Three years ago, setting up stands selling fruits and vegetables was one step in the city's goal to promote healthy eating. Now, 500 Green Carts are thriving across New York City, and the program has grown to boast a cookbook published exclusively for the Green Cart community.
The Green Cart public-private partnership was started with $1.5 million seed money from philanthropist Laurie Tisch, with the aim to boost healthy eating in areas where fruit and vegetable consumption is typically low.
Tisch expanded on the grant to help publish "The Green Cart Cookbook," a compilation of recipes to encourage Green Cart produce buyers to continue consuming healthy foods by preparing healthy, nutritious meals.
The book boasts recipes from high-profile New York chefs -- like Tom Colicchio, chef and owner of New York's Craft and the head judge on Bravo's "Top Chef"; Bill Telepan of Telepan restaurant; Eddie Huang of Baohaus; and "Weekend Today in New York"s very own Produce Pete -- but also offers recipes from community centers, Green Cart vendors, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and other partners in the Green Cart program.
"This cookbook aims to be an inspiring showcase of New Yorkers who are working together to build healthy communities, as well as raise awareness about nutrition and encourage families to cook with more fruits and vegetables," Tisch writes in the foreword. "The recipes in these pages are both healthy and delicious, and will help all who read it to learn a bit more about what to do with the produce sold at your local NYC Green Cart."
The cookbook was released Wednesday, and the first 10,000 copies will be distributed free at Green Carts, according to Bloomberg News.
It's also available online in PDF form.
[RELATED: Find Your Nearest NYC Green Cart]
