pumpkins later in the year.

Pluktuin van Geesje

fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs, berries, nuts

noord-holland

Pluktuin van Geesje in Oudkarspel is a pick-your-own farm where visitors harvest fruit, vegetables, flowers and oyster mushrooms directly from the fields and orchards. The farm grows over 30 varieties of apples and pears, along with plums, hazelnuts, walnuts, and soft fruit such as raspberries, blackcurrants, gooseberries and strawberries. Vegetables include beans, peas, pumpkins, courgettes and leafy greens like rocket. Flowers available for picking include dahlias, sunflowers and mixed bouquets.

Tuinderij Eyckenstein, Biologische groenten

vegetables, flowers

utrecht

Tuinderij Eyckenstein is a certified organic pick-your-own farm on a historic kitchen garden in Maartensdijk. From early May to mid-October, visitors can harvest a wide variety of seasonal vegetables, including carrots, beetroot, beans, courgettes, pumpkins, lettuce, potatoes, tomatoes, fennel, spinach, kale and more. The farm also grows soft fruit such as strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and gooseberries, as well as herbs and flowers. The farm operates on a self-service basis during opening hours: Wednesdays from 13.00 to 17.00 and Saturdays from 10.00 to 15.00. You pick what you want from the fields and pay by weight at the farm’s stall, where you can also buy freshly harvested produce if you prefer not to pick your own. Payment is by card or cash. The stall is outside in dry weather and in the orangery when it rains.