Fresh from the Farm

This is the time of year to enjoy the produce coming from Connecticut farms, and it's also the time when a lot of Connecticut restaurants are allowing us to do the same thing. One example we enjoyed the other night was the "Connecticut Farm To Chef Seasonal Tasting Menu" offered by Max Downtown in Hartford. The limited menu includes three courses for $32, with a portion of the proceeds benefitting the Connecticut Farmland Trust. More to the point, the dinner was perfectly fresh, creative and delicious. The first course was a creamy Rosedale Farms Sweet Corn Soup that included bacon and, delightfully, popcorn; the second was a Grilled Ox Hollow Farms All Natural Pork Chop accompanied by a chorizo-stuffed sunburst squash, tomato marmalade and red wine jus; the third course was a lemon blueberry cake featuring perfect, plump berries from Rose's Berry Farm in Glastonbury. The "Taste of Connecticut" is all around right now--and restaurants are among the best places to enjoy it.