To Market, To Market to Buy a Fat Pig

On the south side of the Ljubljanica River, between the triple-bridge Tromostovje and the Dragon Bridge, appears an outdoor market, where each day venders peddle fruits and vegetables from local farms, wild flowers from evergreen forests, and Slovenian kitsch to clutter the home. Nearby, in a stone arcade perched along a section of the river, the market continues. The long corridor within is divided according to food group, with designated areas for the bakers, the cheese sellers, and the butchers.

On the lower level of this arcade sits the fish market. The pungent smell of salt water and fish lingers in the stone stairway leading downstairs. The fish mongers stand in a line, and on beds of ice before them lay the glistening bodies of mackerel, monk fish, shrimp, scampi, calamari and other creatures from the depths of the Adriatic. “Welcome, Gospa!” they call out to me as I walk past them, surveying their goods and their prices. “What would you like today?” they ask.

I have once seen swordfish steaks for sale, with the freshly cut head of the swordfish set on ice, its sharp nose reaching for the ceiling, like a lean vase. Fish is supposedly freshest on Fridays, a remnant from the city’s Catholic past.

I try to make my way over to the market almost daily. The weather these afternoons has been mild and sunny; that’s enough to get me to cross the river and go food shopping. I find it therapeutic to walk past rows of colorful vegetables beaming freshness and health.

At present, succulent peaches from the Primorska region are in season, as are pears, little plums and summer’s last few batches of tender zucchini. The presence of bees, though irksome, can be of help in selection, for they always hover above the ripe and pesticide-free fruit.

The market is more expensive than picking up groceries at a local Mercator or Spar; zucchini at Merkator sells for 1.80 Euro a kilo while at the outdoor market, they sell for 2 Euro per kilo. But I do think it’s worth the additional expense. I’ve never eaten tomatoes as sweet as the ones I buy from the market, and the garlic sold there actually has flavor. The market produce is “organic” and “local,” buzzwords with a hefty price tag back home in New York, that fortunately, haven’t quite yet caught caught on here. It’s comforting to know that there are still places in the world where nature’s bounty is easily available and affordable.

It’s also become a bit of a challenge to cook using these seasonal ingredients. June’s batch of zucchini, for example, is heralded with great pomp, but by the end of the summer, it’s easy to get bored of the green vegetable. The abundance of market veterans like the ol’ zucchini forces me to continually search for new and tasty recipes.