Eating Locally Produced Food This Labor Day Grows Jobs, Communities

PA Preferred™ Helps Shoppers Identify Pennsylvania-Produced Products

HARRISBURG, Pa., Aug. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Support Pennsylvania farmers, communities and jobs this Labor Day weekend by using locally produced food in meals shared with families and friends.

"Buying local products is good for Pennsylvania," Agriculture Secretary George Greig said. "When you buy products grown or made here, you support local farmers, who in turn grow their local economies, and keep farmers and food processing jobs in Pennsylvania."

Pennsylvania's $6.7 billion agriculture industry supports one in seven jobs and contributes $67 billion in economic impact each year.

Many products grown or made in Pennsylvania are PA Preferred™. Governor Tom Corbett made PA Preferred the official brand of the state's agriculture products in 2011. The program's logo, a gold checkmark inside a blue keystone, clearly identifies local fruits and vegetables, snack foods, dairy and meat products, nursery stock, hardwoods and many other goods.

"Look for PA Preferred products whenever you shop to be sure you're buying ingredients made or grown in Pennsylvania," Greig said. "Whether at farmers markets and restaurants or large grocery chains and wineries, you can find PA Preferred products year-round across the state."

Greig today joined the Pennsylvania Beef Council at the Open Air Farmers Market at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center in Harrisburg. They prepared a salad using PA Preferred produce bought at the market and PA Preferred beef from Weis Markets.

For more information, visit www.papreferred.com.

Media contact: Samantha Elliott Krepps, 717-787-5085

Editor's Note: The recipe prepared today by Sect. Greig is listed below:

Zesty Summer Steak Salad
1 beef top sirloin steak, cut ¾-inch thick (about one pound)
1 tablespoon garlic and herb seasoning blend
1 medium sweet onion, cut into ½-inch thick slices
6 cups of romaine lettuce
1 medium tomato, cut into wedges
4 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and cut into quarters
Bagel chips

Vinaigrette
⅓ cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons garlic and herb seasoning blend

1. Combine vinaigrette ingredients in small bowl. Reserve ⅓ cup vinaigrette for salad. Brush remaining vinaigrette on onion slices.
2. Press 1 tablespoon seasoning blend evenly onto beef steak. Place steak in center of grill over medium heat; arrange onion slices around steak. Grill steak, covered, 7 to 11 minutes on charcoal or 8-13 minutes on gas grill. Grill onion 10 to 12 minutes or until tender, turning occasionally.
3. Carve beef into slices. Divide lettuce evenly among four plates. Top with steak slices, tomatoes, onions and eggs. Drizzle evenly with reserved ⅓ cup vinaigrette. Serve with bagel chips, if desired.

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture