Murcia, Spain's market garden: what grows there and how to cook it at home

In south-eastern Spain, the region of Murcia is known as la huerta de Europa, the market garden of Europe. A lot of the produce in Canadian supermarkets in winter starts there: lemons, lettuces, artichokes, peppers, tomatoes, broccoli. If you have ever wondered why Spanish produce is so often on the shelf when local fields are under snow, this is a large part of the answer.

This is a cook’s tour, not an industry report. Here is what grows, what to do with it, and what to look for when you shop.

The short version of why it works

Murcia has long, dry, sunny summers, mild winters and a history of careful irrigation, partly dating to the Moorish period. Water is the central issue for farming there. It is a dry region and the people who grow food in it have thought about water for a thousand years. That context is worth keeping in mind when you buy its produce: a tomato from a dry region is a decision about water, not just about price.

Five things to cook

1. Lemons. Murcia grows a great deal of Spain’s lemons. Buy unwaxed ones if you plan to use the zest. A lemon with a thin skin and a heavy feel is juicy. A lemon cut into wedges, salted and roasted with chicken is the easiest weeknight dinner.

2. Artichokes. The season is cold months, which suits Canadian kitchens. Trim the outer leaves, rub the cut surface with lemon so it does not brown, then braise in olive oil, garlic and a splash of white wine. Serve warm or cold.

3. Peppers. Sweet red peppers and the dried ones used for pimentón (Spanish paprika) are a Spanish pantry staple. Murcia has its own pimentón with a protected name. Smoked or sweet, a teaspoon changes a soup or a bowl of beans.

4. Zarangollo. A humble local dish of zucchini and onion softly cooked in olive oil and often bound with beaten egg. It is the kind of thing that makes you understand why people from there are proud of ordinary vegetables.

5. Paparajotes. A Murcian dessert made by dipping lemon leaves in batter, frying them and dusting with sugar and cinnamon. You eat the batter, not the leaf. If you grow a lemon tree on a sunny windowsill, it is a fun project for a dinner party.

What to look for when you shop

• Origin on the label. Many supermarkets in Canada say where produce is from. Spain, and sometimes Murcia, will be on it.
• Seasonality. Citrus and artichokes are best in winter. In summer, local Canadian tomatoes will beat anything that has travelled.
• Smell. A ripe tomato should smell like a tomato. If it has no smell, it will have no flavour.
• Weight. For citrus, choose heavier fruit of the same size.

A thought on buying

Eating produce that has travelled is not a sin. Eating only produce that has travelled is a missed chance. A good plan for a Canadian cook is simple: eat what grows near you when it grows near you, and use the travelling produce to fill the winter gaps. Murcian lemons in January make a lot of sense. Murcian tomatoes in August do not.

A winter dinner for four

• Roasted chicken with lemon and garlic
• Braised artichokes
• Sweet red pepper and bean soup with smoked paprika
• Lemon ice for dessert

It costs less than you think, and it brings a Spanish kitchen to a Canadian January.