Greetings to a fresh new year...

January is a time to focus on a fresh start to the new year…and for many, this means a fresh new dietary approach centered around health, internal cleansing and loss of weight. The lack of a wide spectrum of products in January may frustrate many, but the market can be quite a rewarding experience this time of year. There are less crowds to deal with, and most vendors have plenty of patience and time to answer questions. There are some fantastic seasonal surprises to discover, but caution and selectivity are also needed. Many products are coming to Switzerland from outside the border, so it is important to select products which have traveled the least. Look for Italian, Spanish and French products, and try to find out as much as you can about the growing conditions in those areas. Swiss products are somewhat limited – they are mostly stored products from last fall or early winter. Cold weather can affect the products you purchase. Be extra careful in your selection process. Certain products, like potatoes, do not react well to the cold and end up tasting funny. Other products, like artichokes, can develop freezer burns (dark patches). These patches are mostly harmless to the overall quality of the product, but they will diminish the overall visual appeal. January is a great time to shop at the market and begin the year with a fresh attitude!

what to look for
Artichokes from Italy and sometimes France. This season’s extreme cold weather in Italy and France harmed the artichoke crop. The selection is not only sub-par, but also quite expensive (up to CHF 3 for a single artichoke). In roughly 3-4 weeks, the offering should improve greatly and the season’s first carciofini (small artichokes) should appear. Cima di Rapa from Switzerland or France (also known as broccoli rabe) is a member of the cabbage family and remains one of the season’s highlights. Cima di rapa is excellent when boiled or stewed and served as part of a pasta dish. The quality of cima di rapa in January is at its peak with the right balance of bitter and sweet. Potatoes may seem a bit boring and slightly out of place to those who are looking for a lighter diet, but many varieties of potatoes actually improve during storage and produce very light and fluffy purées. Consider Bintje and Agria varieties and turn them into a very light gnocchi. Black kale from Italy and green and purple kale from Switzerland are available in abundance. Kale is simple to cook, milder than most cabbages, and an excellent source of vitamins. Other vegetables to consider: Baby fennel, savoy cabbage, salsify, and some truly fantastic winter spinach. Fruits are dominated by citrus varieties. Consider blood oranges from southern Italy. There are two varieties to search for…moro and tarocco. The moro is smaller than the tarocco and much deeper in color. Moros are generally a bit more sour than the tarocco. Both varieties have plenty of antioxidants and are delicious raw or juiced. Try mixing some blood oranges with a fresh salad (castelfranco or sliced baby fennel). Valencia Oranges from Spain are sweet and full of juice. Bitter Oranges (Seville) from Italy or Spain are absolutely excellent for making marmalades, but you have to hurry to catch these at the market as they will only be around for a couple more weeks. Lemons from Italy or Spain have thinner skins than summer lemons, and they are full of juice…perfect for making preserved lemons. Citron (seen at the market as cedri) are available, but hard to find, even at the market. Citron are excellent for making candied lemon peel or simply using the zest to liven up almost anything. Many Italians like to slice them, sauté them in oil, then serve them with fish or with salads. Grapefruit from southern Italy are either pink or yellow and full of flavor – much nicer than supermarket varieties. From lettuces, look for radicchio varieties from Italy – right now there are at least 4-5 varieties. Castelfranco is a member of the radicchio family, and perhaps one of the most beautiful heads of lettuce available. Also look for mâche (nüsslisalat), red or green chicory, purslane and watercress. Other market fresh gems to consider are: fresh hazelnuts and grifola mushrooms.

what to avoid
There are many products coming to market during the early part of the year which are in season in other locations – especially products from the southern hemisphere. It is easy to become tempted by the year’s first asparagus and strawberries, but these products are still months away from their season in Europe. Remember…shipping and increased amounts of pesticides will dramatically harm products which are brought to market outside of their season. In addition to avoiding these products, try to resist new garlic from Argentina or Egypt, cucumbers from Holland, bell peppers from Spain, tomatoes from anywhere, Spanish blood oranges, and grapefruit from the USA.


looking ahead…
February is a transition month, moving from winter into the first signs of spring. Look for artichokes form Italy, especially the small carciofini varieties. Buck’s horn (monk’s beard) comes into season next month, along with Sicilian and Sardinian tomatoes. Making their way slowly through the ground are dandelion greens, nettle shoots and green garlic.

Happy shopping and cooking…

Thanks again Jack, good to know someone out there knows what they're talking about

Re. Grapefruit: You're right about importing US grapefruit, but you know those Florida honies can taste a lot sweeter (I know, I know...)

If you're into the tang but not the bitterness of grapefruit, 'Sweeties' from Israel (a cross between a Pomelo and a Grapefruit or Pomelit) make a great addition to a crunchy salad. Crack some walnuts and serve with sardines on toast. Mmmm...

I'm often looking for really good potatoes but only the market supplies them. Can you tell me the word used for a 'Baked' potato? I usually end up with largish Bintjes but something doesn't seem right with them. Lots of salt on the wet skin brings up a good crispy jacket (no foil) after 50 minutes, but I'm still longing for something bigger than my fist. Any ideas?

It's good to see carciofini appearing again; plenty of garlic and bacon (no butter, taste the YUM) and a 20 mins in a medium oven.

Ooooh I'm hungry.

For baked potatoes...it is definitely best to search for mehlig (mealy or starch) varieites. Your best bets are agria, bintje, désirée (red variety) or sometimes lady chrystal. Really large potatoes are difficult to find, but you can locate them at the market...just look for a stand that sells many varieties of potatoes (Oerlikon and Helvetiaplatz in Zürich) and dig through their offering...Most Swiss I know always refer to baked potato as...well...baked potato...go figure! BTW, you can also get a nice crispy skin on a baked potato by rubbing it in olive oil first...Aluminum foil is completely unnecessary!

Jack

Tried the tarocco oranges! I mixed them in an asian salad: small pieces of fried egg noodles crumbled over romaine and arugula, some pan toasted peanuts (soon to be out of season, I think), then drizzled with some sesame oil. Yum! Excellent tip!!

Fennel's great raw as a salad with some buffala paremesan on top and a very light lemon vinaigrette dressing. Though I've noticed the fennel gets better if I let it marinate in the dressing for 30 minutes or so.

Greg...you are correct about the marinating. Another tip is to slice the fennel and let it soak in very cold water for about 30 minutes...this will really help with the crispiness. Good fresh fennel is a bit hard to find right now. Most fennel in Switzerland comes from here, and it is not really available until the summer and fall. Fennel from southern Italy, however, is different because the main harvesting time is from October through May... So, if you look for fresh fennel now, then be sure to search the markets and look for those coming form Italy...

Jack

I love fennel with roast chicken; simply slice it into two or three pieces and throw in the pan alongside the bird. Using the basting juices is enough to slightly tenderise and tone-down the aniseed taste.

Apparently it's the bees-knees for indegestion. Fennel tea is good for breast-feeding Mothers, too, so I've been told.

Thanks Jack...great tips as usual ( I had attended one of your whats in season sessions last year and ended up making some lovely blueberry muffins - and couldnt believe myself!!!) .

I bought some fennel from Migros the other day but the taste is too strong - will try soaking it next time! And yes fennel tea is good for digestion and breastfeeding - both me and my kid have been drinking gallons of the stuff since she was born )

Hi Arunidhi...thanks for the mention...always glad to help someone make muffins

As for fennel...try it raw...some find the taste milder when eaten raw (me included)...If you want to cook it, try boiling fennel slices in salted water for about 4 minutes, then put them immediately in cold water...Toss with some olive oil and lemon juice...

Jack

Thanks Jack, will go hunting for this broccoli rabe and some Kale and the Morros and the citrons (never knew they are different from lemons!).

Also avoid bell peppers from Holland; they are quite common in Swiss supermarkets but Dutch bell peppers were sprayed by far the most in an EU study I read.

I noticed the bio tomatoes at Coop are quite awful now. No taste and very hard. Guess I will wait for those Sicilian tomatoes

A tip about potatoes. Coop still has the special species from Pro Species Rara; the BIO blue potatoes. They are purple on the outside and inside and turn blue when you cook them. Generally, colour in fruit/veggies indicates antioxidants so I imagine these potatoes must offer quite a health benefit compared to bland potatoes . I have used them in a vegetable quiche and in a curry, quite nice. Taste is different but still potato-like!