Governor Kicks off Buy Local Challenge

Governor Larry Hogan and First Lady Yumi Hogan kicked off next week's Buy Local Challenge by hosting a cookout on the front lawn of Maryland's Government House, the governor's residence in Annapolis.

The popular event, attended by over 400 people, featured local chefs who used local produce, Maryland wine and beer producers, and local dairy farms who brought product in the form of ice cream.

Wearing a bright red Buy Local shirt, Governor Hogan welcomed guests saying "Agriculture is the most important industry in our state, and we are going to try to convince Marylanders everywhere to buy local all year."

According to the state's website for Buy Local Food Challenge, if every Maryland household bought $12 worth of farm products a week for eight weeks, or over the summer, over $200 million would go to state farmers. This could help keep many MD families in agriculture.

The First Lady once again cooked a served a dish from her native South Korea, this time a family recipe, Beef Bulgogi made with locally raised, sustainable beef from Roseda Farm.

Beef Bulgogi

Mrs. Hogan is the first First Lady to cook and serve in the Annual Buy Local Cookout, and she taps into her roots as a native of South Korea for her dishes, using locally produced meats and vegetables. This recipe is courtesy of Mrs. Hogan and the Maryland Department of Agriculture. For more recipes from this year's Buy Local Cookout, go here. This dish is delicious served with freshly steamed rice.

2 pounds beef boneless top sirloin or culotte steak ½ cup honey or sugar (organic or brown) 3 tablespoons of garlic, minced 1 tablespoon of ginger, minced ½ cup green onions, chopped 1 large onion, sliced 1/3 cup soy sauce ¼ cup sesame oil 2 teaspoons ground black pepper

Preparation Makes 4 – 6 servings

Slice the beef as thinly as possible. (Freezing the beef and slicing it partially frozen may help.) Place the thinly sliced beef in a large mixing bowl, combined with all other ingredients. Let the mixture marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Place large skillet on high heat and add the marinated beef mixture. Sauté marinated beef mixture until thoroughly cooked and liquid is reduced. Remove from heat and pile high on a serving platter with rice. Garnish with green onions, sprinkled toasted sesame seeds if desired.