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The second Farm to Trumbull dinner event for 2014 at the Parallel Post in the Trumbull Marriott was a rip roaring success! From cocktails to appetizers to entrees this farm to table eating extravaganza did not disappoint!
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Farm to Trumbull - Farm to Table
The Parallel Post at the Trumbull Marriott |
We started the night with some amazing cocktails prepared by mixologist extraordinaire "
Bootleg Greg"! There were two special drinks in honor of the Farm to Trumbull theme, the first, a
Carrot, Wheat, and Soy Extract and the second a fresh
Cucumber Fresca. The best thing about both beverages was that you could enjoy them with or without alcohol and they were equally good each way!
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Carrot, Wheat, and Soy Extract Cucumber Fresca
Spicy Bison Tartar and Coffee Cured Salon |
The cocktail hour took place outside, on the Parallel Post's patio and hotel grounds. The weather was perfect for enjoying a warm spring evening and taking in the lush green garden views. Simply lovely! Accompanying the cocktails we enjoyed passed appetizers, consisting of a slightly
Spicy Bison Tartar with Farm Fresh Eggs, and a
Coffee Cured Salmon on Flax Seed Bread with CT Farm Cheese. When
Chef Dean James Max explained his focus on staying local, he told the group that he found this beautiful salmon and prepared it with a "local" twist by curing it in Trumbull's own
Shearwater Organic Coffee Roasters gourmet coffee!
Folks, that's what keeping it local is all about! Supporting your local town's businesses and merchants!
After the cocktail hour, our intimate but lively group moved inside to a private room with two community tables where we could still enjoy the outside views away from the bustling restaurant.
Our first course included:
Parsnip Soup with Norm Bloom Clams Salad, that we mixed ourselves being served the salad first, and then the warm creamy broth was poured over the delicate clams and greens.
Gilbertie's Green Salad, Early Summer Watermelon Radish, Soy-Ginger Mushrooms, Wasabi Green Vinaigrette
Crispy Soft Shell Crab, Pea Shoots, Cayenne Ramp Aioli
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| Soft Shelled Crabs |
With dinner we were served two selections of wine, a sweet white by
Jam Jar, and a fruity light red by
Route Stock. You guessed it, I loved the sweet white wine, of course!
Our entree course was accompanied by four sides:
Grilled Asparagus, Frissee, Manchego Cheese with Sherry Vinaigrette,
Warm Purple Potato Salad, Baby Kale, Roasted Walnuts Feta Cheese, Pickled Apricots, and
Fiddle Head Ferns.
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Top L Purple Potato Salad, R Fiddle Heads
Bottom L Asparagus, R Baby Kale and and Pickled Apricots |
Our proteins for our entrees were:
A
Grilled Pork Chop with Lima Beans, Mustard Greens, and Bacon Jam
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| Grilled Pork Chops |
And a
Montauk Roasted tuna English Pea Puree, Roasted Fava Beans, Pearl Onions drizzled with a Wheat grass Vinaigrette.
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| Montauk Roasted Tuna |
For dessert we were treated to a house made C
ampari and yogurt popsicle spritzed with absinthe, a warm
strawberry crostata with a goat cheese crumble, a S
oCo Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, and
Gilbertie's Lavender Crème Brûlée.
After dinner the crowd gave the chefs a much deserved round of applause for a wonderful meal, prepared thoughtfully, elegantly, and creatively. A true
Farm to Trumbull success!
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| Executive Chef Chris Molyneaux, Chef de Cuisine Ali Goss, Chef Dean James Max |
From start to finish the Farm to Trumbull event was a fun occassion The communal dining made for a friendly gathering, and many items were served family style. All dishes were plentiful and both chefs and staff were available to answer any questions regarding preparation or ingredients.
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| Bonnie, Greg, Ali |
Among my favorite sides from the meal were the mildly spicy tartar bite, the creamy light parsnip soup, the purple potato salad and the baby kale with pickled apricots. Each blended wonderful with their fellow ingredients and provided unusual pairings with each other. For dessert, hands down, my favorite was the berry costata. The warm doughie textured pastry accompanied by the slightly sweetened strawberries and the tart cheese was a party in itself. I could eat it everyday and be happy.
The venue itself is warm and modern and I've never been disappointed when visiting. Parking is plentiful, and the lounge and dining area are roomy and comfortable
Additional scheduled dates for Parallel Post’s Farm-to-Trumbull 30-person dinner series include Sunday, August 10 and Wednesday, October 8. Tickets to the Farm-to-Trumbull dinners are available for advance purchase at $75++ per person. To RSVP for upcoming events, please e-mail farmtotrumbull@gmail.com.
For $75 per person (tax and 18 percent gratuity not included), guests can warm the palate with a welcome cocktail and sampling of small bites, and a family-style dinner consisting of the season’s finest local ingredients, wine pairings and select cocktails as well as desserts, are inclusive.
The menus for the series - much like Parallel Post’s weekly-changing restaurant menu – focuses on localism and follows the philosophy that natural and sustainable products, and responsible farming, are the key components in ingredient selection. The menu will be inspired by the farms’ fresh offerings of the day and as such, patrons will be invited to embrace their adventurous side with the Farm-to-Trumbull menu being revealed that evening.
Parallel Post believes in strengthening the farming community and engages local purveyors for a majority of its ingredients – seafood from Norm Bloom & Sons in Norwalk, Conn. and Foley Fish in Boston, Mass.; meats from Ox Hollow Farm in Roxbury, Conn.; organic cheeses, milk and ice cream from The Farmer’s Cow in Lebanon, Conn.; and greens from Gilbertie’s Herb Gardens in Westport, Conn.
I hope to see you at the next Parallel Post Farm to Table Event!
180 Hawley Lane, Trumbull Ct 06611
Phone/Reservations 203-380-6380
Located in the Trumbull Marriott Merritt Parkway
Disclaimer: I was invited to the June Farm to Table event by members of the Parallel Post's Management and Marketing Team, however, the views and opinions expressed herein are my own.
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