By Haley Scarpino
The Downtown Farmers Market in Des Moines has been going strong for more than 50 years. It spans a dozen city blocks and brings together hundreds of vendors from across Iowa. I remember going with my parents as a kid, back when it was much smaller.
These days, my favorite markets are in May, when it’s still chilly enough for a sweatshirt and shorts. I like arriving early, before the streets fill with crowds. I take my time making the rounds at my favorite stands like Crooked Gap Farm, Grade A Gardens and Hoffman Farm and Forage. And by the time the day morning heats up, I’m usually grabbing a hot eggroll from Mao’s Homemade Eggrolls and heading home with my finds.
This time of year, I rarely shop with a recipe in mind. Instead, I build simple weeknight meals around whatever looks best at the market, plus a few pantry staples or shortcuts that make dinner feel easy.
Spring produce doesn’t need much help. It cooks quickly and tastes best when treated simply. A rotisserie chicken, eggs, pasta, crusty bread or canned beans can turn market vegetables into dinner in less than 30 minutes.
In spring and early summer, I always come home from the market with a combination of asparagus, radishes, spinach, arugula, fresh herbs, local cheeses, eggs and fresh pasta. The early markets aren’t overflowing with produce yet, which makes those local finds feel fleeting and special.
The best farmers market meals let the ingredients do the work. Here are three ideas that pair market produce with a few convenient staples.
Creamy Beans with Asparagus and Lemon
Sauté asparagus and spring onions in butter, then stir in canned white beans and finish it with fresh herbs, lemon juice and Parmesan cheese. Serve the creamy beans with crusty bread for a dinner that feels simple but surprisingly elegant. It all comes together in one skillet in less than 30 minutes, but somehow feels like something you’d eat at a little bistro in Paris.
Crispy Toasts with Roasted Radishes
Toast thick slices of crusty bread and spread them with salty European-style butter. Top the toast with roasted radishes, fresh herbs and flaky salt, then serve alongside fried eggs and a simple green salad tossed with champagne vinaigrette.
I find raw radishes are a little too sharp and overpowering, but roasting them completely changes the flavor. Their natural sugars caramelize in the oven (or air fryer), turning them sweet, mellow and tender.
Mushroom and Greens Skillet Pasts
The farmers market usually has a great selection of local mushrooms in early spring, along with fresh pasta from DSM Pasta Co.
Sauté fresh mushrooms in butter until they’re deeply browned, then add spinach and let it wilt into the pan. Toss everything with pasta, a splash of pasta water, fresh herbs and local goat cheese from Simple Life Farms for a dinner that is both easy and delicious.
Haley Scarpino is a chef, home cook, recipe tester, food editor and graduate of the Iowa Culinary Institute.
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