Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Ann Rafalko
Posted in Around the Garden on July 31 2012, by Ann Rafalko
It’s tomato time, and that can only mean one thing, that it is also gazpacho time. Gazpacho (or gaspacho) is a cold soup from Spain. It is refreshing, healthy, delicious, and a great way to showcase the intense flavor of summer’s most perfect tomatoes.
Gazpacho generally consists of a few basic ingredients; tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, garlic and olive oil, but as with most “simple” recipes, the variations are endless. We have rounded up a handful of our favorite gazpacho recipes below. Do you have a favorite variation we haven’t mentioned? Feel free to tell us in the comments!
Summertime is also a good time to brush up on your food safety smarts. To that end the Cornell Cooperative Extension will be at the Greenmarket this week 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. to offer tips and answer all your food safety questions.
The weekly NYBG Greenmarket occurs every Wednesday through November 21, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. near Tulip Tree Allée. Admission and parking for the weekly Greenmarket is always free, and EBT, WIC, and FMNP and NYC Health Bucks are accepted.
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Posted in Around the Garden on July 30 2012, by Ann Rafalko
Artichokes look vaguely dangerous and are difficult to eat and prepare, but enlightened eaters know that they are a very worthy labor of love.
I am a bit carcofi mad. I have loved them since I was a young child. I would request them every year for my birthday alongside a grilled steak until well into my 20s. How did I, a kid who grew up with food aversions just like any other kid, become hooked on such an unlikely vegetable? My mother simply served them to me, I tried them, and I loved them!
Would you like the opportunity to introduce your children to this strange vegetable, too? Then bring them to our next Family Dinner with Mario Batali’s Chefs with Chef Alex Pilas of Eataly and Chef Dan Drohan of Otto Enoteca Pizzeria on Thursday, August 2 in the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden. Artichokes are growing beautifully alongside a massive collection of herbs in the Eataly beds of ‘Mario Batali’s Kitchen Gardens,’ and will be served as a main course alongside leg of lamb and dandelion greens by chefs Pilas and Drohan.
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Posted in Programs and Events on July 25 2012, by Ann Rafalko
First thing’s first: We have released new tickets for the final two Monet Evenings! If you’d like to wander around the water lily pools and stroll down our recreation of Monet’s grand allée, cocktail in hand, while the sun sets behind the historic Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, then you need to snap up your tickets before they sell out again!
Next up, dinnertime in the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden! As part of “Mario Batali’s Kitchen Gardens,” a robust and interactive space in the Family Garden filled with beds of vegetables and herbs used at Mario’s restaurant kitchens, Family Dinners with Mario Batali’s Chefs pairs the produce from these beds with chefs from Mario Batali’s restaurants. On Thursday, July 26 join Chef Frank Langello of Babbo Ristorante and Chef Cruz Goler of Lupa Osteria Romana for an unforgettable dinner. Want to know what’s on the menu? Annie Novak, Assistant Manager of the Family Garden shows you in the video below.
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Posted in Around the Garden on July 24 2012, by Ann Rafalko
It is a bountiful time of year. Just about any fruit or vegetable you can imagine is available and at the peak of flavor. It’s the best time of year for vegetable lovers; tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, peppers, garlic, peaches, nectarines, cherries, they’re all available at the weekly NYBG Greenmarket! Last week we featured recipes for salads that use lots of vegetables and require little or no cooking. This week we’re giving you recipes that involve cooking, but also take full advantage of all of summer’s amazing produce. See our picks below.
Also this week you can also learn how to take your vegetable scraps and turn them into the gardener’s version of black gold–compost! Representatives from the NYC Compost Project will be on hand 11 a.m – 1 p.m. to offer composting tips and tricks and to answer all your questions.
Admission and parking for the weekly Greenmarket is always free, and EBT, WIC, and FMNP and NYC Health Bucks are accepted. The Greenmarket is situated near the Mosholu Gate entrance near Tulip Tree Allée and occurs every Wednesday through November 21, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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Posted in Around the Garden, Mario Batali's Edible Garden, Programs and Events on July 23 2012, by Ann Rafalko
Part of The Edible Garden, ‘Mario Batali’s Kitchen Gardens‘ in the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden is an interactive space filled with beds of vegetables and herbs used in the restaurants of chef Mario Batali. The whole family will love exploring these beautiful gardens using an audio tour and Mario’s Menu Mystery game (you can pick it up in the Family Garden).
On Thursday, July 26 join two chefs from Mario Batali’s restaurants, Cruz Goler of Lupa Osteria Romana and Frank Langello of Babbo Ristorante, for the second of four Family Dinners with Mario Batali’s Chefs in the Family Garden.
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Posted in Around the Garden on July 17 2012, by Ann Rafalko
It’s hot, I cannot lie. Another thing I cannot lie about: I’m really bad at dealing with the heat. My favorite ways to cope include sitting in the shade along Tulip Tree Allée, drinking lots of cold water, indulging in an occasional popsicle, and staying as far away as possible from the stove; in other words, it’s time to eat lots and lots of salad.
But, as I’m sure you know, plain old iceberg and tomatoes can get a bit repetitive. What’s the solution? Hit the weekly Wednesday NYBG Greenmarket for inspiration (and check out our recipes below)!
This week, in addition to the usual abundance of fruits and veggies, you will also find representatives from the Montefiore Office of Community Health and Wellness offering advice and screenings, and educators from St. Barnabas Hospital offering advice on healthy habits and staying well. And though it may seem hard to motivate in this intense heat, a bit of gentle exercise is still important, so pull on your sneakers and go for a walk with the members of the Weekly Walking Club.
Admission and parking are free to shop at the Greenmarket and EBT, WIC, and FMNP and NYC Health Bucks are accepted. The weekly NYBG Greenmarket near Tulip Tree Allée happens every Wednesday through November 21, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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Posted in Around the Garden on July 13 2012, by Ann Rafalko
‘Mario Batali’s Kitchen Gardens‘ in the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden features vegetables and herbs used in the restaurants of chef Mario Batali. An audio tour and Mario’s Menu Mystery game help children of all ages explore these verdant garden plots.
On Sunday, July 15 join two chefs from Mario Batali’s restaurants, Andy Nusser of Tarry Lodge and Anthony Sasso of Casa Mono, for the first of four Family Dinners with Mario Batali’s Chefs in the Family Garden. Here’s a sneak peek at what’s growing in their patches!
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Posted in Monet's Garden on July 11 2012, by Ann Rafalko
Half the fun of attending an evening event like Monet Evenings Featuring Water Lily Concerts, is getting dressed for it (or at least I think so). You want to look fancy, but not too dressed up; pretty, but not too girly to sit on the lawn; and be physically cool, while still looking cool.
Anyone around the NYBG digital media offices can attest to the fact that I have a workplace uniform and should in no way be trusted to give fashion advice, so I turned to Lilit Marcus.
Lilit is a New Yorker by way of North Carolina, which means she likes fried chicken and bagels equally (you can see why I trust her, right?). Lilit’s first book, Save the Assistants, based on the popular blog of the same name, was published in 2010. Her work has also appeared in Glamour, the New York Post, the Forward, and Cosmopolitan. Oh, and she’s mighty stylish, which makes her the perfect person to pull this chic little outfit together, just in time for the next Monet Evening, Thursday, July 19, 6-9 p.m. Take it away Lilit!
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Posted in Programs and Events on July 9 2012, by Ann Rafalko
What did you have for dinner last night? Did you whip it up from scratch, or were there boxes involved? Did you sit at the table, or in front of the TV? I’m not one to judge. I don’t even own a dining room table (my apartment is so small, I declared victory when I found a suitably sized TV tray), and my husband and I can often be found rooting on the Yankees over a bowl of pasta and a glass of New York’s finest.
Whether that’s tap water or a pint of local brew, I’ll let you decide.
New York City is a tough place to indulge in the idyllic family dinner; our apartments are small, our kids are as busy as we are, and especially in the summer, it can get so hot that it makes it seem perfectly reasonable to splurge on dinner out–if only to soak in someone’s air conditioning while they feed us. Like I said: no judgment. So wouldn’t it be nice not only to sit down with your entire family, but to sit down with a community of like-minded families for a three-course meal prepared by some of the city’s best chefs, in one of the city’s best gardens? Yeah, I think so, too. And that’s just what you can do–twice this July and twice again in August in the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden.
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Posted in Around the Garden on July 3 2012, by Ann Rafalko
What’s more American than barbecuing on July 4? How about barbecuing locally-sourced, American-grown produce! The Garden, along with the Greenmarket, will be open this Independence Day, Wednesday, July 4 so that you can pickup all your barbecue and picnic needs from the farmers who grow them. Why not celebrate America’s 236th birthday with an all American buckle, grunt, betty, or cobbler featuring Red Jacket Orchard‘s beautiful berries or cherries. Not a baker? Then pickup one of the Little Bake Shop‘s delicious–and already baked–seasonal pies!
And don’t forget that most American of grains, corn, which is delicious boiled or grilled and slathered in butter, or with lime, chile, and cheese. In addition to corn and cherries, I’m hoping for summer squash and green beans from Migliorelli Farm, maybe a tomato or two, and pickles from Millport Dairy and spring onions from Gajeski Produce to serve on top of hamburgers!
From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., stop by the Greenmarket information booth to pot up a plant to take home and grow on your window sill. The weekly NYBG Greenmarket near Tulip Tree Allée happens every Wednesday through November 21, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission and parking are free to shop at the Greenmarket and EBT, WIC, and FMNP are accepted.
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It’s tomato time, and that can only mean one thing, that it is also gazpacho time. Gazpacho (or gaspacho) is a cold soup from Spain. It is refreshing, healthy, delicious, and a great way to showcase the intense flavor of summer’s most perfect tomatoes.
