Summer in Colorado means ripe tomatoes, sweet corn and Palisade peaches. And these farm-to-table dinners that celebrate the season’s bounty are prepared by some of Colorado’s best chefs.
Food for Change Dinner, Denver
July 13, $125
Relax on the Snooze Union Station Patio while Relais & Châteaux chefs Josh Drage and Renata Ameni, as well aschefs Alex Seidel and Jen Jasinski serve a climate-friendly dinner.
Slow Grown In Colorado, Denver
July 15, $110
, Gregory Gourdet’s is hosting dinner in his Modern Asian restaurant, Departures. But he’s not alone. The 5-course, family-style meal will also be prepared by Caroline Glover of Aurora’s Annette, as well as , and Ryan Poli of Nashville’s The Catbird Seat. Ingredients include farm freshies from Cure Organic Farm, Delaney Farm, Fruition Farms and Departure Portland Rooftop Garden. Here’s the menu:
Cocktails and bites:
Chicharrone manchego, salsa verde by Caroline Glover
Fruition Farms feta with Palisade peaches, rosemary, farro cracker by Alex Seidel
Sweet corn puree with hazelnut oil by Ryan Poli
Soft scrambled egg with smoked potato, fermented greens, sour coconut cream by Gregory Gourdet
Dinner:
Grilled fairytale eggplant with sunflower hummus, Swiss chard, harissa, preserved lemon, whey pickled relish by Caroline Glover.
Dry-aged Colorado Lamb pancetta with local wheat berries, koji fermented rice porridge, broccoli raab kimchi, lamb dashi, fruition farms sheepskyr by Alex Seidel.
Roasted sea scallops with sweet corn succotash, cherry tomatos, wilted arugula, fermented turnip, and smoked corn butter by Ryan Poli.
Smoked beet and organic pork shoulder with spiced honey roasted peaches, and charred greens by Gregory Gourdet.
Dessert:
Cherry and berry tart with basil curd, tomato leaf sorbet, carrot caramel bonbon, and herb pate de fruit by Gregory Gourdet.
Colorado Heritage Dinner, Boulder
July 16, $75
Arcana’s chef Kyle Mendenhall’s menu was inspired from a dinner in 1880 when Denver hosted President Ulysses S. Grant. The Colorado Heritage Dinner menu will feature local purveyors such as Kermit Krantz of Frontier Trout Ranch; lamb from Larry Crego in Fort Collins; Red Forager chicken from Marcus McCauley in Boulder; vegetables from Cure Farm, Red Wagon, Thistle Whistle and Toohey & Sons; as well as fresh fruits from First Fruits and Ella Family Farms.
Course One
Colorado Rainbow Trout with rashers, potato croquettes and Sauterne.
Course Two
Green peas, eggplant, stewed tomatoes, and new potatoes with lamb chops a l’Auglaise, roasted prairie chicken roasted, bread sauce and Champagne.
Course Three
Italian cream with Chalotte Russe and Chambertin.
Course Four
Peaches, grapes, fruit jelly a la chantilly and Sazerac Brandy.
Farm to Table Dinner, Vail
July 20th, $145
The Vail Farmers Market’s Farm-to-Table Dinner Series is features local ingredients prepared by Vail’s talented chefs and served with Colorado’s beer and wine.
“We are thrilled to bring back the Farm-to-Table Dinner Series for a fourth year in a row and to showcase Vail’s local top chefs and farmers.” said Angela Mueller, Vail Farmers’ Market Executive Director. “The dinners offer a truly intimate culinary experience that celebrates summer time in the Vail Valley.”
Participating chefs include Vail Valley’s chef Riley Romanin of Hooked/Revolution; Marcus Stewart from the Four Seasons Resort and Residences Vail; Jay Spickelmier from Gessner, and Tim McCaw from the 10th.
Appetizer:
Grazing platter by Pamela Davis Owner of The Grazing Fox
Amuse-bouche:
Fresh cherry Italian ice by Riley Romanin
Գٰé:
Mountain View Farms suckling porchetta by Chef Riley Romanin
Sides:
Cattail shoots and apricot dressing
Focaccia with heirloom tomatoes
lamb nduja, basil, and roasted garlic
Blue potato, quinoa, kale, and quail egg salad
Beet & Jumpin’ Good Goat Cobbler
Dessert:
Cardamom poached peaches with wildflower honey mousse, pistachio financier, and bing cherry by Chef Anne Armstrong of Vail Resorts.
