With such a large selection of products to chose from, it is certainly quite difficult to be disappointed this time of year. Most products are locally-produced and full of flavor and nutrients, making this one of the best opportunities to experience really fresh food. Disappointments do, however, exist. Many vendors elect to take their holiday during the month of August, leaving fewer vendors at the market (most vendors who produce and sell their own products do not leave for vacation). Prices may also appear higher, because…well, they are higher! Higher import taxes make it difficult for foreign products to compete against Swiss products, which is why most products are in fact Swiss produced. From a eating perspective, this is usually very good news in terms of taste and nutrition quality. Those disappointments aside, August is still an excellent time to sample really fresh products and experience some of the best that Swiss farmers offer.


what to look for

Anything locally produced! Tomatoes are once more in abundance as the Swiss varieties are maturing and ripening under the warm August sun. Especially worth trying are the Berner Rosen and the Küsnacht varieties, as well as the rich assortment of cherry tomatoes. If you are on the lookout for any grower selling their own tomatoes, then you will be quite happy with your purchasing results. When buying tomatoes, remember…don’t ever refrigerate them! Keep them at room temperature (cool and dark location) for 2-4 days. Summer squash are simply flooding the market – look for green and yellow varieties, as well as rondini (the small round ones) and patison. Also be sure to try some squash flowers – excellent fried as is or filled with ricotta and herbs then either fried or baked. Squash flowers come from either the summer squash varieties (they will have small zucchini attached) or winter squash varieties (they will have a long stem). The flavor and preparation of both varieties are the same. Keep squash flowers refrigerated for 1-2 days in a small glass of water or in a closed plastic bag. Eggplants and bell peppers are in their prime right now, with many varieties, shapes and colors to chose from. Locally-grown bell peppers are expensive (about CHF 15 per kg.), but they are completely worth the extra expenditure in terms of flavor and nutrition. Lettuce is spectacular and abundant. Everything that goes into a delicious summer salad is also in their prime. Look for carrots, cucumber, daikon, and kohlrabi. Especially worth trying are the mini versions of romaine lettuce (called mini-lattich)…excellent for a Caesar salad. Cornichons (also called gherkins) are available for about the next 4 weeks, which means it is an excellent opportunity to try making your own pickles! Most potatoes are harvested during the months of August and September. Look for locally grown Nicola, Bintje, Agata, Charlotte, and Lady Crystal. There are also quite a number of fruits to select from. Try the different plum and mirabelle varieties, and enjoy the variety of fresh berries still on the market (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, gooseberries, and elderberries). Apples and pears begin showing up in August. Of the early-season apple varieties, look for Gravensteiner, Discovery, and Summer Reds. Finally, of note and worthy of trying are the green figs from Italy or the avocados from Spain.


what to avoid

The markets are full of quality locally-produced products this time of year, which means it is a buyer’s market. Be selective and opt for those products coming from your area, and try to avoid buying products from other parts of Europe. Tomatoes can be a bit tricky. Try to avoid perfectly shaped round tomatoes and the ever-present oxtail tomato. Instead, why not look for some of the varieties mentioned above? Large zucchini and cucumbers can be quite bitter, so always select the smaller ones. Apricots, cherries and strawberries have all reached the end of their season. Avoid these fruits unless you are mostly interested in making preserves.


on the wild side

There are quite a few wild fruits growing throughout Switzerland. I would recommend picking up a book on the subject and exploring some new tastes the next time you venture into the wild country. Closer to home, there are still plenty of options. Wild currants (red and black) are abundant, as are tree fruits like Elderberry and Jost Berries.


looking ahead…

September marks the arrival of our transition into the fall season. Continue to look for white sweet corn during the beginning of September. Early season cabbage varieties are sweet and plentiful during the early fall season. Look for white, red, Chinese, savoy and napa cabbage varieties. Toward the end of the month, look for black kale. Most of Switzerland’s potatoes are harvested in August and September, which means there will be plenty of potatoes to choose from in the coming months. Fresh mountain cranberries appear at the market in September. They will only be around for a couple of weeks, and they are well worth your effort in trying to find them. Fresh cranberries can be frozen or made into a relish for use throughout the fall. Wild mushrooms will also begin showing up in September, although it is always difficult to predict their quality. On the fruit side, look for apples, pears, and quince (end of the month).

Happy shopping and cooking…
Jack

many thanks for your hard work Jack.

I didn't know about not keeping tom's in the fridge and will now be on the lookout for squash flowers!

Great update Jack.

The chanterelles are also coming into season right? I remember last year that if you buy them towards the end of autumn, just before the first frost, they were really cheap (I bought a kilo for 22 CHF and prepared them so I had a stock all winter).

By the way, have you actually seen Elderberries already? I would have thought they would need another 1-2 weeks, maybe they come from sunny Ticino .

Great tip about the cranberries, will try that relish this year~!

What a nice and helpful posting. Now, has anyone got some markets to recommend in, or near, Zurich? This is my first August in Zurich and I'm looking forward to sampling the delectable produce and improving my very elementary cooking skills.

Thanks Jack. Re: the above, why?

Muze...

Thanks for your interest...You are correct about the chanterelles - they are quite prevalent right now... make sure to give them a good cleaning before cooking them! BTW, they match quite nicely with sweet corn... We like to serve them in a corn and garlic soup. Elderberries are in fact around! I have seen them at the market, and I have checked out the trees around Zürich, and sure enough...they are ready! That makes them about 2-3 weeks early, which is typical for everything this year.

Jack

Hello Linnette... Welcome to Zürich! You can find out all about Zürich markets by clicking on the fresh at the market link below my signature...

Enjoy your market visits...
Jack

Tomatoes originate and ripen in warm climates, and their flesh and flavor suffer greatly in cold temperatures. This is especially true for tomatoes which are slightly under ripe, because their membranes become damaged and flavor development is stunted. This will lead to a soft, mealy texture. Fully ripe tomatoes are less sensitive, but they will lose some of their flavor-producing enzymes and remain bland and flavorless. Refrigeration is one reason tomatoes from large supermarkets lack in flavor...

hope this helps...
Jack

oops, double post for some reason

Hmm, that means I have to go hunting and harvesting this weekend; put them in a glass jar with vodka and you have a liqueur (liquor)that would do well as bird flu preventer . You can also make a nice jam from them. If you add a tiny bit of ginger, it works as a preservative, but don't overdo it! (This is a good idea if you want to cut down on the sugar that is normally used in high quantities to preserve the jam).

By the way, avoid Dutch tomatoes at all cost; they are very mealy and tasteless, they are not called waterbommen (water bombs) for nothing. (I am allowed to say this as I had to eat them for most of my life .

I just returned from the market in Oerlikon today, and I must emphasize how fantastic the selection and quality of fruits and vegetables are at the moment. In keeping with the trend of this year (everything is maturing about 4-6 weeks early this year due to the weather earlier in the year), I noticed some early-season fall products that some may be interested in trying out....Artichokes have two seasons, and the fall season produces some nice varieties (mostly from France); Pumpkins - there were three different varieties at the market this morning: Orange Knirps, Butternut and Muscat...the latter came from France and the two former were Swiss; Parsnips, which are way early, were small and from Switzerland. I am hesitant to recommend any of the above since I have not personally tried any of them (I'm still in summer), but perhaps someone out there may want to experiment and report back...

Enjoy the markets and the great selections of fresh food...

Jack

And you can make elderberry wine. Home winemaking used to be quite popular in the UK - Boots the chemist sold much the requisite kit. I noticed Boots stopped selling the home-brewing gear a few years ago.

Cheers,
Nick

I have about 20 Kilo of parsnips still in the ground, I've pulled one or 2 and they seem a decent size but I've always been told they are better after the first frost which might be some time off. I guess I'll try some this weekend and let you know!

Swiss Bob reccomended a supplier of home brew kit here

http://www.englishforum.ch/daily-lif...itzerland.html

I'll be trying some myself soon

Finally made it out to the market early this week. Went to the one in Helvetiaplatz and what a treat! The markets back home are such a trendy affair that I'd forgotten how down-to-earth it could be.

Shopping there was much nicer than the supermarket and not much more expensive. Was very happy to find the aforementioned yellow summer squash.

I went there for another reason though and that was to find edible lavender. I found a number of herbs and even edible flowers at one stand but not lavender. I am planning on trying the Oerlikon market next Wednesday but was wondeirng if anyone on here has suggestions.

cheers
l.

Glad to hear you enjoyed the market!!!

For edible lavender you can always just visit any vendor selling herbs and buy your own plant (the season is getting a bit late, though). Most vendors sell two varieties of lavender here, which hold up well on the balcony and through the winter. Personally, I use it to make a lavender scented milk chocolate truffle...hmmm!

Good luck,
Jack

Try to get the Lavandula angustifolia as it is the Officinalis version, which is better quality than other breeds. (Better essential oils which is what you want). You can also buy them at places like Landi, and perhaps large Migros XX(X?) garden centres.

Jack, when you say, clean the chanterelles well, do you mean brushing earth off, or using water? And why in particular do they need good cleaning? Is it pesticides or bacteria/mold you are thinking off? I am asking because I will prepare a 2kg batch soon for winter storage.

Edit: Thanks much Jack! My post of thanks disappeared but that is very good to know, I will wash them as suggested!

Hi Muze...

The chanterelles that are available here come from several locations. Sometimes they are coming directly from Switzerland or Austria (these tend to be wild). Mostly, chanterelles come from Turkey or Eastern European countries and are farmed. The wild variety is exposed to everything...well...wild, including dried Fox feces...which leads to nasty tapeworms. The farmed varieties are subjected to pesticides and other harmful bacteria - something that is difficult to control in Eastern Europe, but improving. Brushing chanterelles will help remove much of the harmful elements, but not all of them because the gills on the underside are deep and trap much of what the earth has to offer - not always very pleasant.

I like to completely submerge chanterelles in water, then carefully rinse them off under running water. I will place the mushrooms on a large towel and let them dry for several hours. I know many experts say you should not expose mushrooms to water, but with chanterelles I don't think it matters much because truly fresh chanterelles have plenty of water stored in their system. To cook washed chanterelles, heat a large non-stick pan over high heat. Put the mushrooms in the pan without adding any water or fat. Cook them until their water releases, then evaporate all of the water. Once the mushrooms begin to slightly stick to the pan, add your fat (butter or oil), reduce the heat to medium, and sautée them as normal.

I hope that has answered your question...

Jack

Last week I bought a vegetable called Romantica It was a cross between a cauliflower and a broccoli with florets that look like mini Xmas trees. It was delicious but is this available all year? I have not seen it in Migros or Coop.

The vegetable you are referring to is called Romanesco, which is closely related to the cauliflower (Broccoli and Cauliflower are members of the same cabbage family). It is best during the colder months of the year (October-April), although it does begin showing up at the market in September. This year is a bit unusual in that everything is coming about one month early, so I am not surprised that Romanesco is already at the market. It can be boiled or steamed just like broccoli or cauliflower...you can cook the entire head in boiling, well-salted water for about 15 minutes, let it cool, then detach the little florets, and sauté them in some butter... Migros and Coop will carry this vegetable (probably a bit later in the year), but they are better when purchased fresh at the market...

Jack