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LV Recommends What’s Fresh at the Farmers Market?

Late summer means goodbye kale, hello sweet corn.

BY ELLE WIgNALL

Whether you’re headed to the historic Court Avenue District for your weekly dose of vegetables or a leisurely breakfast and people-watching, the Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market boasts something for everyone. Saturdays from 7 a.m. to noon (8 a.m. to noon in October), the market comes to life with musical performances on every intersection and vendors from across the state ready to make the morning a memorable one.

Late summer marks the shift from leafy greens and strawberries to ripened tomatoes and that coveted Iowa sweet corn, among other hot-weather produce. Slather yourself in sunscreen and read on to see what August has in store for market attendees.

What produce is in season?

According to local farmers, August marks the optimal time to get your hands on tomatoes, peppers and—on the sweeter side— melons and rhubarb.

Ineichen’s Tomatoes of Blue Grass comes prepared each Saturday with a selection of hydroponically grown beefsteak tomatoes that hold their shape well for BLTs and summer salads.

While Iowa sweet corn typically reaches its maximum sweetness around the Fourth of July, this year’s unpredictable spring pushed the season back by a few weeks. Penick’s Sweet Corn out of Carlisle brings along juicy white and yellow ears for sale.

Yang Homegrown Vegetables of Pella has a large spread of harderto-find produce. including brussels sprouts, lemongrass and okra, as well as watermelon and cantaloupe.

Summer squash and zucchini are especially robust ahead of fall squash season and add a bright splash of color to any summer dish; they’re easy to spot in the rainbow-like display under Grade A Gardens’ tent. The Earlhambased farm grows all organic fruit and vegetables and specializes in garlic varietals. The Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market draws in tens of thousands of people each

Saturday. If you’re serious about finding the best veggies or getting to know your local farmers, beat the crowd and show up before 9 a.m.

What’s for breakfast?

The ready-to-eat vendors are easy to spot: just follow the good smells and look for long lines, which tend to move quickly.

Grab a coffee at Iowa Coffee Company to sip while you peruse the rest of the market. They offer dozens of coffee and syrup flavor combinations, as well as a strong cold brew, fresh-squeezed lemonade and sweet tea for those humid August mornings. If you’re looking for a filling bite, Holy Biscuits’ hearty egg sandwich with your choice of protein is worth the wait. Throughout August, catch Saap Bowl selling Laotian-style breakfast fried rice and addictive jalapeño and bacon crab Rangoon.

Maybe lunch is more your speed, in which case Papillon’s Bosnian spinach and cheese pitas or handmade tamales from Tamale’s Industry are a must. And if you’re looking for balance, a shot of wheatgrass from Fresh Cafe and Market can’t hurt.

What will satisfy a sweet tooth?

The pastries are on point this summer, with the return of market staples like Vander Ploeg Bakery’s Dutch letters and Austrian-style goodies by Strudl Haus.

Uncle Wendell’s has the market’s best-kept secret treat: the KouignAmann. Known as the fattiest pastry in all of Europe, the Kouign-Amann is laminated with layers of butter like a croissant and rolled out in sugar before being formed in a spiral or muffin-like shape. The sugar caramelizes the pastry from the inside out, and it’s

best enjoyed after a quick reheat in the oven. If you simply can’t wait for your sugar fix, Wendell’s also serves chocolate chip cookies as big as your face. New to the market this year is Nadia’s, a French-inspired bakery that will transport you right out of

Des Moines. Swirly Pain aux Raisins and chocolate croissants go quick, and for good reason: these pastries are earth-shatteringly flaky and could easily be found in a Parisian cafe.

BONUS: Post-market shenanigans

If you’re making a trip downtown on a Saturday morning, why not make a day out of it? The Dart

D-Line runs for free from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and delivers riders to the east-and-westernmost corners of downtown Des Moines every 15 minutes. Head to the East Village for more shopping and bar hopping, or swing west to meander through the Pappajohn Sculpture Park. For fun just on the outskirts of the market, stop by the recently opened Surety Courtyard, where Chef Rhateb Aburas of adjoining Mulberry Street Tavern has created a fun summer menu of snacks, shareables and finger foods. No reservation is needed to get your hands on the wildly popular MST burger that comes topped with sriracha pickles and caper mayo, or a refreshing shrimp ceviche with preserved tomatoes.

Elle Wignall is a Des Moinesbased food writer, baker and cooking instructor with an out-of-control sweet tooth.

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