Happy May Day! 
I’ve been busy making the most out of my Saturday! It’s a beautiful, spring day here in central Iowa, and the temps, light breeze and sunshine could not make it anymore wonderful to be outside…
Which is where I’ve been since 7:30 this morning! My Mom, Dad, Ben and I went to the opening day of the Downtown Farmer’s Market bright and early, whee!
I have been waiting for this day for months, I tell ya’. It’s been circled on my calendar since, ohhh, February?!
I think this was our busiest opening day yet – even at 7:30, the streets, stalls and tents were jam packed with people!
We leisurely strolled, sampled and took in all that the vendors had to offer. Fresh Chipotle Pepper Fettuccine, anyone?
Some of the produce was from outside the state, even the country, because we’re in the beginning stages of our growing season.
Except for the tomatoes – those were all homegrown! There were ton and tons of vendors selling starter plants.
My Mom picked up some Juliet cherry tomatoes – a variety none of us have ever tried,
and some Sweet 100′s – quite possibly the best cherry tomatoes you can eat!
There were strawberries in abundance – their sweet scent carrying on past their booths, down the street. Mmm!
And flowers galore. My eyes popped at all the vibrant colors!
Strangely, there was a plethora of goat cheese vendors at the market this year. Tres chic! The first type I sampled, creamy chevre, completely sold me and I picked some up to take home.
Tangy and creamy – I can’t wait to figure out what I’m going to make with it.
I’m envisioning a goat cheese topped pizza… Or maybe a fresh strawberry, spinach and goat cheese salad?! YUM!!
What are some of your favorite ways to enjoy goat cheese?
I also picked up a bunch of mint for a concoction I’ll be enjoying later tonight. Any guesses?!
Ben and I posed for a photo op…err…
There we go!
Oh, there’s this company at the market every year that makes handmade sculptures out of iron and rock that my whole family just loves. It’s where I got my Mom this hanging planter for Mother’s Day last year.
Their sculptures are so unique and every year they have a new crop of offerings. Today we saw flying pigs – OMG SO ADORABLE!!! – and praying mantis’. Eek!
There were also these really cool asterisks made out of railroad pins and some cute turtles and snails. Love these!
Of course, what would a trip to the Farmer’s Market be without a visit to the Pupusa Tent?!
omg do you KNOW how long I’ve waited to have one of these?!
Were talking thick, hand pressed corn tortillas filled to the brim with fresh spinach and gooey cheese – then grilled to crispy perfection on a flat top skillet. Topped with vinegary coleslaw and a mild salsa type sauce… No. Words.
Honestly, I can’t control myself around these things. I love ‘em so much!
We.feasted.
Then had dessert. 
A Cream Horn from the Vander Plough bakery in Pella, IA. Heaven.
This is the Downtown Farmer’s Market’s 35th year and they were selling commemorative posters, shirts, bags, etc.
I thought these posters were so cool! They’d look so nice hanging in my orange kitchen.
I opted for the free handout.
I can’t wait for many more weekends spent downtown, tasting all the fresh goodies and…pupusas!
After the Farmer’s Market, Ben and I ran some errands and I snacked on a Blueberry Soy Joy bar that Foodbuzz sent me to try.
It was actually pretty good! I’ve heard a lot of mixed reviews about these bars, and while it may have tested better since it was free – I thought the flavor was delish. The bar was semi dry, but it was nothing the white chocolate chips that studded the bar couldn’t fix.
Ok, I’m heading BACK outside. Ben and I are driving about 20 minutes west to walk on a trail that I just love (the one that I biked on last summer!) and hit up one of my favorite ice cream shops in the area, that my Mom and Dad used to take my brothers and I to growing up.
Ahhh, it doesn’t get much better than this.
Wishing you a happy Saturday!
I was going to go there today but ended up sleeping in. O_o
It looks like a I really missed out.
Your farmers market looks incredible. You are making MINT JULEPS as it’s Kentucky Derby day!
Goat cheese pairs great with figs and/or balsamic vinegar. Yum just thinking about it!
It was crazy this morning! Glad you stopped by the Pella booth! Go Dutch!
I love this time of year and especially that Farmers Markets are now open! I enjoy this kind of shopping over any mall!!! What a wonderful morning, hope you enjoy the rest of the day.
I was going to guess Mojita’s, but I see that Daisy guessed Mint Juleps and that is probably a better guess given the day. Enjoy!
Oh you literally had my dream day!! I’m so jealous :p
I love goat’s cheese in a hot toasted sandwich with blackberry jam…so goood!
We’re visiting my Aunt and Uncle in Johnston June 9-17th and this looks too good to pass up!
We have a mint plant on the patio that I have been using to make fabulous cocktails & Indian food (yes, random, I know)
At our Cinco de Mayo party tonight I’m serving mango coconut mint cocktails, but I bet you are having a classic mojito (one of my favesssssss)?
Glad u had such a nice time at that beautiful farmer’s market today!
I just love SoyJoy bars, especially the apple variety. So yummy, and I actually kind of like the dryness. So many fruit bars are really, really sticky!
Enjoy your day – sounds fabulous!
YUM!!! The pupusas look sooo good:)
I am so jealous of your Farmer’s Market. The one in Fargo consists of about six stands that all sell close to the same items.
It looks like a beautiful day in Iowa. I hope our rain doesn’t come your way, because it might be joined by cooling temperatures. I hope you and Ben enjoy your walk.
Cheers,
Jenna
What a gorgeous day! I love Farmer’s Markets. I have heard mixed reviews of SoyJoy so have been reluctant to try, but maybe I will now – the stats are really decent!
I slept right through the farmer’s market today. Try again next week
Are you making mojitos? That goat cheese would be good on a spinach pizza.
We head over to our pals at the goat cheese stand every Saturday – it’s THE BEST! Our favorites our the original on a grilled peach and spinach salad (add some nuts as well) OR my husband loves a nice grilled steak and some grilled veggies with a dalop of one of the flavored cheeses to top er’ off. Highly recommend both of them!
Today was pure madness at the farmers market…I am so glad it’s finally here!
I grew up in Knoxville, Iowa, and I LOVEEEE that Dairy Air goat cheese! I was so upset when I got there today to find out that they were sold out of EVERYTHING, even samples!
Glad you got some though–it’s the best!
Those paposkas are the best! I have to have one every time I go. As for goat cheese I put some in a quiche along with carrots and wild onions and mushrooms. It was delicious. I just put little dollops on the top and let it bake normally. I’ll have to make it again so I get photos and put it up on my blog.
Great day for the farmers market
I was too lazy to go to mine today before it closed!
What an awesome day! Our farmer’s market opens next weekend and I could not be more pumped!! Oh the joys.
Goat cheese on pizza is the BEST! But in a salad with apples and walnuts and balsamic vinaigrette or a drizzle of honey, it’s pretty damn good too.
PS Love the photo of the strawberries – amazing!
Whoa that’s a major market
kristin your farmers market is HUGE! in portsmouth nh it starts next week ( i too have had it circled for a few months!) CANT WAIT! love those anniversary prints too! so unique. are you imbibing in a mint julep or perhaps a mojito!? either way, enjoy
Looks like a fun day- I’m so jealous- our closest market is like an hour away! Those Pupusas look amazing!
SO jealous of your farmer’s market trip–Cedar Rapids doesn’t start for a few more weeks! The pupusas look great! We have AMAZING cinnamon rolls & breakfast burritos as ours.
One of my favorite ways to use goat cheese is in a salad with roasted beets, arugula, dried cranberries, walnuts, & balsamic vinaigrette. Can’t wait til the arugula growing on my deck is ready!
If you are ever in Portland Oregon, check out the farmers market downtown in the Pearl District then grab some Pacific Northwest coffee and then head over to Powell’s book store! – I miss my city.
So Cal is wonderful but it lacks any character in the small town way.
Enjoy your city honey! It’s wonderful to have that.
Today made a nice salad out of my salmon last night dinner for lunch. Warm salmon on a bed of mixed greens with tossed in strawberries and even avocado. The only thing it was missing was your goat cheese. Def. use it in a salad.
Sounds like a perfect day!! Try a fresh fig stuffed with goat cheese, yum!
Sounds like such an awesome day…I wish it had been just a little nicer here today. It never rained like it was supposed to, but it was super humid and the clouds looked iffy all day long.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
You are so lucky!! We were in Des Moines one time during a Farmer’s Market…and we were blown away by the blocks upon blocks of vendors! We have a few farmer’s markets…but they are maybe one block long
And…that’s it!! Looks like many vendors have greenhouses to have veggies like that ready already 
Great pix!
Wow, quite the turnout! Being a (displaced) Iowan, I know the excitement that comes with that first farmers market of the year.
fun times at the farmer’s market! we went to our local one today too, right before it closed, and scored BIG TIME! they were practically giving stuff away
I got lots of goat cheese too!
and hey, if you still have sweet potato gnocchi hanging out in your freezer, make my sweet potato gnochhi with pesto and goat cheese. SO GOOD! http://www.thesweetslife.com/2010/04/pesto-sweet-potato-gnocchi-with-spinach.html
Hip hip hooray for famers’ markets! I went today …and boy, were the berries sweet and juicy here too. I couldn’t resist. Goat cheese is my favorite – try rolling little balls of it in crushed pistachios, baking them and putting them on top of the salad you mentioned – YUM!!!
I loveee the Des Moines posters. I think they would look fab framed in your kitchen.
Spinach and strawberry salad w/goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette for the win!
But I have to say that a few months ago I was at a baby shower where the hostess served dates stuffed with goat cheese and baked just long enough to get the cheese a little melty. So much yum. I actually skipped the cake and helped myself to more goat cheese stuffed dates instead.
This girl from El Salvador is VERY jealous of your pupusas!!!! lol
Living in the Cincinnati area, we have a year round farmer’s market called Findlay Market. I went a couple of weeks ago and ate at a Taste of Belgium. They have a crepe that has spinach, balsamic glaze, roasted red peppers and GOAT CHEESE. So good!! I have since made it at home with a large tortilla (instead of crepe) and the above ingredients and cooked it on my panini maker. The flavors really compliment each other and it was heavenly. I have actually made it twice since then. It is that good.
[...] for all your goat cheese recipes and ideas today! I have several dishes that I want to try, so the goat cheese stands at the Farmer’s Market should expect to see me quite often this summer. For dinner tonight, I incorporated my fresh [...]
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[...] Allllright – here it is…my beloved Pupusa!!! [...]
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[...] I literally cannot believe it’s over. I feel like I was just at opening day! [...]