Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Programs and Events
Posted in Programs and Events on July 23 2013, by Matt Newman
The heatwave’s bid us adieu, and just in time for this week’s Greenmarket. That’s good news for everyone who was sweating it out for last week’s event (though judging by the vegetable hauls recorded on Instagram, you weren’t all that bothered by the sun last Wednesday). In any case, our vendors will be keeping up their presentation of the July harvest with even more fresh-picked and delicious goodies to offer.
Last week we saw the arrival of peaches from Migliorelli Farm, accompanied by blueberries, corn, eggs, and all sorts of tomato and apple sauces and juices. From Red Jacket Orchards, the gooseberries were the big surprise, following raspberries, black currants, apricots, sugar plums, and then some. And from Meredith’s Bread (a breakfast favorite around here—be there early or you may miss out on some stuff), cherry, mixed berry, and apple-raspberry crumb pies; cinnamon rolls, brownies, cookies, and sweet breads—chocolate cream cheese, carrot cake, and banana nut among them.
What’s new for this week? We don’t know yet! With the vagaries of weather and crops to deal with, harvest times aren’t often set in stone. But we’ll have more news on that come Wednesday.
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Posted in Programs and Events on July 19 2013, by Matt Newman
Just over one more week to go! We’re counting off the days until Mario Batali‘s first Family Dinner of the summer, with eminent chefs from both Lupa and Babbo presiding, and already our appetites are piqued. Not that it’s all too surprising—the promise of Mozzarella di Bufala, strip steak with marinated runner beans, pistachio olive oil cake and more would have the gourmand in almost anyone hopping with anticipation.
The event goes well beyond the family-style dinner, too. If you’ve got kids in tow, don’t worry about antsiness playing into it: we’ll have a bunch of hands-on gardening and craft activities to keep the little ones happy. Meanwhile, cooking demonstrations from Mario’s top chefs round out the experience in the Whole Foods Market® Family Garden Kitchen. It’s a lot to pack into one evening, but we’re not shy of saying how proud we are to host it! That said, we only have food for so many guests in the Family Garden at one time, so tickets are limited—better to register now than wait until next weekend! Check out The Edible Garden for more on this MasterCard® event, or head straight over to Priceless NY to get your tickets. Your tastebuds would thank you if they could.
For this weekend’s activities, Wild Medicine is as much the belle of the ball as ever, with horticulturists working each and every day to keep the Conservatory display at its peak. And we’re doing it one better this weekend with Saturday and Sunday gardening demonstrations geared toward the flower arrangers among you (or those who are hopeful of becoming one). Check the rest of the schedule below!
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Posted in Programs and Events on July 17 2013, by Matt Newman
Crème Yvette, lime, and one all-important choice to finish it: tequila or mezcal? We’re moving off from the last Cocktail Evening‘s gin and cucumber combo toward something on the smoky side of the spectrum, couching the refreshing flavors of berry liqueur in everyone’s favorite agave spirits. And with the city baking like a blueberry pie this week, I can’t think of many things better than a complimentary cocktail, a stroll through Wild Medicine, and some music after dark to shrug off the day’s heat.
On stage, “Italia in Jazz” spotlights the musical talents of the Marco Pignataro Quartet, paying a proper tribute to timeless Italian standards and original compositions alike. And with Marco and his saxophone at the helm, the night’s entertainment is in good hands! Originally from Bologna, Italy, Pignataro has taken the stage with such jazz greats as Eddie Gomez and Danilo Pérez. In concert with the latter, he now leads Berklee’s Global Jazz Institute in Boston, but that hasn’t stopped him from performing on stages around the world—and he’ll be right at home with his quartet here at the Garden.
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Posted in Programs and Events on July 16 2013, by Matt Newman
Last week’s Greenmarket saw the addition of eggs, red raspberries, cauliflower, cucumbers, and red currants. Meanwhile, the rhubarb (so glad strawberry-rhubarb pie is making a comeback) was on its way out. You may still find some this week, however, as we continue the important harvest month of July with some of the freshest produce in New York!
We’re hoping to see more blueberries, peaches, and plums going forward, but as always, what shows up each Wednesday is something of a surprise. You can get a better idea of what to look forward to by visiting our friends’ harvest chart at GrowNYC. Or you can just plan on the pies, fresh breads, cookies, and quiches to be found here otherwise—they are absurdly delicious.
The NYBG Greenmarket runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each Wednesday through November 27, with free short-term parking for Greenmarket shoppers and—as on every Wednesday—free Grounds Admission for visitors. The market accepts food stamps, EBT, WIC/FMNP, and Senior coupons, in addition to cash and credit or debit cards. Learn how to use EBT, WIC and FMNP at the Greenmarket. And head below for a recipe from our staff at the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden.
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Posted in Programs and Events on July 16 2013, by Matt Newman
For the next few months, it can’t be helped: you’ll see more New Yorkers fanning themselves with their newspapers than reading them. We’re all looking for a little relief from the summer heat, and for some it’s lemonade (or an Arnold Palmer if you’re next-level about your refreshments). For us, it’s a heaped bowl of cherries—chilled to frosty perfection! But there are so many ways to enjoy these summer treats that even we don’t know each and every one. That said, telling us about your recipe might just win you something!
The New York Botanical Garden is teaming up with Whole Foods Market this summer, and we’re on a quest to beat the heat. Naturally, that means uncovering novel ways to prepare some of our favorite hot-weather fruits and vegetables, whether they’re topping ice cream, filling out a fruit salad, or sitting pretty at the bottom of a juice glass. Whatever you can come up with—sudden epiphany, family recipe, a neat idea, anything—we want to try it out! Of course, we wouldn’t think to take this on without putting a reward up for grabs. After you’ve submitted your recipes, Whole Foods Market Culinary Demonstration Specialists will pick a winning dish to receive a $50 Whole Foods Gift card. Better yet, that recipe will be prepared in your local Whole Foods Market store and made available for visitors to sample.
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Posted in Programs and Events on July 15 2013, by Matt Newman
In food blogging, there’s always a trove of challenges to navigate: finding a voice in the hungry pack of culinary columnists, translating your dining experiences to allow readers to eat with their eyes, and—at least in New York—keeping pace with the frantic trends of the food scene. But of everything facing the writer from day to day, age should never be an obstacle to success—even kid bloggers deserve an audience!
During June 10th’s Edible Academy Family Picnic, held among the vegetable plots in the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden, Mario Batali and Daphne Oz teamed up to charm palates with gourmet meals and a light-hearted cooking demonstration. We also invited several food bloggers like Carrie Vibert, Caroline Campion, and Amie Valpone to join us for the event, kicking off MasterCard’s Priceless NY Kid Food Blogger Experience. They not only had the opportunity to taste a few of Mario’s custom-designed dishes, but pique the muse of young writers anxious to put pen to paper. From there, we challenged the kids at the Family Picnic to submit their own blog posts—about the events, the experience, and the food prepared by Mario and his team of talented chefs.
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Posted in Programs and Events on July 12 2013, by Matt Newman
Friday, Friday, how do we love you—let me count the ways. Or the activities, at least. We’re once again toeing the weekend’s threshold here at the NYBG, and the summer blooms make for a bright lead-in to the next few days of Wild Medicine, home gardening demonstrations, and romps in the edible plots of the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden. You might want to make a point of hitting up the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, too. Talking greenhouses and summer in the same breath might be a bit redundant, but the colors under the glass dome make my point for me—between the lilies and thistles of The Italian Renaissance Garden, and the lollipop plants, passion flowers, and lotuses surrounding, these collections are unmissable.
Speaking of unmissable, 2013’s first Family Dinner with Mario Batali’s chefs is fast approaching, and tickets are still available for this summer evening in the Family Garden. We’ve even got a menu up on the main page for the July 28 event! And if Mozzarella di Bufala and Pistachio Olive Oil Cake sound like your kind of eats, you’re headed in the right direction. Check out the offerings, maybe take a peek at the restaurants involved (you won’t be disappointed in the visiting chefs’ qualifications), and register while you still can!
Just one last reminder: while most of the 2013 Summer Intensives have already started, hopeful gardeners looking to earn a certificate from one of the most prestigious horticulture schools in the world still have a day or two to sign up for our Gardening Summer Intensive. You can see what it’s all about here.
As we saunter on into summer, we’ll have more events for you, too. For now, check our weekend schedule below.
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Posted in Programs and Events on July 9 2013, by Matt Newman
It’s Tuesday, which means it’s almost Wednesday. And Wednesday, of course, means Greenmarket goodies! Come 9 a.m. tomorrow we’ll be out along Garden Way with our visiting vendors, buying our fill of fresh-picked fruits, vegetables, and baked treats. That said, we would love some company from our visitors.
As of last week’s Greenmarket offerings, we saw heaps of fresh blueberries, grape tomatoes, cabbage, bok choy, potatoes, green beans, and beets from Gajeski Produce. From Migliorelli Farm, there was all manner of flavorful herbs, along with summer squash, zucchini, peas of different kinds, and all the kale, spinach, and collards that could possibly fit in your crisper drawer. From Red Jacket Orchards, apricots, strawberries, and cherries, along with buckets of fresh chilled fruit juices. And of course there was Meredith’s Bread, which supplied us with stacks of fresh-baked pies, breads, scones, and muffins. They even had quiche!
Chances are we’ll see similar offerings on the table tomorrow, but with so many harvests beginning and ending in July, there may be a few surprises. In the meantime, head below for a recipe from our Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden crew.
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Posted in Programs and Events on July 5 2013, by Matt Newman
I hope everyone had a safe, colorful Independence Day! Our fireworks are still going, so to speak (these flowers last longer than your average bottle rocket). And we’re not wasting any time leaping into this “sort of” long weekend, either, with a packed schedule of Wild Medicine activities, music, dance, and gardening demos.
With Commedia dell’Arte lilting through the Renaissance in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden and all things onions and garlic taking over the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden for Sweet & Stinky, your kids won’t be at a loss for entertainment. Meanwhile, join us in the Home Gardening Center on Saturday or Sunday for Herbal Delights, our latest gardening demonstration highlighting the stack of appetizing ways you can make herbs the workhorse of your garden. You can even continue your edible education back in the Family Garden with one of our daily cooking demonstrations using fresh-picked ingredients.
We’ll be outside all weekend, enjoying the fruits of summer, so joining us wouldn’t be a bad idea! Check out the events below.
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Posted in Programs and Events on July 2 2013, by Matt Newman
Potatoes for mashing, strawberries for snacking, carrots for crunching, garlic for…well, anything you can feasibly put it in shy of ice cream. We’re into week three of the Greenmarket this Wednesday, and things are only ramping up (except the actual ramps—those oniony wonders are more of an April thing) as the summer matures. Last week saw a big focus on summer squash, and while we’re likely to see more of that this week, the start of July traditionally sounds the trumpet for a bunch of other harvests—whether they’re beginning or ending.
Cherries are commonly a July thing, but we’ve been seeing them for a couple of weeks now, so plan to pick up a few hefty handfuls while you’re here. This month also marks the beginning of the fresh potato harvest at large, and the tail end of outdoor-grown rhubarb in our area. Peppers and tomatoes will be coming into vogue from here on out, along with blueberries, peaches, plums, and raspberries, so err on the side of caution and think about bringing your big produce bag in the coming weeks. It’ll be one of your better decisions.
Oh, and keep in mind this is just a tentative schedule—with the weather as unpredictable as it’s been over the last year, the harvests rarely have a cut and dry beginning or end. We just do our best to predict. I’ve got another recipe from the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden for you, so head below for that, and we’ll see you at the Greenmarket tomorrow!
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The heatwave’s bid us adieu, and just in time for this week’s Greenmarket. That’s good news for everyone who was sweating it out for last week’s event (though judging by the vegetable hauls recorded on Instagram, you weren’t all that bothered by the sun last Wednesday). In any case, our vendors will be keeping up their presentation of the July harvest with even more fresh-picked and delicious goodies to offer.
