Onion Market: Zibelemärit in the Swiss capital

This was not the longest arrangement, a 2 m long one carried a lable "SOLD"

The last Monday in November is Zibelemärit (Onion market for the less eloquent in Swiss German) in Berne, the Swiss capital. This is a big event for the locals. We are even granted half a day public holiday and some schools let the children to mark and enjoy the event. The true fans of this day start off at four or five in the morning, the public transport starts an hour earlier than on other days. It is a good idea to come by public transport as many will be keeping themselves warm drinking Glühwein (mulled wine) or Punsch.

Stalls and people everywhere

The market really is about lots of stalls selling onion wreaths and garlic wreaths and all sorts of creative onion and garlic decorations. Funny enough, the market does not smell of onion at all. Occasionally the nose catches the inviting garlic bread aroma from some catering stalls.

Smiling onion ladies

There is lots of typical food to choose from on the onion market: onion pie, cheese pie, fondue, potato rösti, bratwurst, Lebkuchen. Specialties from other Kantons (Counties) can be bought as well.

Onion and cheese pies in all sizes

Speck from Kanton Glarus

 

If the Swiss food is not your favourite, burgers, hot dogs, roasted almonds, chinese fried specialties or even Dutch sweet poffertjes will not leave you hungry.

 

Roasted almonds and Lebkuchen

 

Even the Dutch are claiming a stand at the onion market

A portion of 5 poffertjes with sugar and butter go for 6 Francs

Over the years the market seems to have expanded and is now occupying most streets in the city center including the Parliament square.



Garlic, Onions and Lavender from Provence, France

A loooong salami that was

I mentioned that most of the children are free from school on this day. To fill their time adequately, they walk around throwing confetti at everyone and hitting the passers-by with plastic hammers. Confetti and hammers are probably the best sellers in the non-food segment items on this day. A day well spent.

Walking around the streets in the city center the scents and sensations of the brewing wine in huge kettles is inebriating the market visitors to the beat of the 80´s "Voyage, Voyage" or to Lenny Kravitz´s desire to get away and fly away. Listening to some of my non-Swiss friends they would join in with Lenny trying to escape the crowds and being hit on the head with a hammer.

The colourful confetti is cleaned fast in the evening and before the night falls the streets shine as a new pair of glasses.

A piece of cheese pie and that´s dinner sorted. If you´d like to learn a Swiss German word, try "Chäschueche", it means cheese pie.

 

Swiss chäschueche or cheese pie

Farmers Market: Leek and Red Potato Soup;

It is quite refreshing to see new stalls appear at my local farmers market. Recently I found two girls selling five or six different types of potatoes. Potatoes was all they had. Focus and specialize. Nice. Like specialised cheese stands or a fairly new beef stand whose selection includes tongue and oxtail (...think of oxtail soup...) or Italian fruits and vegetables with their artichokes or bio lemons that have a voluptuous knobbly shape disguised by a few dark green leaves or a local farmer specializing in lama meat charcuterie and berries or most recently a stand with a selection of gluten free offering.

Back to potatoes. Some of their varieties like Agria and Gourmandine I know and have tasted. They also had a blue variety, the "Blaue St. Gallen". It was the red ones that caught my attention this time, the Red Emmalie.

The coloured potatoes are getting a more vigorous acceptance by the restaurants. Not long ago, one of my favourite local restaurants, Mille Sens, served a green cream soup topped with freshly hand fried blue potato chips. This made my eyes eat from the plate and my head nod in appreciation.
The bio/organic sections in some supermarkets are starting to offer coloured potatoes in their selection. There are also a few farmers at the weekly market who offer blue potatoes. Slowly the potatoes are entering the colourful Samba mile at the fresh produce festival.

I find it is perfectly fine to use these rather unusual colour tubers in common ways of cooking, especially if time is tight for more sofisticated action in the kithcen. The pure fact that they are blessed with an unconventional colour the coloured potatoes will be the winners on the plate. Recently I made blue potato and garlic confit.

A mid week time saver, a classic, straightforward leek and potato soup is easy to pimp up with different colour potatoes.

Leek and Red Potato Soup
Ingredients for 2
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 small onion, sliced
200-300g leek, chopped, without the green tops. Use the gree part in a stew or another soup, no need to waste it.
300g potatoes, (red, blue or any colour) peeled and cut into small cubes
1 bay leaf
0.75 l boiling water
salt

fried bacon strips (optional)

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a pan and cook the sliced onion in the oil until it softens.
2. Add the potato cubes (ca. 1 cm size) together with the chopped leek and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring a few times.
3. At the same time, heat the water in an electric kettle, if you have one at hand.
4. Pour the water into the pan and cover the potatoes and leeks. (I dont´t recommend hot water from the tap)
5. Add a bayleaf and ca.1 teaspoon of salt or to your taste.
6. Cook on a low to medium heat until the potatoes become soft.
7. In a small pan fry the bacon strips and a few minutes before the soup is ready, add the previously fried bacon strips to the soup.