History Colorado Center hosted a farm-to-table lunch with Governor John Hickenlooper, Commissioner of Agriculture John Salazar and other government officials Wednesday as an occasion to celebrate the end of second annual Choose Colorado Tour, a 27-day road trip through Colorado’s farms and ranches.
The lunch, created by award-winning chefs Jason K. Morse of 5280 Culinary and Kurt Boucher or Rendezvous Cafe at History Colorado Center, was made with ingredients collected from each region of the 11 city stops along the tour.
Ingredients from statewide agricultural communities included: Yukon gold and masquerade potatoes from Alamosa, tomatoes and rhubarb from Boulder, grapes from Burlington, Pueblo green chiles from Colorado Springs, sweet corn from Denver, beets from Durango, onions and scallions from Fort Collins, lettuce and greens from Frisco and Vail and peaches and pears from Grand Junction.
The Choose Colorado Tour, which began its journey on Aug. 1, the state’s birthday, was created last year to integrate agricultural communities, celebrate farmers who help our state thrive and educate consumers about the benefits of buying local produce.
“While buying local has proved its positive impact on the economy, it also is better for the environment – helping keep farms and ranches profitable, thereby maintaining open space and wildlife habitat,” said Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture Salazar. “Buying local also supports Colorado’s western heritage, preserving the farms, ranches and land that define the state.”
The lunch was divine: Roasted beets, grilled Colorado beef and arugula salad, seven-hour smoked bacon-wrapped Colorado lamb with sweet corn and pear salsa and masquerade potatoes and Palisade peach and rhubarb crisp with vanilla paste sweet cream.
To learn more about Colorado Proud, go to www.coloradoproud.org.
Below, Rocky Ford cantaloupes and sweet corn from Sakata Farms during the Choose Colorado Tour in Denver. 
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