Peaches, Apples, Peppers and More!

Come to the Mayor’s Farmers Market at Love Park tomorrow from 11:00 – 3:00 to stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables.

McCann’s Farm

Yellow Peaches
White Peaches
Gala Apples
Hot Peppers
Frying Peppers
Tomatoes
Sweet White Corn
Zucchini
Eggplant

Mayor Nutter to Announce Expansion of City’s Recyling Program Tommorrow

Tomorrow, Mayor Nutter will announce the expansion of the City’s recycling program! Stop out at 10:30 am to the 2600 block of S. Chadwick Street in South Philadelphia http://tinyurl.com/26kvs78 to celebrate another green achievement in our City.

Try a locally sourced cheesesteak today at the Mayor’s Farmers Market

Today at the Mayor’s Farmers Market, Steve Poses will prove that you can cook your favorite foods with local ingredients.  Starting at 11:00 he’ll be giving away cheesesteaks made from local beef, bread, cheese, onions, and peppers.  Join us at the corner of 15th and JFK from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Market offerings on Wednesday, August 25

McCann’s Farm: Bell peppers (green, orange, and red!), frying peppers, hot peppers, spaghetti squash, butternut squash, eggplant, tomatoes, yellow peaches, white peaches, ginger gold apples, and honey

Teens4Good: Greens, tomatoes, cucumber, eggplant, and mint

La Baguette: Fresh breads, pastries, and quiches

Penn State Extension: Nutrition education and samples of delicious recipes made from ingredients available at the market.

MAYOR NUTTER WELCOMES $129 MILLION FEDERAL GRANT TO LAUNCH ENERGY RESEARCH CENTER IN PHILADELPHIA

Project to be housed at The Navy Yard, led by Penn State University in partnership with Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) and more than 22 Other Partners from the Public and Private Sectors and Academia

Philadelphia, August 24, 2010 – Mayor Michael A. Nutter applauded the US Department of Energy and several other federal agencies’ announcement that they have jointly awarded a $129 million grant to a partnership based in Philadelphia.  The grant will support the creation of the Greater Philadelphia Innovation Cluster for Energy Efficiency Buildings (GPIC).  Housed at The Navy Yard, GPIC will:

• Further interdisciplinary research into building energy efficiency technologies
• Support the commercialization of new energy efficiency technologies to generate new jobs and economic activity
• Develop new approaches to training and career development in the energy efficiency field
• Craft new public policy approaches to reducing energy use

“This investment confirms that Philadelphia is emerging as a national hub for the research and development that are the heart of the green economy,” said Mayor Nutter.  “Just as investments in our medical research and teaching institutions at the turn of the last century created the city’s largest industry of today, this project has the potential to position the City for truly lasting and broad based job creation.  I’d especially like to thank Penn State, PIDC and the other GPIC partners for the extraordinary work on this project.”

The City of Philadelphia, through PIDC, will serve as an implementing partner for GPIC, carrying out a range of functions including the renovation of the historic Building 661 to house the GPIC’s Hub and will put The Navy Yard’s self-contained power grid to work as a test bed for new technologies.  As the City’s economic development arm, PIDC will also work with Ben Franklin Technology Partners and others to commercialize GPIC developed technologies and turn them into well paid jobs, profitable companies, and a new economic base for the City.

This award represents the latest in a series of major investments that support Mayor Nutter’s Greenworks Plan to make Philadelphia the nation’s most sustainable city by 2015.  In the spring, the City and its partners in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties won $25 million to support innovation in energy efficiency financing and in the fall PECO won over $200 million to blanket the region in a “smart grid.”

It is also the latest in a series of events that highlight the growing prominence of The Navy Yard’s Clean Energy Campus and business park.  Last year, the Department of Energy awarded Penn State and other Navy Yard partners multiple grants to develop new solar training and energy efficiency programs at The Navy Yard.  And Exelon-Conergy will break ground this fall on what will be the second largest urban solar array in the nation, also to be located at The Navy Yard.

Brave the rain to try eggplant and pepper dip at the Mayor’s Farmers Market today

Despite the gray weather, we’ll be whipping up delicious eggplant and pepper dip for you to sample at the Mayor’s Farmers Market today on the corner of 15th and JFK from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Come on down and see the bounty that the rain helps to produce!

Market offerings on Wednesday, August 18

McCann’s Farm: Sweet corn, tomatoes, peaches, nectarines, eggplant, zucchini, hot peppers, frying peppers, bell peppers, and honey

Teens4Good: Greens, tomatoes, cucumber, eggplant, and mint

La Baguette: Fresh breads, pastries, and quiches

Penn State Extension: Nutrition education and samples of eggplant and pepper dip.  Check out the recipe below.

Eggplant & Pepper Dip

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 large eggplant, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

2 red or yellow bell peppers, seeded and chopped

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon salt

Pinch of black pepper

How To

HEAT olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. ADD onion and cook 3 to 5 minutes until soft.

ADD eggplant and peppers, garlic powder, oregano and basil.

COVER and COOK over low heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very soft and tender.

ADD salt and pepper. REMOVE from heat and COOL 5 minutes.

MASH with potato masher until smooth and creamy. SERVE with whole grain tortilla chips or crackers.

COVER and refrigerate leftovers.

Nutrition Information Per 1/4 cup: 60 Calories; 3.5 Fat; 0g Saturated Fat; 1g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 75mg Sodium.

Get your peaches and nectarines at the Mayor’s Farmers Market this Wednesday

Come to the corner of 15th and JFK from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. this Wednesday for the Mayor’s Farmers Market this Wednesday.

You can buy delicious fruits and veggies, try a taste of peppers and grits, and learn about cooking and nutrition.

Market offerings on Wednesday, August 11

McCann’s Farm: Sweet corn, tomatoes, donut peaches, yellow peaches, nectarines, eggplant, zucchini, hot peppers, frying peppers, bell peppers, and honey

Teens4Good: Greens, tomatoes, cucumber, eggplant, mint, rosemary, and blackberries

La Baguette: Fresh breads, pastries, and quiches

Penn State Extension: Nutrition education and samples of peppers and grits. Check out the recipe below.

Farmers Market Peppers & Grits:

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 large peppers (Bell and frying peppers), seeded and chopped

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

About 3 cups water (more or less as needed)

3/4 cup quick grits (not instant)

1/4 teaspoon salt and pinch of ground black pepper

Optional: Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top of grits

How To

HEAT olive oil in large saucepan. ADD peppers, onion, and garlic.

COOK on medium-low heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring often, until soft.

ADD 3 cups water along with grits and STIR.

COOK until grits are smooth and creamy (add more water if needed).

ADD salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Makes about 4 servings.

Come on down to the Mayor’s Farmers Market this Wednesday

Join us at the Mayor’s Farmers Market this Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the corner of 15th and JFK.

Enjoy the many activities in the park including learning from the Penn State Extension how to prepare the produce available at the market and lunch hour line dancing.

Market offerings on Wednesday, August 4

McCann’s Farm: Blueberries, yellow peaches, white peaches, hot peppers, frying peppers, tomatoes, sweet white corn, watermelon, eggplant

Teens4Good: Greens, tomatoes, cucumber, eggplant, mint, rosemary, and blackberries

Penn State Extension: Nutrition education and samples of summer corn and fruit pancakes.  Check out the recipe below.

Summer Corn & Fruit Pancakes

(adapted from http://myrecipes.com)

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups whole grain pancake mix

1/2 cup yellow or white cornmeal

Pinch of ground nutmeg or cinnamon

1 cup fresh corn kernels cut off the cob (about 2 ears)

1/2 cup of rinsed summer fruit (blueberries, blackberries or chopped fresh peaches)

About 1 1/3 cups water (more or less as needed to make batter)

How To

COMBINE pancake mix, cornmeal, ground nutmeg or cinnamon, fresh corn and fruit in a  large mixing bowl. STIR gently to blend.

ADD water slowly to pancake ingredients and stir until batter is medium thick.

HEAT skillet or griddle on medium-low heat and spray pan with cooking spray.

POUR 3 tablespoons pancake batter onto hot pan. Cook until both sides are golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.  Serve hot. Store leftovers covered, in refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Nutrition Information (per 1/4 recipe): 233 Calories; 5g Fat; 1g Saturated Fat; 8g protein; 40g Carbohydrate; 4.5g Dietary Fiber; 40mg Cholesterol; 477mg Sodium

Philly now recycles plastics #1 – #7!

Starting on August 1, Philadelphia residents with curbside recycling service from the City can recycle plastics #1 – #7.  Thanks for helping us keep as much waste out of the landfill as possible!  Together we can meet the Greenworks goal of diverting 70 percent of our waste from the landfill by 2015.

If you have any questions about what you can recycle, check out the Streets Department list here: http://philadelphiastreets.com/san-residential-overview.aspx