Crazy farmers market fun in Switzerland

Posted by on 28 June 2007

I don’t want to alarm anyone, but there seems to be a trend towards non-traditional vegetable afoot around Zurich’s farmers’ markets. Purple asparagus, yellow zucchini, purple green beans (which I guess would just be called purple beans?)… these Swiss farmers are out of control.

I love going to the farmers markets in Zurich and finding crazy new things. I usually go to the ones at Oerlikon (Wednesday mornings) and Helvetiaplatz (Tuesday and Friday mornings). In addition to seeing how many wacky new vegetables I can find, I’m also busy filling up on zucchini flowers and peas, two of my garden favorites which never seem to make their way to the grocery stores. Plus the cherries and berries and in all their glory at this time of year.

The fruit and vegetables at the markets in Zurich are noticeably fresher and more flavorful than their grocery-store counterparts, and aren’t always more expensive (the market at Bürkliplatz supposedly has the highest prices). And even if they are, the quality and flavor more than justifies the price (listen to me, I’m starting to sound Swiss). Just stay away from the heirloom tomatoes…

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Comments (17)

  • Tanya
    June 28th, 2007

    Yea, what’s up with the “heirloom” tomatoes? I tried a couple last year (from Burkliplatz) and they were mushy, watery and tasteless. Is that the norm?

  • The Globetrotter Parent
    June 28th, 2007

    Wow! And here I thought that Italian markets offered the best choice.

  • Jul
    June 28th, 2007

    Tanya – nice to hear I’m not the only one who’s totally disappointed in those things. CHF 4 apiece and absolutely no flavor!

    Caroline – at least half of the fab stuff at Swiss markets comes from Italy… I doubt we have you beat. :)

  • FinnyKnits
    June 28th, 2007

    Ms Adventures in Italy blogged on these zucchini a while back – the ones that look like little grenades. Apparently called, “Tondo di Piacenza”. So cute! I’d rather have those any day than the big overgrown beasts that abound in my yard.

    I grow my own Better Boy tomatoes and steer clear of the fancy pants heirloom kind. I feel your pain.

  • Vivacious Vegan
    June 29th, 2007

    What fun fruit! I was just looking at a website that sold heirloom beans and I was all excited about the different varieties. Unfortunately, my pocketbook isn’t as excited as I am so that purchase will have to wait.

  • Schokolade Mädchen
    June 29th, 2007

    The “purple beans” are so strange!

  • Jill
    June 29th, 2007

    Thanks for the link to the markets, exactly what I need. I’m enjoying reading your blog as I prep for my move to Zurich (arriving next week) — from Asia where we are so spoiled with variety. So glad I’m in time for all the beautiful fruits and veg.

  • Jul
    June 30th, 2007

    Jill – good luck with your move! Sounds like you’ll be arriving just in time for Züri Fäscht: http://www.zuerifaescht.ch/2007/

  • urban vegan
    July 1st, 2007

    Vegetable diversity. I love it. White eggplants and blood oranges are my favorite veggie diversions.

  • miss tango
    July 1st, 2007

    Yellow zucchini crazy? Perhaps only in Switzerland….

  • naechstehaltestelle
    July 2nd, 2007

    My God, I fear the purple asparagus. I’ve only just gotten used to the white.

  • Leon
    July 2nd, 2007

    I have been growing yellow zucchini the last two years but it seems once in awhile a green one shows up?

  • Z
    July 2nd, 2007

    Great post! Are the yellow zucchini not what are called “squash” in the US? Hm, what’s this, I wonder.

    Have all your heirloom adventures been negative? I actually bought a couple of heirloom plants from a Pro Specie Rara market at Schloss Wildegg many weeks ago and am hoping for some good tomatoes… We’ll see.

  • Jul
    July 2nd, 2007

    Z – nope, the yellow zucchini here are definitely a different vegetable from the yellow summer squash which are popular in the US (hmmm… don’t think I’ve ever seen those here, though).

    I’d love to hear how your heirlooms turn out. I’ve never had any that impressed me, but then again I’m far from an expert on them.

  • Haddock
    July 3rd, 2007

    I grew yellow Zuchinni for a couple of years as it tends to have more taste then the green ones. This year I am growing purple/brown sweet peppers and yellow tomatoes that are shaped like lemons – there is a lot of veg out there that is different if you look for it.

    Heirloom is a generic term for vegetables that have a long pedigree. They are not normally sold in supermarkets. There are quite a few sorts of Heirloom varieties so you may have just been unlucky with the variety that they sell at your local market :)

  • zandria
    July 3rd, 2007

    Nontraditional veggies? I guess that would be okay as long as they didn’t have some crazy chemicals in them or something. I’m all for trying new things! And they look pretty cool. :)

  • CaliforniaKat
    July 3rd, 2007

    The purple beans and zucchini grenades are normal around Greece; I rather like the latter. We don’t have the yellow zucchini, but we’ve got some yellow limes (no, they’re not lemons), white carrots and orange tomatoes. :)

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