The Downtown Farmers’ Market opened this month with the clang of the cowbell. And just as traditions continue, some things are sprouting up afresh. Here are a few of the new vendors we’re eager to check out whenever they show up in the Saturday morning rotation. Check online for specific dates at dsmpartnership.com.
Baan Vaan Ice Cream + Goodies. The name sounds Dutch, but it actually means “sweet village” in Tai Dam and Lao. The owners whip up small batches of ice cream in a kitchen in Sherman Hill and experiment with flavors you can’t get at most grocery stores — blueberry, chocolate stracciatella, toffee cookie crumble and more. On their website, they had us at “high butterfat.”
Buckets of Blessings. A small business from Boone offers mixes to make homemade ciabatta, focaccia and pizza crusts. Their website asks, “Have you ever wanted your kitchen to smell like an Italian bakery?” Why, yes. Yes, we do.
Exoticas. In addition to selling Iowa produce, this business sells fresh South American fruit like mangos, custard apples and adorable baby bananas. As they always say (somewhere), a dragon fruit a day keeps the doctor away.
Jack Frost Freeze Dried Treats. An enterprising ninth grader from Ankeny started experimenting with a freeze dryer he bought in 2022. He now owns five machines and a full-on business, which sells magically puffed-up Skittles (pictured above), M&Ms, Milk Duds and gummies.
Pofferbites. The tagline for Lay’s potato chips applies to poffertjes, too: “Betcha can’t eat just one.” These mini Dutch pancakes are addictive.
Sweet Bee’s Macarons. Sure, an old-school French chef might scoff at some of the avant-garde flavors, but we’re here for it. S’mores macarons? Caramel latte macarons? Magnifique.
Tikka Talk USA. The popular Indian food truck will swing by to sell butter chicken, paneer tikka and vegan dal makhani. Skipping this one is naan negotiable.
Yonderbound. A husband-and-wife team sells hemp-derived “trail mixers” so you can infuse any drink with a low dose of cannabis (3 milligrams of THC and CBD). Their slogan: “Made for those who wander.”
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