Local food for lunch just became that much easier to access.

During the week of December 10-16, look for emmer, a locally grown grain from Greenmarket producer Cayuga Pure Organics, in a special soup at Hale and Hearty. The New York chain of popular lunch spots will feature guest chef Michael Anthony’s “Kabocha Squash Soup with Emmer and Cranberries” as part of its Chef Series of signature soups. The Gramercy Tavern executive chef and long-time Greenmarket devotee applied his penchant for local ingredients to a recipe that will reach the masses of noshing New Yorkers.

It’s not uncommon to bump into Chef Anthony at the Union Square Greenmarket, which is just a few blocks from his acclaimed fine dining establishment. It’s a short enough distance to tote fresh products from the farmers market back to his kitchen via hand trucks. But Hale and Hearty has 28 restaurants throughout the city, as well as a 20,000 square foot USDA-certified commissary kitchen in the heart of Brooklyn. They serve 125,000 customers per week.  Thanks to GrowNYC Wholesale, GrowNYC’s new wholesale distribution service that delivers regionally grown produce to bodegas, groceries, and restaurants around the city, Hale and Hearty was able to receive deliveries of the same high quality, locally grown product Chef Anthony calls for in his recipe. This means more New Yorkers will be eating New York-grown food for lunch—a win for city eaters and upstate farmers alike.

“The Chef Series came about in an effort to connect with some of New York's top Chefs while giving back to the community,” said Simon Jacobs, CEO. “This collaboration with Chef Anthony, GrowNYC Wholesale and God's Love We Deliver is bringing this idea full circle by not only donating a portion of proceeds to charity, but supporting local farmers by using ingredients grown in New York communities." Next week, 10% of each Kabocha Squash Soup sold will be donated to God’s Love We Deliver.

What’s in the soup? Emmer, a regionally grown grain known to Italians as farro. GrowNYC Wholesale has delivered 250 pounds of emmer to Hale and Hearty on behalf of Cayuga Pure Organics, a farm located in the far north Finger Lakes region of the state. This integral farm to restaurant connection enables broader distribution of local ingredients on the wholesale level. It also means that even if you’re not able to make it to Gramercy Tavern for lunch, you can easily enjoy a locally-sourced bowl of soup at multiple locations around the city—likely there is a Hale and Hearty near your office!