Our butcherIt is also time for pussy willow (see new header photo), and ignoring husband's impatience I stopped to buy. Now there is a bunch sitting pretty on my dining table.
Nobody takes pictures at the market. This guys thinks I am weird. Notice the cathedral in the background?
The potato man is out of Annabelle potatoes, our favourite. He says that they are an early potato. What does that mean? Does anyone know when is early for potatoes?
Blaukraut or red cabbage
Nobody takes pictures at the market. This guys thinks I am weird. Notice the cathedral in the background?The market is on every Wednesday and Saturday morning. It takes place in the town square, known as the Münsterplatz where the Münster, the cathedral with the highest church tower in the world, provides a dramatic background.
The potato man is out of Annabelle potatoes, our favourite. He says that they are an early potato. What does that mean? Does anyone know when is early for potatoes?
Blaukraut or red cabbageHusband makes a mean Blaukraut. He cooks it the traditional way, with vinegar, sugar, onions, an apple, bay leaves and preiselbeere or lingonberries. When my mum used to make spaghetti bolognaise, bless her determined wooden spoon, somehow it always ended up tasting like curry. A dish without a pinch of her mixed spice was unfathomable. Husband cooked fish (perch), with the Blaukraut and somehow it turned out like a schnitzel. It was crumbed and fried but never before has fish had such a schnitzely quality. Needless to say, I had seconds. I love schnitzel.
Ever seen apples displayed like this before? All in the name of being easy to unhook and take with you.
These are the last apples for the season but the apple man will continue to sell what he has stored, as well as schnapps and juice over summer. He also does a roaring trade with berries. I am his number one raspberry customer, I'd like to think so anyway. When I first bought apples from him, I always used to get a free one for the road. This practice stopped after he noticed that Husband benefited from this freebie more than I did. I have a floury apple phobia, so someone has to test bite first. Husband's bite means there is little but core left by the time it's my turn. As the weather gets warmer, the market becomes unbearably beautiful. I'll have to try to remember my camera so I can show you what I mean.
Oh I miss those markets! And the schinken! Eating ham and even bacon in Oz does not prepare you in the slightest for what German butchers can do with a happy and well fed pig.
ReplyDeleteI think I need to hunt down some decent ham here.
You made me laugh so hard with your descriptions of the schnitzely fish and the curry bolognaise.
Btw how on earth are you meant to carry one of those bags of apples around? They're huge!
I love that you have won over the growers with your charm- free apples eh? Nice :)
I looked up Annabelle potatoes which I haven't seen in Sydney and they are a cross between Nicola and Mona Lisa. We do have Nicola here and they are delicious. I think when your grower says 'early' variety that is what we would call a 'new potato', so it is a bit smaller and full of flavour. Does that sound about right? Do you use them for kartoffeln salat? Or other uses too? I'm not sure how long you have to wait for the next harvest. Ask him next time! He may look at you funny as this is obviously common local knowledge :) Withering glance!
ReplyDeleteAh Tina. A woman I can talk potatoes with. Yes, I will ask him next time, but you are right, I was kind of dreading the withering glance. We do all sorts of things with Anabelle, boil, roast etc. We don't make Kartoffel Salat because we know where to go to get the best. It certainly ain't our kitchen. I think just as with Indian food, I probably won't start cooking German food until I leave Germany. I made my first Indian curry in Germany, after leaving Sydney. I should add that my mum's curry bolognaise is great,she was among the avant-garde fusion chefs. A true pioneer.
ReplyDelete