fresh at the market in June/July

The summer months are a festival of fresh fruits. There are plenty of choices to be had ranging from different stone fruits (apricots, peaches, cherries, and later plums) to various berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, gooseberries, currants, and Jost berries), and other temperate fruits like melons. Stone fruits appear first from Italy and France, then the Swiss varieties come into season and dominate the offerings at the market. Berries are mostly Swiss, although some come from Germany or France. Melons come from Italy and France – the best coming from Cavillon in the Provence. Vegetable selections are also enormous this time of year, with plenty to choose from in local offerings. June’s shopping basket can certainly be filled with many refreshing and flavorful fresh products. It is really the first month of the year when it really pays off to think about the local products from Switzerland. Here are a few products to look for, avoid, search out on the wild side, and look ahead toward…


what to look for

Fruits, Fruits, Fruits… Starting with the stone fruits, look for the deep reddish orange apricots from France. The larger paler apricots from Italy are not as flavorful. The price for apricots are reasonable and getting better – at least until the Swiss varieties come into season. Once apricots (mostly from Canton Wallis) hit the market, an automatic increase in import duties goes into effect. This will double the price of apricots over night. Cherries are really excellent this year. There are plenty of varieties available, so this might be a good time to experiment a bit. The darker cherries are quite rich in antioxidants, and have a sweet flavor. The Royal Anne variety (light red and yellow) are highly flavorful and full of acids. It is also possible to find the small bright red sour cherries at the market. These are excellent when preserved in their juices and served later in the year with some wild meat. Strawberries are really at their best right now. Ripe strawberries are intensely flavored, but they will not hold long – 2-3 days maximum. There are also plenty of opportunities to harvest your own strawberries throughout Switzerland. Keep your eyes open for some opportunities the next time you are driving around. Small wild Blueberries from Central Switzerland have just started to appear. These highly-flavored berries are full of antioxidants and vitamins. They are truly a treat during the summer in Switzerland – especially if you like making blueberry muffins! Other fruits in their prime are Melons from France, Figs from Italy, Peaches/Nectarines from Italy and France, and Gooseberries, Black Currants, Red Currants from Switzerland. As for vegetables…there are also plenty of selections, beginning with Eggplants, Bell Peppers, Zucchini, Red Onions, and Garlic – all from Switzerland. This is truly a ratatouille just waiting to be made. Green Beans are also quite plentiful at the moment. They come in a variety of colors ranging from green, yellow, spotted, and purple. Always ask if the vendor has some Bohnenkraut (savory in English) laying around. This delicious herb goes especially well with beans. It has a flavor similar to thyme. Swiss-grown Potatoes have just come back into season. Look for the agata (excellent for salads or steaming) or Lady crystal (good for purées). Other vegetables to consider are fresh Beets and Kohlrabi. Early in the season, these vegetables are so sweet, they require no cooking! Finally, there are plenty of choices in fresh Lettuce and all of the accompaniments: Cucumbers, Carrots, Radishes to make a delicious summer salad.


what to avoid

There are plenty of tomatoes to look for…and plenty to avoid. The oxtail tomato is a trend tomato, which has increased in availability during the past several years. The original is actually quite tasty and meaty, although quite rare to this area. These tomatoes did not travel well when fully ripened, nor did they ripen well when harvested while immature. The new version was developed during the past few years, and it attempted to fill the void in the tomato market during this time of year. Unfortunately, the taste is not very pleasing, and it is rather mealy and plain. It is a disappointment. Potatoes from last year, or anywhere outside of Switzerland should also be avoided. There are plenty of locally produced potatoes showing up at the market. Large blueberries are easy to find this time of year, especially in larger supermarkets. They are not so flavorful or rich in nutrients. If possible, stick to the smaller wild blueberries (about double the price…but worth every bit). Bell Peppers, Eggplants, and Zucchini from outside of Switzerland (except the round violet eggplant from Italy) are mostly mass produced in large greenhouses. Finally, asparagus season is now over (Cherries Red, Asparagus Dead).


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. Wild strawberries are quite prevalent. Though tiny, these ancestors to the cultivated varieties we now enjoy are full of flavor and aromas.

looking ahead…

August will have more fruits on the market to join those which are now appearing. The Pome fruits (apples, pears, and quinces) will begin to ripen and appear in mid-August. Elderberries and Figs (Italian) are also available during the beginning of August. Local tomatoes will be plentiful, and there are always interesting choices to be had, or new varieties to explore. Sweet corn and early season cabbage will begin to appear, which are the first signs of an approaching fall.

Happy shopping and cooking…

Jack

Thanks Jack - great info as usual.
Re wild fruits I was clearing out a bit of garden last week and found a couple of wild strawberry plants, not enough to really enjoy so left the berries on and hopefully we'll have more plants next year. We also found a redcurrant bush we never knew we had!
See you tomorrow night for your seasonal food workshop!

hi Jack, thanks for this - I always enjoy reading these posts. I thought of you when I bought my first basket of raspberries this summer. "Cherries Red, Asparagus Dead" is also a pretty good way to remember the passing of the seasons...

I have a tomato question for you. One of my favorite summertime meals is spaghetti with raw tomato sauce: skin the tomatoes, removing the seeds, then add a little garlic, basil and olive oil and serve with spaghetti. The problem is that the tomatoes are hit and miss - sometimes they're just right, but sometimes they aren't juicy enough, or a particular type isn't ripe yet and they don't have much flavor. Is there a specific type of tomatoes that would lend themselves particularly well to a recipe like this during the summer months?

Hi Bartholemew...Thanks for the nice words! Your spaghetti idea is fantastic...I make something similar, and this time of year I use the small cherry tomatoes (from the market...they look a bit like a date instead of the round ones). Just cut them in half...add them to your sauce base at the last moment and toss in the spaghetti... Other choices would be the Sardo tomatoes from Italy, but it's getting a bit late in the year now. In a couple of weeks, some of the better Swiss tomatoes will show up, and those are also great to use...For best flavor, don't peel or de-seed the tomatoes...just slice them and add. Hope this helps...

Enjoy!
Jack

many thanks Jack. I can't wait to try this with those date-like tomatoes, or some of the Swiss ones when they come around!

We recently stumbled upon a wonderful strawberry field in the town of Rikon near Winterthur where you can pick your own strawberries. Even though the season is coming to a close, late season strawberries are truly unbelievable - rich in flavor, aroma, vitamins and antioxidants - and shouldn't be missed... You will never again want to eat one of those mass-produced impostors appearing in February...

If you are near Zürich, you can easily visit the same field in Rikon. Read the info in the link above, or call for the latest picking information (only German): 052 383 1237.

Jack

Hi Jack,

On the subject of strawberries and other fruit; at Basel market (at least on Saturdays) there is a wonderful stall that sets up at the left side of the square (if your back is to the Rathaus).

In the autumn and winter they bring apples and pears and summer they bring soft fruits. They recently had a selection of three strawberry varieties - Polka, Sonata and Symphony. We bought a punnet of Sonata which are extremely juicy - our 14 month-old's clothes were covered in red after he consumed half of them.

The same stall has a great selection of raspberries and cherries.

Cheers,
Nick

Thanks Nick...great info! The perfect alternative to picking your own...

There are lots of fruits at the market right now...some which are truly spectacular! Try the blueberries...but look for the really small ones, and try to avoid the large ones...For a real nice treat, use these small blueberries to make blueberry muffins...

enjoy,
Jack

Hi Jack
I just looked up your blueberry muffins recipe-its my very favourite. Do you know by any chance what wholemeal or whole wheat flour (the brown one) -I was in Coop the other day and I got lost in a big way-dinkel, roggen, halb hell and more so I walked out very confused.

I also enjoy reading your regular postings, thanks!!

Jack

have you a recipe for preserving cherries - very good this year, or know where I may find one?

Thanks for the nice comments...Whole wheat flour is called Vollkornmehl...for the blueberry recipe, try using the Dinkelmehl (Bio) from Migros...It works real well... Let me know if you have any other questions regarding products and where to buy what...
Jack

	Quote:	Thalwiler
	Jack have you a recipe for preserving cherries - very good this year, or know where I may find one?

Great question! Cherries are quite good in Switzerland...Here's how I make preserved sour cherries in pinot noir (sour cherries will start to show up at the market very soon...they are smaller and lighter in color):


2,5 dl pinot noir
1 bay leaf
3 whole cloves
150 gr. sugar
1 kg. sour cherries, washed (pitted if you want)
1 tsp. thickener (arrowroot, corn starch or pectin)

Combine the wine, bay leaf, cloves and sugar in a heavy pot. Cook for five minutes, making sure the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the cherries, reduce the heat to medium-low, and gently cook for 5 minutes. Mix the thickener with a small spoon of the hot liquid until a paste forms. Add the paste to the cherries, mix well and cook an additional 5 minutes over moderate heat. Remove from the heat and immediately place the cherries in hot sterilized jars. Cool at room temperature to seal. The cherries will be ready in about 6-8 weeks.

To sterilize a jar, either boil it for 10-12 minutes or simply place it in a 140 C degree oven for 20 minutes.

Good luck...
Jack

thanks for a really interesting article - made my mouth water! I have just moved here from the UK and as a big fan of Thai food have been looking out for fresh coriander in Coop/Migros etc to no avail. My sister is bringing me some seeds out from UK next week to grow my own, but is it really not possible to find this in the supermarkets?
On the upside, have been practically living on cherries since we arrived on 3/7 - out of this world!

Hello and welcome... Fresh Coriander is really quite simple to find...Check any fresh market, go to any Turkish store or any Asian store...If you have a balcony, you can also buy a plant at any of the markets and just grow your own...

Good luck...
Jack

It's spelled with a 'K' here. Koriander. Most Coop/Migros will have some, but it often sells out.

I buy my Koriander, called Cilantro where I come from, in large bundles from Thai-Vietnamese grocery stores. It's flown from Thailand daily and is a LOT less expensive than the mainstream markets.

It's usually a number of whole plants, which can be replanted as well. But if one lives outside the major cities...

Anyways, we've had this conversation before... Search for Cilantro.

Any Coop of decent size will carry koriander/cilantro. We're growing our own on our balcony this summer.

As for the two most recent subjects (corn and koriander), they can go together quite nicely.

Clean your ear of corn, roll it in a sheet of aluminum foil with a bit of butter, salt, pepper, lime juice and koriander, throw it on your BBQ for 15 minutes or so and you're good to go.

Just so y'all don't think I'm imagining things...the corn discussion was moved...