Maker · Vegetables
Frank de Koning: Demeter vegetables from open field
Nearly twenty tomato varieties, three aubergines and an heirloom cucumber, all grown in the soil under glass. Frank de Koning farms biodynamically in Brielle and Tinte, Demeter-certified, on compost and manure.
The story
Who's behind it
Frank de Koning started his nursery in 1989 and converted the business entirely to organic in 2000. Today the cultivation is Demeter-certified: biodynamic, working according to the principles of Rudolf Steiner. The business sits on Voorne, with three locations in Brielle and one in Tinte, plus its own shop in Brielle.
In winter about fifty people work there, and in peak season from mid-April to early October that rises to one hundred and twenty. Much of the harvest is sold before planting, through the grower association Nautilus. Some stays in the Netherlands, the rest goes to Germany and England.
Why these vegetables
Cultivation revolves around the soil: compost and manure, mandatory crop rotation and the biodynamic preparations every year. The soil stays unturned and is enriched in winter, so the plants stand strong and build their own resilience.
Sparrows nest around the greenhouses on their own. Native flowers grow nearby to attract natural predators of pests, and there are pollarded willows and fruit trees.
The varieties are chosen for flavour. Nearly twenty tomato varieties, three types of aubergine, an heirloom cucumber with firmer flesh than the standard one, and peppers in red, yellow, green and pointed. Soil-grown vegetables that ripen slowly.
In your kitchen
Put the origin on the menu. "Demeter" and "biodynamic" are verifiable certifications, and Brielle is close by, on Voorne.
Put the cherry wild mix on a plate as it is. Grill the two aubergines side by side and let guests taste the difference. The heirloom cucumber stays firm in brine or a quick pickle, and works raw next to something rich.
Chef’s tip
Ask for the cherry wild mix for a colourful plate. The varieties range in sweetness, acidity and shape, so one small bowl gives you variety straight away. Serve them as they are with good oil and salt.
How to use it
Ideas for your menu
Tomato salad of one variety per plate
A different variety per guest, cold, with salt and oil.
Grilled aubergine, two types
Gold de Légume and Nasu Gold side by side on charcoal, difference in bite and creaminess on one plate.
Heirloom cucumber, lightly fermented
Firmer flesh than standard, keeps crispness in brine or a quick pickle.
Warm peppers from the oven
Red and pointed peppers together, slowly roasted until sweet, with garlic and thyme.
For your menu
“Biodynamic vegetables from Frank de Koning Nursery, Brielle. Demeter-certified and grown in the soil.”
Products from Frank de Koning
What we carry from this maker
Tomaten Cherry wild mix bio
Prices and availability are in the portal. Become a customer or log in to order.
Taste it in your own kitchen
Book a no-obligation tasting with Niels and taste it for yourself.