Go Green East Harlem Cookbook

We Food Systems Network folks are on the front lines in the fight to get more fruits and veggies into NYC’s food deserts. And now, one of our own members, Maritza Owens, owner of Harvest Home Farmers’ Market, is on the front of a cookbook that shows how to cook up all that fresh, gorgeous produce! That’s because Maritza’s also a member of the Go Green East Harlem steering committee, who collaborated on The Go Green East Harlem Cookbook just published by Jones Books.
It’s a lovely little paperback packed with 68 ethnically diverse, uniformly yummy recipes donated by East Harlem chefs, community leaders, and other locals who wanted to share their love of good, healthy food with their culinarily-challenged neighbors. This clever cookbook is bilingual (English on one side, Spanish on the other) and it’s going to be given away for free to East Harlem residents at community events (the rest of us can buy it in bookstores or online for $17.95).
Posted by Kerry Trueman, Eating Liberally, FSNYC Communications Committee Member

Sounds like a real public service, and that’s because it is--the Go Green East Harlem Cookbook was produced by Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, Go Green East Harlem and the non-profit Community Fund for Manhattan, who spent $54,000 to print 8,000 copies of the cookbook and will give it away to East Harlem residents at community events (the rest of us can buy it online or in the bookstore for $17.95).

The simple, tasty recipes share the pages with gorgeous photos contributed by a group of graduates from the International Center of Photography. The recipes were vetted by Integrative Nutrition, a school whose declared mission is to “play a crucial role in improving the health and happiness of Americans.”

The book features dozens of recipes for delicious soups, stews, salads and other dishes, along with savvy advice from Scott Stringer on his own culinary specialty—take-out. The Manhattan Borough President is the first to admit that he himself doesn’t cook, but
Stringer’s “Top Ten Takeout Tips” for how to ensure that the food you’re eating is healthy even when you have to outsource your meals could be the most valuable resource in the entire book for those who can’t, or won’t, take the time to cook.

Other helpful advice includes dietary guidelines from a doctor and how to get your kitchen set up so you'll have what you need on hand to whip up a batch of Sweet Potatolicious or Soulful Stuffed Sole. But though The Go Green East Harlem Cookbook is intended to inspire culinary novices, it's a blueprint for anyone looking to cook fast, healthy meals featuring fresh foods There are dishes that include fish, poultry, or meat, but the emphasis is on fresh-from-the-farmers'-market produce.

Kudos to Scott Stringer and his team for compiling a cookbook to nourish our underserved neighbors, and the rest of us, too.

ATTEND the Next FSNYC Open Networking Meeting to learn more about the Go Green East Harlem Initiative.

Go Green’s Steering Committee:

Hon. Scott M. Stringer • Hon. Melissa Mark Viverito • Hon. Jose Serrano
• Dr. Adam Aponte • Diana Ayala • Drew Becher • Evan Blum
• Barbara Brenner • Hannah Brockington • Alex Brown • Cecil Corbin-Mark
• Sylvia Cowan • Randolph Croxton • Walter Edwards • Dr. Hector Estepan
• Robert Ezrapour • Fernando Fernandez • Patricia J. Francis • Lisa Frigand
• Stuart Gaffin • Dr. Maida Galvez • James Garcia • Mekbib Gemeda
• David Gmach • Dr. Andrew Goodman • Michael Gulich • Janet Heit
• David Hurd • Michael Hurwitz • Aresh Javadi • Daniel Kent • Hope Knight
• Gabrielle Langholtz • Wanda Latchman • Murray Levi • Lenny Fabrizzi
• Miriam Falcon Lopez • Ray Lopez • Tom Lunke • Kathryn A. McGuire
• Marina Ortiz • Maritza Owens • Prof. Neville Parker • Damiris Perez
• Sandra Perez • Debbie Quiniones • Karla Quintero • Andria Reyes
• Johnny C. Rivera • Robert Rodriguez • Christina Salvi • Caroline Samponaro
• George Sarkissian • Dr. Wayne Shreffler • Debra Smallwood • Michelle Stent
• Maura Sweeny • Dr. Anjali Talwalkar • Monica Tavares • Candy Vasquez
• John Wastiutynski • Paul Steely White

Highlight of Go Green Initiatives:
East Harlem Asthma Center of Excellence
This state-of-the-art center will coordinate comprehensive services with the goal of reducing asthma hospitalizations by 50 percent over three years.
East Harlem Street Tree Planting Plan
Borough President Stringer has allocated $300,000 and is partnering with Community Board 11 and New York Restoration Project to expedite city tree planting in East Harlem which will clean the air, reduce energy costs and enhance open space.
East Harlem Cookbook
The Go Green East Harlem Cookbook will showcase healthy dishes from local restaurants and feature low-fat, low-sugar, low-sodium and low cost recipes that every family can enjoy.
East Harlem Restaurant Week
Restaurant Week will promote local dining establishments to residents and visitors by offering “Go Green” dishes that are both healthy and delicious.
East Harlem Farmers’ Market
Go Green East Harlem will establish a neighborhood farmers’ market that will make fresh produce available to all residents, including those who shop with an EBT Card.
Conference on Green Building
This conference will inform residents, developers, industry professionals, land and building owners about the benefits and affordability of green building and retrofitting.

Go Green East Harlem Cookbook Press Release

Food Systems Network NYC & Go Green
Last summer under the Go Green initiative Harvest Home Farmers' Market, owned by FSNYC member and East Harlem resident Maritza Owens, opened the first weekend market in East Harlem on 106th street, between Lexington and Third Avenues, as well as a youth market at The Children’s Store Front School located on 129th Street between Park and Madison, a pilot program operated by the Harvest Home Farmers’ Market and sponsored by Slow Food NYC with the support of Go Green East Harlem. The Harvest Home Union Settlement Market, located on 104th Street between 2nd and 3rd avenue has also joined the Go Green initiative and as such will continue to serve east Harlem residents by providing a third location for residents, restaurants and bodega owners to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables.