Martha Stewart and Dan Barber Help Launch The Edible Garden

Posted in Exhibitions, The Edible Garden on July 1 2009, by Plant Talk

Nick Leshi is Associate Director of Public Relations and Electronic Media.

With gorgeous weather and in front of enthusiastic crowds, Martha Stewart and Dan Barber were among the celebrities who kicked off the opening of The Edible Garden summer-long exhibitions this past Saturday at The New York Botanical Garden. You may have seen some of the coverage on NY1 News, WABC-TV, WCBS-TV, or WNBC-TV, or you may have read about it in New York magazine, The New York Times, New York’s Daily News, or online at Daily Kos and dozens of blogs.

Those of you who were here in person witnessed Martha Stewart and her friends answering audience questions about the Culinary Herb Garden they designed and demonstrating how to make delicious cocktails using homegrown herbs. Dan Barber, winner of the James Beard Foundation 2009 Outstanding Chef Award, captivated visitors with his insightful presentation about the farm-to-table movement. Other special guests who appeared on the Conservatory Kitchen stage during the opening weekend, providing delectable cooking demonstrations, were: Johnny Iuzzini, Michael Anthony, Peter Hoffman, Aida Mollenkamp, and Michel Nischan. Recipes by some of The Edible Garden participants can be found on our Web site. Thanks to all of our sponsors for helping make it all possible.

Other attractions included lectures by Amy Goldman on Heirloom Tomatoes and Rosalind Creasy on Gardening with Heirloom Flowers and Vegetables. There were booksignings, home gardening demonstrations, and tours—all part of the Botanical Garden’s continuing efforts to showcase edible plants as economical, nutritious, and good for the environment.

If you missed the opening weekend, you can still experience The Edible Garden throughout the summer until September 13. Multiple exhibitions are on display across the Garden’s 250 acres, including Tropical Fruits, Roots, and Shoots in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory and Vegetables and Kids in the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden, to name just two. Other highlights of The Edible Garden include an Edible Audio Tour narrated by Mario Batali and others, Edible Evenings for seven Thursday nights beginning July 9, the Farmers Market all day every Wednesday and Saturday, and a closing weekend festival to wrap it all up on September 12 and 13.

For all the details and to purchase tickets, visit our Edible Garden Web pages.