I’ve done a lot of talking about the sensational culinary experiences to be had during this summer’s Family Dinners with Mario Batali’s Chefs, but until now I had few ways of showing you first-hand just what goes on in the garden, behind the grills, and at the table. Thankfully, Kevin Character was on hand during last week’s evening event to take a spin around the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden and talk to some of the talent in attendance.
In talking with Andy Nusser, Executive Chef at Tarry Lodge, it’s clear that this hefty undertaking is nonetheless carried out with all the care and attention to detail that have made Mario Batali‘s restaurants havens for modern gourmands. There’s definitely more to come during this ongoing MasterCard Priceless series, but for now, have a look at how we’re doing things during the summer harvest. It might pique your palate!
Our next Family Dinner events take place on September 21 and 29, so there’s plenty of time to pick your date. But keep in mind that tickets have been going quickly, and we expect the trend to continue. MasterCard holders can visit Priceless NY for more information or to register for the events. We’ll have more on upcoming menus as we get closer to September, so stay tuned!
Quick, what’s your favorite summer tomato recipe! Leave it in the comments if you’d like; there’s no prize, but it would be nice to see what people are eating this season.
Our long-time adventure in multinational growing once again comes to fruition this weekend, which is a big hint to bring the kids along if you’re planning a visit. We’ll be hanging out in the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden with our talented team of global gardeners for the Summer Harvest Festival, celebrating the herbs, fruits, and vegetables that form the backbones of cuisines from Ireland, South Korea, the Caribbean, and more.
While you’re meeting the gardeners who have carefully tended these plots for so long, we’ll have activities to explore throughout Saturday and Sunday, including garden passports, cultural crafts, and pickle sampling. And not many people would pass up garden-fresh pickles, in my experience.
Elsewhere in the Garden, our Wild Medicine exhibition continues its summer run with an ever changing display in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory‘s Italian Renaissance Gardenplanting, as well as a renowned collection of classic herbals in the Mertz Library (see below for our ASL-friendly tour happening Saturday). And with the weather playing nice, I’d suggest setting aside some time to daydream your way along the Forest trails, too—the canopy is a cloud of green right now.
I think I’m on a certified dragonfly kick after perusing Thomas Andres’ collection of bug shots from earlier this week. Ivo follows up with what may be the cutest representative of the Odonata class taking a breather on a leaf in the Ladies’ Border.
Each year, thousands of photographers from around the world venture out with cameras in tow—into their gardens, their backyards, their local greenmarkets, and the wilderness at large. They all have the same goal, of course, though their subject matter often differs wildly. They’re after one of the most prestigious nature photography prizes out there: The International Garden Photographer of the Year award.
For the 2012 judging, The New York Botanical Garden—the exclusive U.S. partner of IGPOTY—threw its hat in the ring with a special photo category geared toward therapeutic plants, challenging friends, fans, visitors and photographers from all over to capture the very plants and garden imagery that we now feature in our Wild Medicine exhibition. Alongside a cash purse and global recognition, the awards for taking top honors in this challenge included a featured place in our “Nature’s Pharmacy” gallery exhibition, viewable now in our Ross Gallery.
A male Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) on a hooded pitcher plant (Sarracenia minor)
The Native Plant Garden impresses me in many ways, but from an ecological stand point, what I see as the most exciting aspect is not what was planted or constructed. It is the birds, insects, reptiles, and amphibians who have decided to take up residency. Where did they come from and why are they here? None were intentionally introduced, but build it (or plant it) and they will come. They are indicator species of the quality of the environment.
Each species has its own story. Hummingbirds are attracted to the stunningly bright red cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) and bee balm (Monarda sp.), swallowtail butterflies and bees frequent the coastal plain Joe-Pye weed (Eutrochium dubium), etc.
But then there are what I estimate to be over a dozen species of fierce predators that have little interest in the plants except to occasionally perch on them. They are superb flyers, though they are not birds, and, when young, are aquatic without wings. Some are camouflaged, especially the females, while others are brightly colored and highly territorial. All have excellent vision, at least for detecting movement.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume that ‘Bashful’ was a tongue-in-cheek cultivar joke, considering the ostentatious color of this little gem. Look for it in the Perennial Garden.
I’ve done a lot of talking about the sensational culinary experiences to be had during this summer’s Family Dinners with Mario Batali’s Chefs, but until now I had few ways of showing you first-hand just what goes on in the garden, behind the grills, and at the table. Thankfully, Kevin Character was on hand during last week’s evening event to take a spin around the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden and talk to some of the talent in attendance.
