Waterlily Concerts Jazz Up Edible Evenings

Posted in Exhibitions, Programs and Events, The Edible Garden on August 5 2009, by Plant Talk

Gayle Schmidt is Manager of Public Education.

Imagine relaxing in a big backyard, enjoying a summer evening with friends along with good food, good music, and beautiful surroundings.

Well, you can do that right here at the Botanical Garden. On the next three Thursday nights beginning tomorrow, we continue our Edible Evenings series with a special addition—the Waterlily Concert series. These evenings are so fantastic, with great talent and friendly company to share in the event.

During Edible Evenings, the Garden’s hours are extended—until 8 p.m. for exhibitions and until 9 p.m. for the programs. In the cooler evening hours you can view the exhibitions in The Edible Garden, including Fruits, Roots, and Shoots, Martha Stewart’s Culinary Herb Garden, and the Beginners Vegetable Garden. Of course, you’ll also want to stop in to the Conservatory Courtyards to see Waterlilies and Lotus: An Aquatic Exhibition.

All evening at the Tasting Terrace you can sample beer and wine and specialty foods as well as learn about the research on edible plants by Garden scientists. You can also learn from Garden horticulturists about how to start your own herb or vegetable garden. Beer, wine, snacks, and sandwiches are available for purchase as you settle in for the cooking demonstrations and the concerts at the Conservatory Kitchen on the Conservatory Lawn. (The stage is adaptable to each event, so there is no need to re-orient your seating!)

The critically acclaimed Jeb Patton Trio will play a jazz set on August 6 following the infused tea demonstration by Mandy Aftel that complements the Coffee and Tea theme of the evening. She will show how to create scented teas and talk about the herbs and flowers such as jasmine, ginger, and rose used to make the teas.

Ray Martinez’s Legacy will perform another great Latin jazz concert—perhaps you heard them during one of our Caribbean Nights a few summers back—for Tropical Treats and Tempos on August 13. Earlier in the evening you can learn about peppers and how to cook them from Maricel Presilla, chef, author, and culinary historian specializing in the foods of Latin America and Spain. She has long ties to the Garden, having done research in our Mertz Library for one of her books on chocolate.

The final night of the concert and Edible Evening series, Preserving America’s Food Traditions on August 20, brings it on home with a bluegrass concert by M Shanghai String Band and a panel discussion with Josh Viertel, president of Slow Food USA. Get a better understanding of the way food, something that connects us all, gets to our plate.

Get your tickets, bring a blanket or lawn chair, (although that is not necessary as seating is available), and come relax at the Garden on one of these lovely summer evenings.

Generous support for the Waterlily Concert series has been provided by Vivian and Edward Merrin.