The Edible Garden

Through October 17

The Edible Garden - October 16th, 2010 - Cooking Demonstrations at the Conservatory Kitchen at New york Botanical Gardens with Mario Batali, Michael Psilakis and Marc Forgione and Book Signings.

The day was gorgeous but windy and there was plenty of food to taste at the NYBG which was amazing. A culinary giant, an Iron Chef of America Mario Batali stepped on the stage to cook for the eager audiences and fans and afterward proceeded to the special area where he did the book signing for everyone who was interested in purchasing the book. The line was tremendous and the signing continued for over an hour. Smiles were everywhere and Mr. Batali was a gracious and friendly with his fans while signing the book "Molto Gusto: Easy Italian Cooking" and also answering questions and giving advice on cooking and shopping for the freshest herbs and veggies.

#1 Mario Batali

#2 Mario Batali

#3 Mario Batali

#4 Mario Batali

#5 Mario Batali

#6 Mario Batali

#7 Mario Batali

Mario Batali

Mario Batali

Mario Batali

Mario Batali

Mario Batali and Anna Kuchma

People waiting in line to get the Cookbook Signed by Mario Batali

The Edible Garden
Recipe featured at the Final Festival Weekend demonstration,
October 16

Mortadella Ripiena (Stuffed Mortadella)
By: Mario Batali, chef and author of Molto Gusto: Easy Italian Cooking

Ingredients (Serves 6)
24 thin slices mortadella
12 ounces fresh soft goat cheese or fresh ricotta, cut into 12 equal pieces
12 fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Toothpicks

Instructions
1.   Stack 2 slices of mortadella on top of each other. Place about 1 ounce of the cheese in
the very center of the mortadella. Press a basil leaf down on top of the cheese.
2.   Fold the bottom of the mortadella over the cheese, then fold over the sides and roll up
the cheese in the mortadella (like a burrito). Secure each one with a toothpick. Repeat
with the remaining ingredients.
3.   In a 12-inch nonstick saute pan, heat olive oil until relatively hot. Add the mortadella
packets, flat side down. Cook for two minutes, turn them over, and cook for one more
minute or until golden brown. You can also dredge the packet in a little bit of oil and
place it on a grill.
4.    Serve the mortadella packets with a fresh basil leaf on top.
                                                                                Recipe courtesy of Molto Gusto (ecco 2010)

Michael Psilakis - Chef and Owner, Kefi, and Cookbook Author was really fun especially during he presentation. Full of energy and various tips on how to achieve something great tasting opnly with few ingridients available at the herb garden was his task which he nailed perfectly. The Salad "Tomato, String Bean, and Artichoke Salad" was delicious.

#1 Michael Psilakis Chef and Owner, Kefi, and Cookbook Author

#2 Michael Psilakis Chef and Owner, Kefi, and Cookbook Author

#3 Michael Psilakis Chef and Owner, Kefi, and Cookbook Author


Michael Psilakis

Michael Psilakis

Michael Psilakis

Michael Psilakis

The Edible Garden
Recipe featured at the Final Festival Weekend demonstration,
October 16
Tomato, String Bean, and Artichoke Salad
By: Michael Psilakis, chef and owner, Kefi, and cookbook author

Ingredients (Serves 4, or more, as part of a larger spread)
¼ pound green beans, ends trimmed
¼ pound yellow wax beans, ends trimmed
1/3 to ½ cup red wine vinegar and feta vinaigrette
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
4 vine-ripe tomatoes, preferably heirloom, cut into rough wedges
3 pieces artichokes
½ piece cucumber
2 sprigs spearmint
2 pieces shallot
1 teaspoon dry Greek oregano
½ small red onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
6 small, picked sprigs parsley, torn
6 small, picked sprigs dill, torn
16 leaves of fresh mint, torn
Kosher salt and coarsely cracked
Black pepper

Instructions
1.   Prepare an ice water bath and bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the beans
until tender but still snappy, about 3 minutes, then shock them in the ice water bath
and swish around. Drain well and dry on a clean towel.
2.   In a bowl, combine the beans, vinaigrette, feta, tomatoes, oregano, red onion,
cucumber, shallot, artichokes, and torn herbs. Toss well with clean hands. Taste and
adjust the seasoning with kosher salt and pepper.
3.   If you wish, add toasted chunks of day-old bread, brushed with extra-virgin olive oil
and seasoned with sea salt and pepper.

Marc Forgione cooked for the audiences

Marc Forgione


Marc Forgione

Barbeque Baked Oysters with Bacon Powder and Ararat
Barbeque Baked Oysters with Bacon Powder and Ararat
      By: Marc Forgione, chef and co-owner, Marc Forgione

#1 Marc Forgione Chef and Co-Owner, Marc Forgione

#2 Marc Forgione Chef and Co-Owner, Marc Forgione

#3 Marc Forgione Chef and Co-Owner, Marc Forgione

Ingredients
for the oysters
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup unsalted butter
1 red pepper
1 jalapeno pepper
½ red onion
2 tablespoon Ararat
¼ cup pepper jack cheese
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped chives
1 ½ cup milk
1 dozen shucked hummock island oysters
1 cup barbeque sauce

for the bacon powder
4 thin slices bacon

Instructions
1.   Saute the vegetables in the butter, then once soft, add the Ararat. Whisk in the flour
and cook for about 1 minute on medium heat.
2.   Whisk in the milk and transfer to a pot. Cook it on medium heat, stirring every
minute or so for about 15 minutes (until you can not taste the flour).
3.   Cover each oyster with the béchamel and brush each with the barbeque sauce.
4.   Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake 4 thin slices of bacon until crispy. Pat
them dry with a paper towel and mince. Leave it in a warm place on a plate lined with
a paper towel until crispy again.
5.   Broil the oysters until the béchamel is bubbling (about 2-3 minutes). Sprinkle with
bacon powder and a little more Ararat. Serve with lime wedges and cilantro sprigs.
Chili Lobster with Texas Toast
Olde Salt Clams, Black Garlic Jus, Braised Pork Belly

Marc Forgione

Marc Forgione

The Edible Garden
Recipe featured at the Final Festival Weekend demonstration,
October 16

Olde Salt Clams, Black Garlic Jus, Braised Pork Belly
      By: Marc Forgione, chef and co-owner, Marc Forgione

Ingredients
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock
1 pound olde salt clams
2 tablespoon black garlic puree
Koppert cress pea shoots
4 Matstutake mushrooms
4 slices pork belly
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Crusty bread
Red pepper flakes

Instructions
1.   Saute the garlic and parsley in the olive oil until the garlic is toasted. Add wine, stock,
and clams and cover until the clams open. While the clams are cooking warm 4 bowls
in the oven.
2.   Place the thinly sliced pork belly on each plate, some pea shoots, and thinly sliced
matsutake mushrooms.
3.   With a slotted spoon, divide the clams into the 4 bowls, then return the pot back to
temperature and whisk in the black garlic puree. Ladle the broth into each bowl and
serve with bread and lots of chili flakes.

Here is a Slide show of all the pictures

Join Martha Stewart for a Champagne Cocktail Party

Martha Stewart by Anna Kuchma

Martha Stewart’s Champagne Cocktail Party

From 5:30 to 7 p.m., visitors can enjoy a champagne cocktail and herbal appetizer as they mingle with Garden Curators in the Martha Stewart Culinary Herb Garden, part of The Edible Garden. At 7 p.m., Martha Stewart takes the stage at the Conservatory Kitchen where she will share her secrets for growing and using herbs in delicious end-of-summer cocktails.

The Edible Garden, an exhibition at The New York Botanical Garden that celebrates growing and preparing good food, spotlights locally grown, seasonal food with cooking demonstrations every day and hands-on vegetable gardening for the entire family. Featuring four spectacular kitchen gardens, The Edible Garden, which runs through October 17, teaches visitors how to grow the best food at home. Proceeds benefit the Children’s Education program. For more information, call 718.817.8700 or visit www.nybg.org.

Martha Stewart, who brought her distinctive design aesthetic to the Botanical Garden’s historic Luce Herb Garden, redesigning it to display a rich selection of culinary herbs, will talk about how herbs can add a delightful kick to seasonal beverages. Martha Stewart’s expansive multimedia portfolio includes her award-winning magazines Martha Stewart Living, Whole Living, Everyday Food, and Martha Stewart Weddings; the Emmy Award-winning daily television series, “The Martha Stewart Show,” and other original programming on Hallmark Channel, including “Mad Hungry with Lucinda Scala Quinn” and “Whatever with Alexis & Jennifer”; Martha Stewart Living Radio on SIRIUS channel 112 and XM Radio channel 157; marthastewart.com, wholeliving.com, and marthastewartweddings.com; and her best-selling books. In addition to its media properties, MSLO offers high-quality Martha Stewart products through licensing agreements with carefully selected companies, including the Martha Stewart Collection exclusively at Macy's that offers an array of culinary tools that can be used to prepare herbs for cooking; the Martha Stewart Living line of home-improvement products at The Home Depot; Martha Stewart Crafts with EK Success at Michaels and independent retailers; the Martha Stewart Pets line at PetSmart and more.

WHERE:
The New York Botanical Garden

The weather was spectacular but a bit chilly towards the evening's end. A lot of people gathered in the garden to admire and inspect various herbs grown by Martha Stewart and other Chefs, the scenery and the aroma in the air was intoxicating. Lots of smiles and champagne flowing and then there was the line to the tent where everyone was eager to see Martha Stewart's presentation.

It was great: she cooked and implemented part of the edible garden herbs in the recipes and shared them with the expert panel. Later on the audience had the main stage with Q and A with Martha Stewart. It was a lovely evening of champagne and cooking.