Who can resist the beauty and goodness that abound in the markets of April? Surely even hardcore carnivores may be tempted…even for a fleeting moment…to experience a vegetarian life. Well, ok maybe not, but… April does offer quite a few selections of fresh products which help us chase away any lingering residue from the winter months. Most of the tired winter products have disappeared, and in their place come products which are crisp, vibrant, full of aromas and tastes. Here are few things to look for, avoid, and look ahead toward…

what to look for

French artichokes, named mamole, have arrived at the market. These large globe-shaped artichokes are perfect for steaming or stuffing. If small is what you are after, then look no further than the small purple-colored carciofini. These little artichokes have very little choke inside, so practically the entire artichoke is edible…except those nasty little stickers at the end of the leaves. Asparagus from Europe are now present, but you still need to be a bit cautious with your selection. On the white side, try the varieties from Cavillon in France. True Cavillon asparagus will have a purple tinge on the tips (the French like to have their asparagus gently kissed by the sun), which will turn green when you cook them. Rub two white asparagus together…if they screech they are fresh! Don’t cook white asparagus like green asparagus. White asparagus should be trimmed well, then cooked whole in a sauce pan of water, salt, white wine, lemon juice and a spoon of sugar. Simmer them for about 20 minutes. The green asparagus available during the early part of April come from Italy (mostly the south), and are quite thin. These do not need long to cook. Fresh Fava Beans are another Italian product which are available in April and May. They require a bit of work, because they should be peeled twice…but they are also worth the effort! The best tomatoes are still the varieties from Italy. Look for the Sardo variety or the Pacchino. Also coming from France’s Cavillon region of France, and definitely worth trying out are the radishes and fresh garlic. Fresh garlic should be kept refrigerated and used within one week. Simply trim away the tough out layers, then chop up all of the rest. Fresh garlic is quite assertive in its aroma, but easier to digest. On the wild side…there is quite a lot to choose from. Look for Dandelion Greens and Bärlauch. This year’s warm winter means early lettuce. If you are a salad fan, then there are quite a few varieties of chicory, leaf lettuce, watercress, and arugula (rocket) that will for sure make a nice salad. April is not a real fruit month. There are still plenty of citrus fruits to try – especially blood oranges from Italy. One of the most popular ‘fruits’ this time of year is actually a vegetable – rhubarb. The early-month varieties are mostly coming from greenhouses in Belgium, so they are not exactly the freshest. Toward the end of April, Swiss rhubarb will begin to show up at the market. You will know when they arrive, because they will be quite small at first (10- 12-cm).

what to avoid

Strawberries are still not in season. The ones appearing at the market or in the major supermarkets are mostly coming from Spain. These strawberries are subjected to heavy doses of pesticide, and in some cases, they are grown on illegal farms using illegal immigrants. Asparagus is also tricky right now, and there are plenty of reasons to avoid most offerings. The major supermarkets are carrying asparagus from Peru, Greece, Mexico, and California – these are not very fresh! Berries and stone fruits are most definitely not in season here. These fruits are coming mostly from the southern hemisphere. Blood oranges from Spain are not as flavorful as the ones coming from Italy.

looking ahead…

May is clearly one of the shopping highlights of the year. There are plenty of fresh vegetables to choose from, and it is still too early for most of the Swiss products – which means the protective tariffs will not adversely affect the prices. Coming in May will be white asparagus from the Alsace, Germany, and Austria. Green asparagus from Italy and Switzerland. Fennel and green peas from Italy, rhubarb from Switzerland, new potatoes from Switzerland, and melons from France, strawberries from Italy and Nespola from Spain.

Happy cooking and shopping...
Jack

Hi Jack,

Great article. My wife and I really enjoy your "fresh at the market" series! Any hints on using rhubarb. I only ever had it stewed with crumble and custard before. Are there any savory uses?

Cheers

Jekyll

Coop were doing Spanish Strawberries at CHF7.90 for 2 kilos at the weekend... hhmmm

Thanks for the tip on the strawberries, they look very tempting in Coop at the moment. The big pile there suggests that the season has already started. Have just got myself some italian blood oranges....

Thanks for the brilliant post. Your website is excellent as well, plenty of tasty food photos...

Hello Jack.

Really fantastic article! Please do some more. Make it a monthly thing, like a newsletter or something like that. Add some gardning info. This is the true spirit of the forum. Well done Jack!!

Update from 2011...

Take a 2-minute video tour of the Oerlikon market this morning - lots of great items including: local Swiss asparagus (white & green), radishes, carrots, kohlrabi, hops, tomatoes, Swiss chard, Tropea spring onions, Sicilian strawberries and plenty more...



Enjoy...

Our latest video recap of our market visit - today coming from Helvetiaplatz in Zürich... Lots of great items to purchase and some very cool small specialty stands. We highly recommend a trip to this market on Tuesdays and Fridays!



Enjoy...

Thanks ! Gave me some ideas for my shopping tonight ... and also my cooking

All Great Info here Jack... Thanks

Never knew this about white asparagus, which would probably explain why the last lot I did were a bland blandness of biblical proportions!

Today, had a meal of asparagus, spinach, sauerkraut, with onions and garlic, accompanied by some Lyoner-Wurst. Absolutely delicious

Gawd!!! Now I'm gonna have to go cook myself some lunch!!! LOL Cheers for that!!! <--- opens cupboard and gets attacked by lonely termites.. TAXI!!

Hello Jack,
Speaking of strawberries, I bought some last week that were bio NaturaPlan and also coming from Spain like you were saying. They are much more frangrant and smaller in size than the non-bio strawberries. I was curious what your thoughts were on the NaturaPlan and NaturaFarm brands here in Switzerland. Are they worth it or is it no more than a label?
Thanks so much for the article!

Miss Zula...

I'm always in favor of less pesticides because I don't really like putting more chemicals into my body. So, for that reason I favor 'bio' labels, but I am in no way always driven to buy a product just because it says bio. Sometimes bio products are heavily processed and that is also not healthy. With fruits and vegetables, I generally look for something local (and organic if possible). Seasonality is also very important to me. If I buy something which has been imported then I try to look for some kind of distinguishing mark which would indicate quality - bio label, traceability, aoc designation, etc...

Hope this helps and glad you enjoy the updates...