You all know of my love for markets.  That means at home in Zürich, every Tuesday and Friday morning at my beloved Bürkliplatz, as well as the local markets in Sicily, Berlin, France’s Basque Country and really, anywhere my travels take me around the world. And right now, that means New York City.

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I love going to the market.  But you already knew that.

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Tables and tables of “slow food” approved products once again filled the Messe event space in Zürich.  Recognizable by its logo of a snail, Slow Food continues its mission of “good, clean and fair” (bon, propre et juste / gut, sauber und fair), promoting food that satisfies the senses, is environment-friendly, health-friendly too, is at prices both accessible to consumers and fair to workers, and most of all, is fresh, local and delicious !

It was a true feast for the eyes and taste buds at the inaugural Slow Food Market in 2011, when I discovered (and tasted !) so many new products from various regions of Switzerland.  One year later, some of those items are now cupboard staples in my home.  So back to the market I went to see what other delicious finds I would make, with my eye on the sweet stands, but of course.

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I’m just returned from Sicily, so you know what that means – there is soon to be a Sweet Sicily post on the blog here !  But before I get to the gelato, granita, cassata and marzipan, first a stroll through a few Sicilian markets, where I spent most of my time.  (When not eating gelato, granita, cassata and marzipan. Not to mention cannoli and torrone and chocolate and…)

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Whether you’re reading this in Zürich, Brugge, New York or Dubrovnik, I think we can all agree… the weather has been anything but predictable lately.  We may have thought spring was on its way over here in Switzerland, but that quickly turned to cold temperatures, wind and rain once again.  Where to go for a burst of color when it’s nothing but grey outside ?  To the market, of course !

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Recognizable by its signature snail logo, the Slow Food organization is all about understanding more about the food we eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices impact the rest of the world.  Pretty much, everything that is lost with fast food !  While Slow Food Switzerland has been around since 1993, we just had our first ever Slow Food Market (Il Salone del Buon Gusto / Le Salon du Bon Goût) in Zürich, where local and regional producers connected directly with the public. Taste, discover, discuss and buy.  I had the pleasure of listening to Slow Food founder Carlo Petrini speak (in German, Italian and French !) about the concept of “Retour à la Nature“; the Terra Madre network of food communities, defined by place of origin; as well as how that all meshes with the values of Swiss artisans and consumers.  “Slow Food unites the pleasure of food with responsibility, sustainability and harmony with nature.”

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Having devoured finished all the sweets I brought back from France’s Basque country, I am now savoring each and every one of my hundreds of photos taken during my recent trip there.  And already planning my next trip back.  So many villages visited (Aïnhoa, Espelette, St Jean Pied de Port, Itxassou, Sare…), many that I can’t wait to revisit, and yet so many more to discover (Guéthary, St Pée sur Nivelle, Bidart, St Etienne de Baigorry…).  My favorite, which will always be on the list, no matter how many times I’ve been back… is St Jean de Luz.

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Whenever I visit a new town, I’m not only on a mission to discover the sweet scene, but also to spend time at a local market.  It’s a perfect introduction to the culinary landscape, and always so interesting to observe the exchanges between proud vendors and their loyal customers, and most of all, see what people eat there !  What seems completely normal and mundane in one country (like the Swiss’ multicolored hard-boiled eggs) can be exotic and exciting – or just weird – to another.

Right now at the markets in Zürich, bright red strawberries and stalks of rhubarb are in the spotlight, but fat, white asparagus are taking up a lot of prime real estate too. While the latter has become common for me, living here in the German part of Switzerland and making regular visits to Zürich’s Bürkliplatz and Oerlikon markets, white asparagus were once strange and unfamiliar.  For me, asparagus were green, showing again that one person’s apple is another person’s rambutan.

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It’s starting to get real exciting at the markets here in Zürich.  We’ve already had a few tastes of summer, and berries are making their first appearances, mostly coming from Spain and Italy.  Best of all, rhubarb is now in the spotlight !  I noticed the long, green-topped, ruby stalks at the Coop (local supermarket) a few weeks ago, but as they were grown in hot-houses (and who knows where), I waited ever so patiently for the local crop to show.  Swiss rhubarb is now at every stand at the markets and I can hardly resist buying some each time I go.  Those bright stalks stick out of my market bag like a French baguette, and I hurry home to turn them into a quick pot of jam, or chop them up and throw them into the oven hiding beneath a mountain of buttery crumble topping.

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When December rolls around and the holidays approach, what gets you the most excited? For some, it’s the hunt for the perfect Christmas tree and taking it home to decorate, not to mention placing wrapped gifts underneath.  For others, it’s thinking of their city filled with festive lights – always an elegant display here in Zürich.  Still others anticipate the winter markets, roasting chestnuts by the fire or cooking and baking family recipes.  For me… it’s Weihnachtsguetzli, Christmas cookies, of course! (recipes below)

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