This Weekend: Gourmet Poetry
Posted in Programs and Events on July 26 2013, by Matt Newman
As I write this, it’s barely lunchtime on Friday and already our stomachs are grumbling for Sunday night’s Family Dinner with Mario Batali’s Chefs. But if you saw the menu, you’d have no cause to blame us for jumping so far ahead of schedule. Chef Cruz Goler of Lupa and Chef Frank Langello of Babbo will be here and in rare form, slinging gourmet dishes in the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden and talking shop with cooking demonstrations both before and after the meal. It’s a pretty well-rounded approach to highlighting everyone’s favorite pastime—eating well! And with plenty of crafts and activities to keep the kids happy (and perfectly paired wines to give your own mood that much more of a boost), it’s the quintessential al fresco dining experience.
There may only be two days until the event kicks off, but we still have a few tickets left for you to snap up, so don’t wait until the last minute. For more information on Family Dinners and everything happening during our summer Edible Garden events, head through to our official page—or zip right over to MasterCard’s Priceless NY registration page to grab a spot for Sunday night!
We’ll be prefacing our gourmand experience with an entire weekend of music, poetry, and hands-on activities centered around our ongoing exploration of Wild Medicine. Join us in the Ross Hall on Saturday, July 27, for the heights of lyricism hosted by visiting poets. The likes of Terese Svoboda and Rafael Campo will be joining us for dramatic readings of 16th-century classics, proving that the art of botany moves well beyond the beauty of the flower itself.
For the DIY dynamos among you, the Home Gardening Center should be high on your list of destinations, too. We’ll have an NYBG expert on hand to answer your questions on the pride of so many summer gardens: the hydrangea. Whether blue, pink, or somewhere in between, we’ll teach you how to grow and maintain these flower puffs to your liking.
There’s a whole lot more going on this weekend than I can jabber on about here, so head below for the schedule and we’ll see you on the grounds!
Saturday, July 27
Tour Wild Medicine in the Conservatory
In the Conservatory, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Guides throughout the exhibition help bring the stories of Wild Medicine to life and guide your experience. Learn about featured medicinal plants and their cultural significance, the origin of medicinal gardens, and more.
Music and Poetry of the Italian Renaissance
In the Ross Hall, 1 and 3 p.m.
Poetry comes to life during these dramatic readings, offered in conjunction with the Music & Dance of the Italian Renaissance performances. Immerse yourself in the arts as acclaimed poets read 16th-century romantic and botanically inspired works, curated in collaboration with the Poetry Society of America.
1 p.m. – Terese Svoboda, author of five books of poems, including Weapons Grade;
3 p.m. – Rafael Campo, physician-poet and author of The Healing Art, A Doctor’s Black Bag of Poetry
Home Gardening Demonstration: Hydrangea Heydays
In the Home Gardening Center – 2 p.m.
Hydrangeas are always popular. Join us to learn about the general maintenance of these floriferous workhorses in our gardens.
Sunday, July 28
Family Dinners with Mario Batali’s Chefs, 5 – 7:30 p.m.
A MasterCard® Priceless New York Event
Special Tickets Required
In the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden
Celebrate the Edible Academy and Mario Batali’s Kitchen Gardens with chefs from Mario’s acclaimed restaurants. Each dinner features a three-course, family-style menu designed by one of Mario’s chefs using fresh, seasonal ingredients like those grown in his gardens. Also enjoy hands-on gardening and craft activities, live cooking demonstrations by Mario’s top chefs in the outdoor Whole Foods Market® Family Garden Kitchen, and more. Programming geared for kids ages 4 to 12.
Tour Wild Medicine in the Conservatory
In the Conservatory, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Guides throughout the exhibition help bring the stories of Wild Medicine to life and guide your experience. Learn about featured medicinal plants and their cultural significance, the origin of medicinal gardens, and more.
Music and Dance of the Italian Renaissance
In the Ross Hall, 1 and 3 p.m.
Enjoy a rich repertoire of music and dance of the Italian Renaissance period presented by members of Early Music New York and The New York Historical Dance Company.
Home Gardening Demonstration: Hydrangea Heydays
In the Home Gardening Center – 2 p.m.
Hydrangeas are always popular. Join us to learn about the general maintenance of these floriferous workhorses in our gardens.
Ongoing Children’s Programs
Outdoor Nature Exploration at the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden
Open daily during regular Garden hours; Guided Activities: Tuesdays-Fridays, 1:30 – 5:30 p.m.,
Saturdays & Sundays, 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Explore nature and plant science through seasonally changing programs, themed galleries, and hands-on activities in the William and Lynda Steere Discovery Center as well as through outdoor exploration of the 12-acre Adventure Garden.
Mario Batali’s Kitchen Gardens
In the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden
April 6 – October 11, 2013; 1:30 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Kids can explore with Mario’s Menu Mystery game, featuring favorite vegetables and herbs from nine of his restaurants’ kitchens, including Otto and Del Posto.
Included in any All-Garden Pass.
Cooking Demonstrations
May 11 – October 11, 2013: Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays: 2 & 4 p.m.
In the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden, at the Whole Foods Market® Family Garden Kitchen
From late spring into early fall, learn to cook up flavorful new recipes using garden-fresh ingredients, twice a day on Wednesdays and weekends in the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden.
Sweet and Stinky
Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden
July 20 – August 16, 2013, 1:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Go on a Pickle Parade through the Family Garden to learn about plants—both familiar and unfamiliar—that take part in the pickling process. Learn what it takes to pickle and make your very own batch of pickles to savor back at home.
