For one day at Penn, it’s produce instead of Pepsi
During the lunch hour on Tuesday, Sept. 29, Penn chefs will flex their culinary muscles using a wide array of locally produced meats, vegetables and dairy products as part of Bon Appétit’s Eat Local Challenge.
Bon Appétit, Penn’s new food vendor, is nationally known for its commitment to local food sourcing. As part of the challenge, Penn chefs will prepare meals made entirely with ingredients grown and produced from within 150 miles of the campus. The only exception will be salt. Even Penn’s Pepsi machines will be turned off.
The challenge will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in 1920 Commons, Hill House, Kings Court/English House, Steinhardt Hall, as well as the student union’s Houston Market.
“Since coming to Penn this summer, I’ve been eagerly awaiting my first Eat Local Challenge,” says Executive Chef Joel Blice. “While we source locally all year round, this day celebrates so many of Bon Appétit’s positive objectives: nourishing people and supporting local economies and the planet through the food we prepare.”
The 1920 Commons will feature offerings such as sautéed rainbow trout with sweet corn, butternut squash custard and candied beets. In Kings Court/English House, the menu will include buckwheat pasta (locally grown and milled) tossed with mushrooms, a braised chicken dish with roasted potato medley and Swiss chard. The salad bar choices will be 100 percent local. Fruit crumbles will be on the menu for dessert.
The purpose of the challenge is to highlight the fruits and vegetables currently at the peak of harvest in the region’s farms and gardens, and to show how they can be part of a healthy diet. The event also ties in with Penn’s commitment to sustainability. Click here to read more about Penn's Climate Action Plan.
Originally published on Sept. 25, 2009
