Garden arborists cut down a tree acutely damaged by Irene.
Hurricane Irene came to New York City over the weekend. She blew through the Garden, and thankfully left very little trace of her visit behind; just a handful of the Garden’s thousands of trees were damaged, and of those, only two were judged to be a danger to Garden visitors and beyond salvaging.
This morning we were able to do a survey of the farmers who bring their produce and baked goods to the Garden’s weekly Greenmarket, and were relieved to hear from them that they also weathered the storm.
Given what could have happened, we’re very happy to be able to issue this report, and our thoughts are with those suffering from the catastrophic flooding upstate and throughout New England.
From August 27 – September 25, families can explore Mario Batali’s Edible Garden in the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden and enjoy daily gardening activities and cooking demonstrations showcasing kid-friendly recipes with the chance to sample and search for ingredients in the garden. We are posting the recipes from Mario Batali’s Edible Garden here on the NYBG blog, Plant Talk, so check back often.
Spicy Cucumber and Fennel Salad
Dan Drohan, Executive Chef, OTTO Enoteca Pizzaria, New York
Lemon Vinaigrette
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon marmellata (marmalade) or a generous pinch of grated lemon zest
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, preferably Tuscan
1 fennel bulb, sliced paper thin
2 breakfast radishes, thinly sliced
2 hot house cucumbers, skins on
2 peperoncini, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons Lemon Vinaigrette
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 sprigs fennel fronds
Whisk the lemon juice, marmellata, and olive oil together in a small bowl and set aside. The vinaigrette can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Using a Japanese mandolin, thinly slice fennel and radishes and set aside in a serving bowl. Split cucumbers lengthwise and cut into 1/2-centimeter-thick half moons, skins on, and transfer to serving bowl. Thinly slice peperoncini on a bias and incorporate. Add all Lemon Vinaigrette, season with salt and pepper and toss lightly. Garnish with fennel fronds and serve.
From August 27 – September 25, families can explore Mario Batali’s Edible Garden in the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden and enjoy daily gardening activities and cooking demonstrations showcasing kid-friendly recipes with the chance to sample and search for ingredients in the garden. We are posting the recipes from Mario Batali’s Edible Garden here on the NYBG blog, Plant Talk, so check back often.
Caprese Salad with Genovese Pesto
Recipe courtesy of Mario Batali
There are about 150 varieties of basil, but basilico genovese makes for the best pesto. It’s also essential to making authentic pesto genovese. In Italy, basil is a symbol of love and I love this recipe for a summer caprese salad with ingredients fresh from the seasonal garden.
Basil Pesto
3 garlic cloves
2 cups lightly packed fresh Genovese basil leaves
3 tablespoons pine nuts
Generous pinch of Maldon or other flaky sea salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
3 tablespoons grated pecorino romano
10 ounces fresh mozzarella
1 1/2 pounds assorted ripe tomatoes (choose a combination of colors, types and sizes) including Italian Heirloom and bicolor Pineapple
With the motor running, drop the garlic into your best food processor to chop it. Add the Genovese basil, pine nuts, and salt and pulse until the basil and nuts are coarsely chopped, then process until finely chopped. With the motor running, drizzle in the oil. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the Parmigiano and pecorino. Set aside. (The pesto can be stored in a tightly sealed jar, topped with a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil, for several weeks in the refrigerator.)
With a sharp knife, cut the mozzarella into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Transfer to a serving platter.
If using cherry or grape tomatoes, cut them in half. Core the remaining tomatoes and slice them. Arrange the tomatoes with the cheese.
Pour the pesto over the salad, sprinkle with salt, and serve.
It seems logical for raindrops to be caught in the frilly edges of a crape-myrtle blossom, but the variegated textures of ornamental grasses can capture them, too.
The summer session of the Children’s Gardening program–where kids aged 5-12 work in pairs to cultivate and tend their own garden plot–is in full swing, and the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden is a hive of activity, bursting at the seams with produce and happy kids.
If the kids in your family want to get in on the gardening action, you can join in during Dig! Plant! Grow! which takes place daily (except on Mondays when the Garden is usually closed), beginning at 1:30 p.m. Digging, weeding, and harvesting aren’t the only activities going on in the Family Garden (read one visitor’s appreciation); there’s also cooking, Mario Batali’s Edible Garden, and tons of exploring to be done as well! And there are bees and bunnies. Oh, and it’s also really pretty!
Be sure to stop by on your next trip to the Garden, and while you’re here, snap a few photos to enter into the August NYBG-IGPOTY photo contest, “Kids in the Garden” featuring special Mario Batali prizes!
Briefings from the Field, a short lecture series featuring updates from the fieldwork of various Garden scientists, is open to the public Saturday at 2 p.m. in the Arthur and Janet Ross Lecture Hall
