Plant to Plate

Triticale

2012-01-25T07:09:00.000-08:00

One flip through a seed catalogue reveals the multitude of options for the edible gardener. If you’re a horticulturist at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, you do your research, consult your peers, and consider your options carefully. I wondered about the story behind the Triticale growing in the Edible Garden. Barry Ramsey, Assistant Horticulturist in the Edible Garden was kind enough to tell the Triticale tale below. Working part-time as a chef at Violette, a small French restaurant, Barry was able to put himself through school. He graduated from Chattahoochee Tech in 2009 with a degree in Environmental Horticulture. He joined the Atlanta Botanical Garden during the construction phase of the Edible Garden in March of 2010. Barry spends most of his time deadheading, watering, fertilizing and starting new veggies in the greenhouse. When he’s not working in the garden or in the kitchen, he loves to skate, brew beer, and spend time with his family.

The grassy crop alternating rows with purple cabbage is Triticale, a marvel of not-so-mad scientific labor. Its humble appearance may cause you to wonder why we’d be growing a turf candidate in the Edible Garden.

Triticale (trit-ih-KAH-lee) is a crop species resulting from a plant breeder’s cross between wheat (Triticum) and rye (Secale). Plant breeders originally wanted to include the combination of wheat’s grain quality, productivity, and disease resistance with the vigor and hardiness of rye. Chances are these plants would never meet in nature due to different growing conditions, but are brought together by human intervention to create a desirable crop.

Because triticale has the ability to out-yield wheat at similar or lower nitrogen levels, it has become the number one grain used for bio-fuels. Now starting to show up on the health food shelves, it is used to cook, brew beer, and is flaked in cereals. Triticale kernels are grey-brown, oval shaped, larger than wheat and plumper than rye. In many ways triticale is similar to corn. The grain is sweet and very nutritious. It’s higher in protein than wheat or rye. It has double the lysine as wheat, an essential amino acid which helps the body absorb calcium.

In the Edible Garden, we are using triticale as a cover crop. Simply stated, cover crops utilize existing nutrients in the soil and are later tilled under at the end of the season to release those nutrients back into the garden soil. The primary benefits are to improve soil quality and fertility and to increase nutrient availability to subsequent crops. Cover crops have the added benefit of potentially attracting beneficial insects, reducing weeds, and aiding in erosion control. Farmers who have used triticale as a cover crop claim it tolerates late planting, has good seed vigor, emerges under harsh conditions, has a deep fibrous root system, and is easy to suppress.

Triticale is a viable crop that is quickly gaining popularity in the agricultural world. The versatility it offers as a grain, a forage, for straw and as a cover crop adds to the economic viability that sustains the interest in the crop. As more literature is published about its impressive health benefits triticale is finding its way into all sorts of creative recipes. From bio-fuels to breakfast foods, the uses of triticale are just being explored. Keep an eye out for it in the local health food store or hopefully soon at the gas pump.

The triticale will have to make way for thousands of tulips this sping. This early riser hints that the Edible Garden will be flooded in dark pink during Atlanta Blooms!

Garden Lights, Holiday Nights

2011-11-18T13:30:00.001-08:00

It's hard to believe that the photos below were taken in the same Edible Garden bursting with okra, eggplant, and tomatoes this summer! The current stars of the garden are whimsical flowers and beneficial insects of energy-efficient LED lights sure to turn on your holiday spirit.

Photo courtesy of Joey Ivansco.

The show extends far beyond the Edible Garden and far beyond anything you've seen before. Mark your calendars to visit the Atlanta Botanical Garden before January 7.

Photo courtesy of Joey Ivansco.

You can find all of the details here.

Irish Stewed Apples with Blackberries

2011-11-08T13:49:00.000-08:00

There’s a tree in the Edible Garden, often overlooked until late summer and into the fall when it’s laden with Arkansas Black apples. One of the darkest cultivars, the Arkansas Black apple is a keeper - lasting up to six months in storage.

Some found these apples to be too firm. Garden Chef Megan McCarthy decided they would be perfect for stewing.

Need a quick, last minute dessert? Heat up some blackberries or frozen mixed berries while you stew the apples. Spoon both over vanilla ice cream and enjoy!

Irish Stewed Apples with Blackberries

4-6 tart apples, peeled, cored and chopped
water, to cover
½ cup evaporated cane sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup fresh or frozen blackberries
2 T water
2 T evaporated cane sugar
fresh mint, for garnish

In medium saucepan, combine apples, water and cane sugar. Bring apples to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add cinnamon and stir. Remove stewed apples from heat and let cool slightly.

In sauté pan, add water to blackberries and cane sugar. Cook over low heat until blackberries become tender and juicy.

Serve warm stewed apples over favorite vanilla frozen dessert and top with blackberry sauce. Garnish with fresh mint leaves.

Discover more Garden Chef recipes here.

Grilled Sweet Potatoes with Cilantro Vinaigrette

2011-11-04T13:08:00.000-07:00

The most popular question visitors asked Garden Chef Megan McCarthy on the weekend of October 9 was: Is a yam the same thing as a sweet potato?

Answer: No. They are from different families. The sweet potato is from the Morning Glory family and originally hails from Central America. The true yam is the tuber of a tropical vine and originally hails from Africa.

There are two dominant types of sweet potato: one has a thin, light yellow skin with pale yellow flesh which is not sweet and has a dry texture, similar to a white baking potato; the other has darker, orange to reddish skin (often called "yam" in error) with a vivid orange, sweet flesh and a moist texture. There are over 200 different varietals of sweet potato in the world. In this recipe, Garden Chef Megan uses four varietals (including ‘Porto Rico’ and ‘Nancy Hall’ from the Edible Garden) for an assortment of color, texture, and taste.

Keep the skins on to maximize the nutritional value of this recipe; however, choose organic potatoes when possible. Potatoes do absorb many pesticides from the ground, and most toxins will end up in the skins of a potato.

Chef Megan grills the parboiled potatoes to finish the flavor and add those lovely grill marks. Married with the Cilantro Vinaigrette, the end result is a mouthwatering combination of tangy and sweet. Pair this delightful side dish with steak or fish. You won’t be able to stop saying, “Just one more.”

Grilled Sweet Potatoes with Cilantro Vinaigrette

4 medium sweet potatoes
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Wash and wedge cut sweet potatoes lengthwise, leaving skins on. In large pot, cover sweet potatoes with cold, salted water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes until potatoes are softened. Drain and rinse with cold water. Lightly coat grill or grill pan with cooking spray and heat to medium-high. Arrange sweet potato wedges on grill pan and cook until grill lines appear before turning on next side of wedge.

Whisk together lime juice, salt, and pepper and slowly add olive oil. Stir in cilantro and season to taste. Arrange grilled sweet potatoes on platter and drizzle with cilantro vinaigrette to serve.

Discover more Garden Chef recipes here.

Vegan Sweet Potato Soup

2011-11-01T06:39:00.000-07:00

The great thing about cooking in the Edible Garden Outdoor Kitchen is that you are never at a loss for fresh herbs. Above, a volunteer harvests some thyme for the soup from the Herb Wall.

This delicious, vegan soup lets coconut milk act as a flavorful substitute for heavy cream. The curry powder will not only fill your home with a delicious aroma, but it will add a nice, yellow color to the soup, prompting your dinner guests to go “Mmmm!” long before they lift their spoons.

Garden Chef Christina Curry recommends using a teaspoon as a tool to peel the fresh ginger. With a little scraping, the skin will come right off. Go ahead and throw whole sprigs of thyme in the soup. Some of the leaves will fall off while the soup simmers; you can remove the rest with tongs before you blend.

Sweet potatoes were a staple crop for homesteaders and farmers in Georgia before home freezers, imported produce, and supermarkets. Before the advent of modern medicine, doctors “prescribed” them to combat malnutrition in children because of their high Vitamin C content as well as Vitamin A, iron and thiamine. Sweet potatoes are one of the most nutritious foods you can find. Enjoy!

Vegan Sweet Potato Soup

serves 6

3 T olive oil
1 lb sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 small apple, peeled and diced
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 T ginger, minced
1 T curry powder
3 sprigs fresh thyme
4 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 T maple syrup
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add the sweet potato, apple, onion, ginger and curry powder. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for five minutes, stirring continuously. Add the thyme and vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Remove the thyme sprigs. Using an immersion blender or food processor, puree the soup until smooth. Finish the soup by stirring in the coconut milk, maple syrup and seasoning with salt and pepper.

Discover more Garden Chef recipes here.

Aspiring chefs and sisters pose with Garden Chef Christina Curry.

Israeli Couscous, Sweet Potato & Apple Salad

2011-10-27T07:12:00.000-07:00

On the last weekend in September, when the leaves in Atlanta were beginning to turn, Garden Chef Christina Curry brought our visitors a much anticipated taste of fall with this salad that calls for maple syrup, dried cranberries, and sweet potatoes.

Sweet potatoes grow very well in Georgia. They are extremely sensitive to frost and need warm, moist weather. They have a long growing season (about 150 days). In the Edible Garden, Sweet Potato ‘Porto Rico’ plants grew beside tomatoes all summer long. Plant them four weeks after the average date of last frost or when the soil is thoroughly warm. Sweet potatoes are planted from rooted sprouts, or slips, taken from a mature root.

There are a few ways to break down the fibers in raw vegetables to make them more palatable: 1. cooking; 2. using chemicals (such as lime juice); 3. grating. You don’t have to cook the potatoes for this recipe; you simply have to grate them.

Israeli Couscous, or pearled couscous, is more like pasta than rice. Rather than covering it with boiling water and leaving it to sit (covered), one should cook it like pasta, on the stove, for about seven minutes.

The flat-leaf parsley in the recipe, delicious this time of year, adds a taste of freshness, while the zest helps to bring the different flavors together. The result is a pleasantly moist, sweet salad that works well as a side dish or, if you have a sweet tooth, a scrumptious mid-afternoon snack.

Israeli Couscous, Sweet Potato & Apple Salad

2 cups cooked Israeli couscous
1 cup sweet potato, grated
1/2 cup apple, grated
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 T thyme leaves
2 T Italian parsley, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 T maple syrup
1 T orange zest
1 T lemon zest
salt & pepper, to taste

In a bowl, gently combine couscous, sweet potato, apple, raisins, dried cranberries, thyme and parsley. Add the olive oil, cider vinegar, maple syrup, orange zest, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Mix well and allow the salad to marinate for 15 minutes before serving.

Don’t have any dried cranberries in your pantry, but have dried apricots instead? Want to use different herbs? Experiment with whatever you have on hand. All of Garden Chef Christina’s recipes should be considered “open to interpretation.” The one thing she does recommend sticking with is pure maple syrup - the really good stuff!

Discover more Garden Chef recipes here.

Apple & Napa Cabbage Slaw with Sage

2011-10-20T12:57:00.000-07:00

Word of the day: espaliered. A tree that is trained to grow against a wall, or on a flat plane, is called an espaliered tree. We’ve demonstrated this in the Edible Garden. Why do we do this? Because we’re in a city, space is limited, and espaliered trees are an attractive garden element.

The Liberty Apple is resistant to cedar-apple rust, apple scab, powdery mildew, and fire blight, all of which make apple growing difficult. The red-over-green apples ripen in early September. They were a little tart for Garden Chef Christina Curry’s recipe. A sweet apple, like the Fuji apple, would work well in this recipe. If the apples in your kitchen are tart, do what Chef Christina did on the day of the cooking demo: add some agave nectar to the recipe to sweeten it up.

This recipe is a marinated version of coleslaw. In other words, it does not use mayonnaise. Chef Christina recommends replacing mayonnaise with a combination of olive oil, vinegar, and honey. Fresh sage from the Edible Garden will also boost the flavor.

In this demo, Chef Christina used a Japanese Mandolin to julienne the apples. The Napa or Chinese cabbage in the recipe can usually be found in the store next to the bok choy.

Apple & Napa Cabbage Slaw with Sage

2 apples
juice of one lemon
1 small head Napa cabbage
1/2 small red onion
2 T sage, chopped
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 T infused white balsamic*
honey or agave nectar, to taste, optional
kosher salt & cracked black pepper, to taste

Use a mandolin, or hand chop, to julienne the apples. Squeeze the lemon juice over the apples to prevent browning. Julienne the Napa cabbage and red onion. In a large bowl, combine apples, cabbage, red onion and sage. Drizzle with the olive oil and vinegar and toss gently. If apples are tart, add a little honey or agave nectar to taste. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve as a side or to compliment to your favorite fish or pork dish.

* Choose any flavor of white balsamic that you enjoy

Explore more Garden Chef recipes here.

Grilled Pepper Hummus

2011-10-14T13:45:00.000-07:00

Peppers can be fun to grow because there are so many different kinds and flavors to choose from. This year we grew ‘Early Sunsation’ Bell Pepper in the Edible Garden. Peppers like warm soil and full sun. The plants will stop producing fruit if left unpicked. So harvest away!

Garden Chef Christina Curry gave visitors some great tips on how to use peppers in hummus. You can roast them in the oven, throw them on the grill, or even turn them over the flame on a gas stove. The green ones tend to cook faster, so you want to remove them from the heat sooner than the rest. After they are cooked, throw the peppers in a paper bag to steam them. Do not rinse. You can use a paper towel to quickly wipe off the charred parts, if you so desire.

Before putting your chick peas in the food processor, be sure to rinse them. You don’t want the residual brine from the can to ruin the flavor.

Ideally, you want to use tahini paste (not tahini sauce) for this recipe. The paste is less watery. Tahini can have a bitter taste, but Middle Eastern or Greek tahini is less bitter than the kinds that come from East Asia. Tahini paste can be found at most natural food stores. It comes from sesame seeds, so it will be located near the peanut butter and other nut butters. Sesame oil can be used as a substitute in a pinch.

Grilled Pepper Hummus

2 bell peppers
2 T + 1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups chickpeas
1 clove garlic
3 T lemon juice
2 T tahini
flat leaf parsley, to taste
kosher salt & black pepper, to taste

To grill the peppers, remove the seeds and cut into pieces. Coat lightly with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and grill over high heat until tender. Allow the peppers to cool and gently remove the skin. Place the peppers along with remaining ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Serve with toasted French bread or pita chips.

Explore more Garden Chef recipes here.

Vanilla Cocktails and the Science Cafe

2011-10-14T10:19:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe, but the end of the 2011 Science Cafe series is almost here. Thursday, October 20 is the sixth and final event for the season, and we are thrilled to have Matt Richards, Atlanta Botanical Garden Conservation Coordinator, as our guest speaker. His discussion will focus on native orchids and conservation, and the event will take place in the Fuqua Orchid Center during Fest-of-Ale. Guests are invited to sample our evolutionary cocktail, which features flavoring from the vanilla orchid, and enjoy a pre-Cafe discussion.

The Orchid Display House has grown so vast that it includes species from Madagascar, Ecuador, Australia, Central America, Mexico, and Asia. You may pick up the scent of vanilla, because this comes from the seed capsule of several species of orchids of the genus Vanilla. In fact, you can find a different species of Vanilla at the base of each cedar post in the display house.

Come to this month's Science Cafe, and see how many scents and tastes you can spot in the vanilla orchid cocktail. Stick around for Matt’s discussion, and learn about the evolution of these intoxicating orchid flowers.

With the support of the Atlanta Science Tavern, the Science Cafe series is sponsored by the Center for Chemical Evolution. Science Cafe is held every third Thursday between May and October. Admission to the Garden is free for members and $18.95 for non-members and includes access to Fest-of-Ale. Evolutionary cocktails are $7, wine is $6, and beer is $5. For more information, visit www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org/events.

Preserving and Pickling

2011-10-07T13:01:00.000-07:00

We were honored to have Steven Satterfield, Chef and Owner of Miller Union, here to teach a class on preserving and pickling on Saturday, August 13. Here’s a series of snapshots from the afternoon in the Edible Garden Outdoor Kitchen.

Keep an eye on the list of classes at the Atlanta Botanical Garden for more preserving sessions in 2012.

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

2011-10-05T08:37:00.000-07:00

Tomatillos are a staple of Latin American cuisine and are often used in green sauces. Even though tomatillos are sometimes called "green tomatoes," they should not be confused with green, unripe tomatoes. Tomatoes are in the same family as tomatillos, but a different genus. Tomatillos are a great fruit to grow at home because ripe tomatillos will keep in the refrigerator for about two weeks. They will keep even longer if the husks are removed first.

When growing tomatillos, it is important to keep in mind that they are self-incompatible, which means you need to have two plants that are genetically different enough to create fruit and viable seed. In other words, if you had just one tomatillo plant you would not get fruit. If you only have one tomatillo planted in your yard and you still get fruit, there must be another plant planted closely enough, for pollinators to carry the pollen of one plant to the other.

For her salsa recipe, Garden Chef Megan McCarthy threw some 'Purple Coban' tomatillos on the grill and roasted the rest in a cast iron pan.

Making your own salsa at home is quick and easy, as long as you have a food processor and a few key, fresh ingredients. It’s good for you too, as many commercial salsas contain preservatives and other undesirables.

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

1 lb tomatillos, husked
1 Red Fresno chile pepper
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled
½ sweet onion, peeled and quartered
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
juice of ½ fresh lime
salt and pepper to taste

Place the tomatillos, whole chile, garlic cloves, and onion in a dry, cast iron pan. Roast on medium heat, turning occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until all ingredients have charred a bit and tomatillos have softened. Remove from pan and allow to slightly cool. Remove seeds from chile pepper. Place ingredients in food processor and pulse. Add in cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper to taste. Salsa can be warmed in saucepan over medium heat for about 5 minutes if mellower flavor is desired. Serve with favorite tortilla chips or as a sauce over chicken and fish.

Alternative roasting methods: Place whole tomatillos under the broiler on a baking sheet and roast for about 8 minutes, turning a few times. Grilling is also a great way to roast tomatillos.

Find more Garden Chef recipes here.

Chocolate-Covered Weekend Wrap-Up

2011-09-22T09:57:00.000-07:00

Chocolate comes from the fruit (or pod) of the cacao tree, Theobroma cacao. You can see cacao trees growing in the Fuqua Conservatory at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. On September 10-11, 2011 the Garden celebrated the cacao tree with cooking demos, tasting tables, games and crafts during Chocolate-Covered Weekend. Here are a few highlights and recipes.

These are cacao (or cocoa) beans. You probably don’t see these very often because they don’t taste good and it takes a lot of time and equipment to turn them into tasty chocolate.

Many fascinated visitors discovered the process of bean to bar in the Edible Garden Outdoor Kitchen thanks to Chef Robert Gerstenecker from Park 75 at The Four Seasons Hotel. The restaurant makes their own chocolate from raw cacao beans!

Park 75’s three back to back demos on Sunday ended in a sweet treat featuring the “homemade” chocolate.

Sugar-Coated Radical explored Savory with Chocolate.

These Atlanta Cupcake Factory delights might look too cute to eat but that didn’t slow down the visitors.

Cynthia Wong, Pastry Chet at Empire State South encouraged the crowd not to be afraid of ganache. Her recipe is below if you’d like to confront your fear of ganache at home.

Halloween Spice Candy Bars

by Cynthia Wong of Empire State South

Line an 8”x 8” square pan with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl over simmering water, gently melt:

8 oz milk chocolate

Fold in:
1/2 c crushed cornflakes or puffed rice cereal

Spread in the paper-lined pan and refrigerate until set.

Once the base layer is set, make the ganache topping, as follows:
In a small saucepan, bring to a boil:
1/2 c heavy cream
1 T butter
3 T maple syrup
1/8 tsp each: ground cinnamon, ginger, allspice

Pour the boiling cream mixture over:
8 ounces dark chocolate in a medium bowl

Put the chocolate and cream mixture back over a pot of gently simmering water. Let melt and stir to combine. Spread evenly over the crispy base. Chill until firm. Cut into small pieces and enjoy!

Garden Chef Megan McCarthy kept her chocolate recipe light and fresh!

Fresh Berries with Chocolate Sauce and Mint

½ cup water

¼ cup evaporated cane sugar

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ cup agave nectar

1 oz bittersweet or unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
fresh mint, chopped
1 cup each, fresh blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries, combined

Combine water and cane sugar in saucepan and heat on medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Whisk in cocoa powder and agave nectar and bring up to a boil and remove from heat. Add chopped chocolate and stir until melted and texture is smooth. Add in vanilla and stir. Let cool. Drizzle chocolate sauce over fresh berries and garnish with fresh chopped mint.

Keep an eye out for Chocolate-Covered Weekend in 2012. It’s the most indulgent time to visit the Atlanta Botanical Garden!

Absinthe and Science Cafe

2011-09-14T11:50:00.000-07:00

Plant to Plate’s guest blogger and Atlanta Botanical Garden Conservation Intern, Taylor Arnold, is back with a preview of this Thursday's Science Cafe:

Absinthe: The most misunderstood drink in history

September 15 is the fifth of six presentations in the 2011 Science Cafe series, and we are thrilled to have Dr. Eric Gaucher lead a discussion called “Resurrecting Ancient Life.” Dr. Gaucher is a professor of biology at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and his research areas include molecular biology, comparative genomics, biomedicine, molecular evolution, and origins of life. 

Because this presentation will explore ancient life, we thought an ancient drink would be the best evolutionary cocktail for the evening. We invite you to sample our absinthe cocktail and learn about one of the most misunderstood drinks in history.

While most of us have heard of absinthe, it goes by quite a few other names including “the green fairy,” “the green devil,” and “the green muse” due to its natural green color. Absinthe is derived from the leaves of the herb Artemisia absinthium (commonly referred to as “grande wormwood,”), green anise, and sweet fennel. Absinthe is often called a liqueur, but because it is not bottled with added sugar, it is classified as a spirit. It has a very high level of alcohol by volume, but we typically dilute it with water before consuming it.

So where did absinthe get its reputation for enhancing creativity and alertness? Many researchers credit the wormwood plant as the key ingredient to this famed green drink. Its leaves and flowers are naturally rich in the terpene thujone, an aromatic, bitter substance believed to induce the ability to "see beyond." This was discovered by many famous nineteenth century artists and writers, and as a result, absinthe was thought to be a dangerous psychoactive drug. By 1915, it was banned in most European countries as well as the United States. It wasn’t until 1990 that absinthe made a resurgence.

Today we know that absinthe isn’t any more dangerous than other spirits on the market, yet it continues to fascinate scientists with its unique properties. Below are just a few facts we uncovered about this very versatile plant:

In the Middle Ages, the plant was used to exterminate tapeworm infestations while leaving the human host uninjured, even rejuvenated, by the experience.
Absinthe was originally marketed as a cure for several digestive diseases in the late 18th century and early 19th century, and then later sold to the French army as a way to ward off dysentery, tropical fever, and fatigue.
Inexpensive brands would use all type of solvents, copper and dyes to achieve the trademark green color. Those chemicals and toxins often were addressed as the cause for the murder and madness attributed to absinthe drinking.
The most famous of all absinthe drinkers of the Belle Époque was Vincent van Gogh, who painted many of his works in ochre's and pale greens, the colors of absinthe.
Absinthe was the favorite drink among struggling artists and courtesans in the Moulin Rouge and the cafes of Paris.
Absinthe was finally prohibited in 1915 and banned for almost a century until its recent revival.
In 1990, it was claimed that the scientific community finally recognized that wormwood extract is as good as chloroqine for the treatment of malaria.

Be sure to join our own Colleen Dudley for a pre-Café discussion of this fascinating beverage and discover even more facts about the wormwood plant. Stay for Dr. Gaucher’s discussion, and learn about what he calls “moving beyond the limitations of current therapeutics.”

With the support of the Atlanta Science Tavern, the Science Cafe series is sponsored by the Center for Chemical Evolution. Science Cafe is held every third Thursday from May to October. Admission to the Garden is free for members and $18.95 for non-members and includes access to Cocktails in the Garden. Evolutionary cocktails are $7, wine is $6, and beer is $5. For more information, visit www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org/events.

Georgia Summer Ratatouille

2011-09-14T11:17:00.000-07:00

On a Saturday in July, we were honored to have Chef John Wolf from the Terrace on Peachtree at the Ellis Hotel giving the Edible Garden Outdoor Kitchen cooking demonstrations.

John worked a record number of vegetables and greens from the Edible Garden into a single dish: bell peppers, Malabar spinach, sorrel, eggplant, yellow squash, zucchini, okra and tomatoes!

In this recipe, Chef John used sorrel, an herb he described as “lemony basil,” “very French” and “old school.” It’s conveniently growing in a planter in the Outdoor Kitchen. If you prefer a thicker green, you might try Malabar spinach.

‘Rosita’ Eggplant, Solanum melongena var. esculentum

Ratatouille is a name for any dish that brings together a wide variety of produce. It does not have to contain a starch; though in this recipe, Israeli (or pearled) couscous is included. For those of you who love eggplant, but find it hard to cook, Chef John recommended using smaller sized eggplant or the thin, Asian variety. There are no seeds, and you can cook them just like you would zucchini.

A youngster checks out an eggplant growing in the Edible Garden.

Georgia Summer Ratatouille

2 tomatoes, small dice
2 bell peppers, small dice
2 small eggplants (preferably Asian or Rosita variety), small dice
2 zucchini or yellow squash, small dice
6 okra, sliced into rounds
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch of fresh herbs such as basil, oregano, mint, thyme, or tarragon (or a mix), roughly chopped
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat a small amount of oil in sauté pan until smoking, add okra first and quickly sauté until caramelized.
2. Add tomatoes, peppers, and garlic, cook for two minutes to allow peppers to soften and tomatoes to release their liquid. Do not allow garlic to burn.
3. Add in eggplant and squash, allow to cook for one minute then take off of heat and allow the dish to finish in the residual heat so the squash and eggplant are not overcooked and retain their texture.
4. Season the dish to your liking and add in the fresh herbs. Toss and serve over a salad or a starch such as rice or couscous.

Recipe by Chef Jon Wolf, Terrace on Peachtree

More Garden Chef recipes here.

Chocolate-Covered Weekend!

2011-09-09T11:41:00.000-07:00

Indulge in a weekend of cooking demonstrations, chocolate bites, and more this Saturday & Sunday, September 10 - 11 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.!

Stop by the Edible Garden Outdoor Kitchen where Atlanta chocolatiers and pastry chefs whip up decadent treats or enjoy chocolate games and crafts with the family. Visit the cacao tree where it all begins and discover more about the chocolate making process.

Garden Chef Megan McCarthy likes to keep it healthy and fresh so she’ll be preparing Fresh Berries with Chocolate Sauce and Mint. Catch one of her cooking demos at 10 a.m. on Saturday and 10 & 11 a.m. on Sunday.

Taria Camerino from Sugar-Coated Radical returns to the Outdoor Kitchen with a savory and chocolate combo on Saturday at 11 a.m.

We’re excited to have The Atlanta Cupcake Factory back at the Garden. If you haven’t tried one of their delectable creations, you don’t want to miss this!

Cynthia Wong, pastry chef at Empire State South is sure to make you drool on Saturday at 2 p.m. with her Don’t be Afraid of Ganache! demo.

If you want to know more about how cocao beans become chocolate, be in the Outdoor Kitchen on Sunday at noon, 1 or 2 p.m. when Chef Robert Gerstenecker, Park 75 at the Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta, demos From Bean to Bar.

We love Lisa Smith, pastry chef at Bluepointe, and you will too. Stop by her tasting tent on the Great Lawn between 12:30 and 3 p.m. (or while supplies last) to sample Vahlrona chocolate Cremeux filled with Peanut Butter Pastry Crème, topped with Salted Caramel!

Also on the Great Lawn you can sample a lighter offering – chocolate tea by Just Add Honey.

In the Visitor Center you’ll be greeted or bid farewell with a fudge sample from Sweet Surrender Fudge.

Bring the whole family to Chocolate-Covered Weekend! If you have a future pastry chef at home, make sure you plan on joining the Chocolate Lollipops Drop-In Family Class from 1 – 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Nominal fee payable at the door, no registration necessary.

We’ll see you there!

Molecular Mixology

2011-09-01T12:20:00.000-07:00

Plant to Plate’s guest blogger and Atlanta Botanical Garden Conservation Intern, Taylor Arnold, is back with interesting connections between science and cocktails:

Molecular Mixology: Science Never Tasted So Good

Our latest installment of the Science Cafe series included a presentation by Dr. Greg Springsteen, professor of chemistry at Furman University. The event took place on Thursday, August 18 at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Dr. Springsteen's research covered prebiotic chemistry, and his discussion explored the unique compounds and molecular structure of living systems.

Since the theme of the evening was "Chemically Defining Life," we thought a gin fizz would be the perfect evolutionary cocktail. Naturally this got us thinking about molecular mixology, since most of our favorite adult beverages contain thousands of unique compounds. In other words, we're exploring the science of deliciousness.

So what exactly is molecular mixology? In short, it is a way of creating new drinks by manipulating their ingredients on the molecular level. This process is about changing the texture, viscosity, density, and molecular structure of a liquid. For example, mixing alcohol with liquid nitrogen, alginates, and chlorides can result in specialty drinks like whiskey marshmallows and carbonated mojito spheres.

To help demonstrate molecular mixology to guests at our most recent Science Cafe, our own Paul Blackmore gave a pre-Cafe discussion on the gin fizz.

The gin fizz, we learned, was taking on new forms long before we called it “molecular.” The Ramos Gin Fizz, for example, changes the texture and shape of the liquid into foam. Other cocktails that were (perhaps) ahead of their time include these old favorites:

The Old Fashioned - A seasoned bartender will take several minutes to slowly add the sugar and bitters, then repeated rounds of bourbon and ice with a slow stir. To find out why the drink tastes better than using the same ingredients splashed in the glass with a fast stir, they used an electric stirrer and measured the temperature and dilution of the drink. It turns out this doesn’t change anything about the temperature of the drink, but they theorize what is different between the two is that the gentler, slower method releases the volatile flavors from the alcohol, but they land in the liquid of the drink instead of in the air.
The Bloody Mary - This drink has all the different taste sensations: sweet (tomato), salt (salt), sour (citrus), bitter (olive brine), umami (tomato, Worcestershire), and the possibly newly-identified taste category of smoke.
The Clover Club - The egg whites make a nice foamy texture on the drink, and the air bubbles that foam on the surface trap air and aromas so we can experience them more intently when we sip from the glass.

Some foodies and bartenders still argue that "molecular" is just a way of thinking about drinks, but if you attended our latest Science Cafe, you get to be the judge.

Tomato & Quinoa Relish

2011-09-01T10:57:00.000-07:00

The Edible Garden radiated tomatoes this summer! We have green tomatoes…

Tomato 'Basrawya'

…red tomatoes…

Tomato 'Basrawya'

…big tomatoes and small tomatoes. We even have tomatoes growing over our heads!

Tomatoes ‘Violet Jasper’ and ‘Sungold’ growing in large planters that hang from the roof of the Outdoor Kitchen. How convenient!

Garden Chef Christina Curry put the ample tomatoes to good use in her recipe for the weekend demonstrations.

Tomato & Quinoa Relish

1 lb tomatoes, diced
2 cups cooked quinoa*
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
3 T olive oil
lime juice, to taste
lemon juice, to taste
salt & cracked black pepper, to taste

In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, quinoa, green onion and cilantro and gently toss. Add the olive oil, lime juice and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Serve with your favorite vegetables, meats, or on top of a salad.

*To prepare: Wash 1 cup of quinoa in a bowl of cold water, drain the water, repeat twice. Place the quinoa in a pot, add 2 cups of water, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the quinoa is fluffy.

Don’t like cilantro? Chef Christina recommends tarragon and orange juice instead.

The finished dish with a very, very delicious 'Cour di Bue' tomato.

More Garden Chef recipes here.

Agave and the Science Cafe

2011-09-01T08:25:00.000-07:00

I’m happy to introduce Plant to Plate’s guest blogger, Taylor Arnold, Conservation Intern at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Taylor is a graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design with a B.A. in Illustration and an M.F.A. in Professional Writing. Since 2006 she has been a Contributing Writer for The Piedmont Review where she writes a variety of articles on local art galleries, restaurants, boutiques and nightspots. Her work has also appeared in Catalyst Magazine, as well as Points North, Jezebel, Atlanta INtown, Skirt! and Atlanta Woman.

Just a few steps from the Edible Garden, through the Fuqua Orchid Center and into the Hardy Succulent Garden, you’ll find an edible plant with an interesting story – the agave. Taylor recounts a Science Cafe presentation where the plant took center stage and attendees sipped on frozen margaritas - thanks to the agave.

Science Café Welcomes Dr. Kathy Parker to the Atlanta Botanical Garden

Thursday, July 21 was the third of six presentations in the 2011 series of Science Cafes at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, and we were delighted to have Dr. Kathy Parker as our featured speaker. Dr. Parker recently retired from the University of Georgia after 31 years in the Department of Geography. Her research covers plant population dynamics and genetics in the southwestern deserts, and she is particularly knowledgeable on the Arizona agave. Her discussion at the Garden covered the ancient domestication of agave in the pre-Columbian Southwest.

In keeping with the theme of the evening, the evolutionary cocktail of the month was a frozen margarita. Guests who arrived early were invited to partake in a pre-Café discussion of the evolution of the margarita and learn about the botany, geography, and chemistry of its ingredients.

While most of us know that the agave plant is used to make tequila, it may come as a surprise that agave has many other purposes. So in conjunction with Dr. Parker’s discussion, we dug up a few more fun facts about agave:

• There are about 250 different species of agave in North and South America.
• Four major parts of the agave are edible: the flowers, leaves, stalks, and the sap.
• Agave azul, or blue agave, is used for the production of tequila.
• The agave Americana is called the “century plant” because it was thought to flower once in 100 years, but it actually flowers every 20 to 30 years.
• Agave syrup (also called agave nectar) is used as an alternative to sugar in cooking.
• The juice from the leaves of the flowering stem will lather in water like soap.
• Natives of Mexico used the agave to make pens, nails, and string.
• Indians used agave leaves to treat itches, sores, and bruises.
• The juice from many species of agave can cause reddening and blistering of the skin.
• Agave nectar has the same number of calories as sugar, four calories per gram. That works out to 16 calories per teaspoon.
• Many vegans prefer to use agave nectar in recipes calling for honey as no animals are involved in its processing.
• In 2001, the Mexican Government and European Union agreed upon the classification of tequila and its categories. All blue agave tequila must be made from the Weber blue agave plant, to rigorous specifications and only in certain Mexican states.

In addition to these stats, Dr. Parker explored the influences that native people had on the landscape of the Southwest. And she certainly knows what she’s talking about. For the last 35 years, Dr. Parker has spent time in Arizona and New Mexico researching the evolution of the agave plant. In 2002 she contributed to a book called Western Wilderness: Fire, Native Peoples, and the Natural Landscape where she explored fire in the pre-European lowlands of the American southwest. “I’m fascinated by the adaptation of plants and animals to such a tough environment,” she said. “This is a great opportunity to share the story of the landscape and emphasizing the importance of maintaining biodiversity.”

As for her presentation at the Garden, Dr. Parker certainly appealed to a broad audience of science enthusiasts. “I hope to stimulate interest in the ways people have used native plant species in traditional agricultural systems,” she said. “Agave serves as a great example for several reasons. It is a plant that most people are familiar with. It played a crucial role for many different cultures in Mesoamerica and farther north both prehistorically and more recently. Agave cultivation also nicely illustrates both the importance of maintaining biodiversity and the role humans have played in shaping seemingly wild landscapes we see today.”

Dr. Parker gave her presentation in the Fuqua Orchid Center, and following her discussion, we encouraged guests to stay for a guided tour of the conservatory with Paul Blackmore, manager of the Garden’s Fuqua Conservatory.

Admission to the Garden is always free for members and $18.95 to non-members, and includes access to Cocktails in the Garden. Science Café is held every third Thursday from May to October.
For more information, visit www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org/events.

Okra Summer Garden Sauté

2011-08-05T12:06:00.000-07:00

Okra is a very versatile vegetable, good in gumbos and other soups and stews. It can be pickled, baked, fried or boiled, and the seeds can even be used as a coffee substitute. The pale yellow flowers, strong foliage, and red stems of ‘Hill Country Red’ okra make a statement as a dominant row crop in the Edible Garden this season. We’re knee deep in okra and encouraging every participating chef to work it into their dishes. They all agree that the ‘Hill Country Red’ variety is large but tender and tastes just as good raw in a salad as grilled for a side dish.

A warm season vegetable, okra is a staple in the South, thriving in full sunlight (eight hours minimum). It should be planted two or three weeks after the last frost, which is usually late April or early May.

This recipe features fresh okra and patty pan squash, grown here in the Edible Garden. The Vidalia onions add a touch of sweetness and the tomatoes a splash of color.

Some people object to the texture of cooked okra, finding it too “slimy,” but according to Garden Chef Megan McCarthy, the less you cut okra the less slimy it will be. Another trick is to buy it fresh and use it quickly.

Okra Summer Garden Sauté

½ lb fresh okra
1 yellow squash
2 T extra virgin olive oil
½ sweet onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
sea salt and pepper, to taste
2 T fresh parsley, chopped
crumbled goat cheese (optional)

Wash and trim okra and yellow squash. Cut okra into 1-inch pieces. Slice yellow squash in half, lengthwise, and slice into half circles. In large skillet, heat olive oil on medium-high heat, add onion and sauté until soft. Add garlic, okra and yellow squash and stir. Turn down to medium heat and cover for about 5 minutes before adding grape tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste. Cook an additional 3-5 minutes. Finish with fresh chopped parsley and/or crumbled goat cheese to serve.

Find printable versions of the Garden Chef recipes here.

Spicy Radish Dip

2011-07-30T12:38:00.000-07:00

Garden Chef Megan McCarthy introduced visitors to the radical world of radishes, specifically the ‘Giant of Sicily’ radish, on the weekend of June 10 and 11. High in vitamin C and potassium, good for the liver and gall bladder, antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal, these little red gems pack a major nutritional punch. Not to mention, with their high water content and clean, crisp crunch, they make for refreshing snacks on a hazy summer day.

When you eat radishes at home, don’t discard the leafy stuff. Radish tops have twice as much vitamin C as the radishes themselves. They are delicious when cooked in a little bit of garlic and olive oil, like any other hearty green.

To avoid a runny dip, shred the radishes in a food processor first and let them sit in a bowl while you prepare the other ingredients. That way, some water can fall to the bottom of the bowl.

This recipe calls for Greek yogurt (a lower calorie replacement for sour cream), goat cheese (instead of cream cheese for additional flavor), and chipotles for a nice kick.

Chef Megan wrung out the shreds of radish over the sink to let out more water. Then she blended everything together in a food processor. In the end we enjoyed a pretty pink dip that could be mistaken for crab dip.

Spicy Radish Dip

1 bunch radishes, cleaned and trimmed
1 clove garlic
16 oz Greek yogurt, plain
3 oz creamy goat cheese
2-3 chipotle peppers, seeded
1 tsp lemon zest
1 T fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper, to taste
2 green onions, chopped

Shred fresh radishes with grater or food processor. Squeeze out excess liquid and set aside in large mixing bowl.

In food processor, combine garlic, Greek yogurt, goat cheese, chipotle peppers, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt and pepper until blended. Add yogurt mixture to radishes and stir. Add in green onions and stir. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving. Serve radish dip with crudité, pita chips, crackers or bread.

Find printable versions of the Garden Chef recipes here.

Father's Day and Farm Burger

2011-07-19T13:50:00.000-07:00

On Father’s Day, our wee visitors had a chance to frolic with dad on the Great Lawn, running around in the bubbles, playing catch with the beach balls, and hula hooping to their heart’s content. (Okay, maybe the dads weren’t exactly “frolicking,” but you get the idea.)

After the kids had expended some energy, they could hop on the train with dad and take a ride around the Great Lawn.

We figured that a lot of fathers enjoy burgers, so we invited some special guests from Decatur to join us in the Edible Garden Outdoor Kitchen. Farm Burger was here!

Chef Terry Koval of Farm Burger explains how to cook basil to make delicious basil goat cheese for your burgers.

Not only did Chef Terry make mouths water by talking about Farm Burger’s delicious beef, which comes from local cows that are never fed antibiotics, hormones or grain, but he also gave a demo on how to pickle seasonal vegetables like okra, jalapenos, and cucumbers.

Grilled Summer Squash with Basil & Pasta

2011-07-19T13:15:00.000-07:00

Planting dates for summer squash in Georgia range from early to late March, and production begins 45 to 55 days after seeding. By early June, the Edible Garden had yielded over 50 squash! What to do with it all? Garden Chef Christina Curry said, “Throw it on the grill!”

She advised cutting your vegetables (for this recipe squash and onions) about ¼ inch to ½ inch thick, tossing in a bowl with some olive oil and salt and pepper, and grilling over medium heat (hot enough to leave grill marks, but not hot enough to make the vegetables mushy).

It’s nice to compliment the charred flavor of grilled anything with something fresh, so she diced some tomatoes and cut some basil into strips. (Tip: The more you chop herbs, the more you weaken the flavor, which ends up on your cutting board instead of in your recipe. Only chop herbs as much as you have to. Same goes for onions and garlic.) Chef Christina used white balsamic vinegar for this dish, which is not cooked or caramelized, so it has a sweeter flavor and no aftertaste. Also, in a dish this pretty, clear vinegar allows the color of the vegetables to shine through.

Grilled Summer Squash with Basil & Pasta

a few T olive oil

2 lb summer squash, sliced 1/4” thick

1 small yellow onion, sliced 1/4” thick

1 small red onion

1/4 cup basil, chopped

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 lb mini farfalle pasta, cooked and drained*

1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1 T lemon zest

kosher salt & cracked black pepper

parmesan cheese (optional)

Preheat grill to medium high heat. Drizzle olive oil over the sliced squash and sliced onions. Season with salt and pepper. Place on the grill and cook until tender. Allow vegetables to cool, then dice. In a bowl combine the diced squash, diced onion, basil, cherry tomatoes and pasta. Next add the balsamic vinegar, olive oil and lemon zest and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Top with parmesan cheese.

* Cook the pasta in salted water.

Still have some zucchini and squash left? Try these delicious treats courteously of Garden Chef Christina Curry.

Zucchini Fritters with Lemon Chive Aioli

vegetable, canola, safflower, peanut or grapeseed oil for frying
1 lb zucchini, grated
1 small onion, chopped
1 T Italian parsley, chopped
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup carbonated water
salt and pepper, to taste

Pre-heat about 2 inches of oil over medium heat. In a small bowl, combine the zucchini, onion, parsley and egg. In a medium size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and carbonated water. Gently fold the zucchini mixture into the flour mixture and season with salt and pepper. Gently drop one tablespoon of batter at a time into the oil and deep fry for about 1 minute or until golden brown. Remove from the oil and drain on a paper towel. Serve immediately.

Lemon Chive Aioli

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
2 T lemon juice
1 T chives, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined. Serve with Zucchini Fritters.

Find printable versions of the Garden Chef recipes here.

Swiss Chard Sauté with Toasted Coconut

2011-07-01T08:55:00.000-07:00

Swiss Chard stands bold and tall in a bed with marigolds, tomatoes, and peppers. If you’d like to know more about the Herb Wall in the background, read last year’s post here.

Can’t get much fresher than this! The chard only had to travel approximately 50 feet to the Outdoor Kitchen. This leafy green is very heat tolerant while growing, however one should harvest it early or late in the day as the leaves will wilt quickly when harvested in full sun.

This is the ‘Rhubarb’ variety, which we planted for its beautiful red color, but don’t confuse it with the rhubarb plant, which is grown for its stalks and has poisonous leaves.

Swiss chard is in the beet family and can be used much like spinach. Garden Chef Megan McCarthy threw the stems in first to get a head start on the leaves, which have a shorter cooking time. You can see that she also toasted the unsweetened coconut and pine nuts.

Swiss Chard Sauté with Toasted Coconut

2 T extra virgin olive oil

1 bunch Swiss chard, roughly chopped leaves and stems

1 small shallot, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 cup white wine or water

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

salt and black pepper, to taste

squeeze of fresh lemon

2 T shredded unsweetened coconut, toasted

2 T pine nuts, toasted (optional)

Heat olive oil in large skillet over a medium heat. Add Swiss chard stems, shallots and garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add chard leaves to skillet and continually stir, as greens wilt down. Add in white wine or water if needed. Sauté greens for 3 minutes and season with cayenne, salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Add squeeze of lemon and toss with toasted coconut and pine nuts to serve.

Find printable versions of the Garden Chef recipes here.

Gourmet in May

2011-06-23T08:39:00.000-07:00

May Day, Mother’s Day, Cinquo de Mayo: The month of May, with its warmer weather, has always been a month for celebrations and festivity. And festivity, of course, means food! So the Edible Garden, with its fresh, oh-so-pickable produce, became a focal point for our programs, demonstrations, classes and activities, all of which we referred to as “Gourmet in May.”

Loquat tree in the Edible Garden

Nibbles

Visitors stopped by the “Nibbles” tent on weekends to taste something from the Edible Garden or a local company. They loved the popcorn with rosemary salt (recipe below), but the most popular Nibble, by far, was the loquat, also known as the Japanese plum. It comes from the fruit tree Eriobotrya japonica, which is native to southeastern China and easy to grow in subtropical to mild temperate climates. The pretty loquat fruit, similar to peaches, apricots, and plums, has a delicious citrus flavor akin to mild mango.

Herbs

Herbs are a necessity in any kitchen. Because they are so easy to grow, they often act as a gateway to more intensive gardening. During Gourmet in May we offered many opportunities for visitors to learn more about herbs, including a “Plant a Basil Seed” station (for those just getting started), a Make & Take Herb Garden (for the more ambitious), and an Herb Bouquet station (for those wanting something to cook with that night).

An herb bouquet or “bouquet garni” (French for “garnished bouquet”) is a bundle of herbs tied together with string and used to season soup, stock or stews. This way, the herbs are boiled with the other ingredients but can be removed easily once cooking is complete.

Visitors of all ages enjoyed making herb bouquets to take home. Some even practiced their new knot-tying skills!

Kids in the Kitchen

Other Gourmet in May offerings included cooking classes for children. In Gourmet Parfait, a Drop-In Family Class, young chefs learned how to make granola, yogurt, and strawberry sauce from scratch. Garden Breakfast, a more intensive Drop-Off Kids Class, included harvesting basil from the Edible Garden, learning how to crack eggs for the Garden Scramble, and the class favorite - making Berry Good Pancakes. Keep an eye out for the next Drop-Off Kids Class, Grilled Garden Pizzas, later this summer.

Preserving

Strawberries are one of the first crops of the year in Georgia and excellent for preserving. During Gourmet in May weekends, volunteers shared the history of canning, tools for the job, and a strawberry jam recipe (included below). Visitors interested in the entire process attended a demonstration by Sherri Brooks Vinton, author of Put ‘em Up, on May 15^th in the Outdoor Kitchen. Students in the Basics of Jam Making class on May 28 learned how to prepare and can a delicious Strawberry Mint Jam from Gina Bodell of Emily G’s. If you are disappointed about missing these preserving programs, it’s not too late! Keep an eye out for Basics of Jelly Making with Gina Bodell and Preserving and Pickling with Steven Satterfield of Miller Union later this summer.

Rosemary Salt

½ C fresh rosemary
1 C coarse kosher salt or sea salt crystals

Rough chop rosemary in a food processor for 30 seconds. Add the salt and process until the rosemary leaves are similar size to the grains of salt. Spread the rosemary salt on a cookie sheet to dry and store in an airtight container. Use to season things from meats to popcorn.
RawEpicurean.net
http://rawepicurean.net/2010/11/05/rosemary-salt/

Classic Strawberry Jam

Makes about 3 ½ cups

8 cups strawberries, hulled and halved if large

2 cups sugar
¼ cup bottled lemon juice

Toss the strawberries and sugar in a large bowl and macerate overnight to coax out the fruit’s juice.
Transfer the mixture to a large nonreactive saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring and crushing to release the juice. Stir in the lemon juice. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the jam reaches the desired gel, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the jam rest for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to release air bubbles. Skim off any foam.

Preserve
Refrigerate: Ladle into bowls or jars. Cool, cover, and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.
Can: Use the boiling-water method. Ladle into clean, hot half-pint canning jars, leaving ¼ inch of headspace. Release trapped air. Wipe the rims clean; center lids on the jars and screw on jar bands. Process for 10 minutes. Turn off heat, remove canner lid, and let jars rest in the water for 5 minutes. Remove jars and set aside for 24 hours. Check seals, then store in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.
Recipe from Put 'em Up! by Sherri Brooks Vinton, used with permission from Storey Publishing

Mache Greens with Blueberries and Avocado

2011-06-21T10:21:00.000-07:00

Over the winter, the Garden grew mache, also known as lamb’s lettuce. It grows well in cold weather, can survive in the winter, and is one of the first leafy greens to sprout in early spring, but don’t let its hardy temperament fool you. The leaf is delicate and crisp, with a mild, sweet, gentle flavor. It offers a nice alternative to more common mesclun lettuces, like arugula and watercress, which can be bitter.

‘Tiftblue’ Rabbiteye Blueberry
Vaccinium ashei

According to the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, Georgia is “the #3 blueberry growing state.” It has the longest growing season, lasting from late April through the end of July. Three types of blueberries are grown in Georgia: rabbiteye, southern highbush, and northern highbush. The rabbiteye blueberry, native to south Georgia, north Florida, and southeast Alabama, is the most productive and easiest to grow in

Georgia

Garden Chef Megan McCarthy is back this summer serving up tasty treats in our Outdoor Kitchen on the weekends. Who better to get you out of your salad rut?

Chef Megan dicing scallions and teaching, as visitors watch and listen.

Mache Greens with Blueberries and Avocado

4 oz mache greens (lamb’s lettuce)
1 tsp fig balsamic vinegar
½ tsp lime juice
3 T roasted walnut oil
sea salt and cracked pepper, to taste
½ pint of fresh blueberries
2 scallions, diced
1 ripe avocado, pitted and cross cut

Place mache greens in large bowl. In small bowl, whisk together vinegar, lime juice, walnut oil, salt and pepper. Drizzle vinaigrette over greens and toss. Add blueberries, scallions and avocado. Gently toss again and serve.

Find printable versions of the Garden Chef recipes here.

Baby Spinach & Strawberry Salad with White Balsamic Vinaigrette

2011-06-04T13:10:00.000-07:00

Garden Chef Christina Curry has all of the ingredients lined up and ready for the demonstrations.

The strawberry season in

Georgia

lasts from April through June. While we do grow strawberries in the Edible Garden, visitors love them, not to mention animals, so there are a limited number we can harvest.

For demos and classes, we supplement our strawberry patch with farmer’s market or store bought strawberries.

Baby Spinach & Strawberry Salad with White Balsamic Vinaigrette

4 cups baby spinach, cleaned

1 cup strawberries, hulled and quartered

3 T white balsamic vinegar

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 T shallot, minced

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

salt & cracked black pepper, to taste

goat cheese (optional)

In a large bowl, combine the spinach and strawberries. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, Dijon mustard and shallot. While whisking, slowly add the olive oil until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the dressing over the spinach and strawberries. Gently toss together. Serve with crumbled goat cheese if desired.

Find printable versions of the Garden Chef recipes here.

Our visitors aren’t the only ones who think the Outdoor Kitchen is cozy. Some baby robins with big appetites were nesting above us that day. (Thankfully, not above the food prep area!)

Return of the Garden Chef

2011-06-02T13:10:00.000-07:00

Garden Chef Christina Curry is back in the Edible Garden Outdoor Kitchen for her second season, providing free cooking demonstrations for visitors every Saturday and Sunday, May through October. The demonstrations were so well-attended that we decided to add two additional demonstrations per weekend. You can now stop by the Outdoor Kitchen at noon, 1 p.m. or 2 p.m., sit down in the shade, and watch a master at work! Chef Christina provides quick and informative tips on how to cook tasty dishes that are enjoyed in warmer weather, with a focus on using fruits and vegetables that are in season and grown locally. The demonstrations are about 20-30 minutes long.

“Does the Garden Chef distribute samples of her delectable concoctions?” you ask. Why, yes, of course! What would a cooking demonstration be without samples?

The cooking demonstrations in early May presented a challenge. There wasn’t much to harvest in the Edible Garden at that time, as most of the fruits and veggies aren’t ready until summer. But we had rosemary bushes! In the photo above, you can see the row of rosemary just behind the millet.

We premiered Gourmet in May at the Atlanta Botanical Garden this year. Chef Christina pleased the May Day crowd with her Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Rosemary Gremolata. Pink peppercorns (far right) were used in the marinade. Interestingly, these are not actually peppercorns but are a spice made from the dried berries of the Baies rose plant, Schinus molle. With a delicate, sweet, and spicy flavor, and a rich rose color, they add a touch of elegance to any cuisine.

Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Rosemary Gremolata

1/4 cup red wine
1/2 cup olive oil
3 T pink peppercorns
2 tsp kosher salt
1 lb flat iron steak
4 sprigs rosemary
kosher salt and pepper to taste

In a small bowl, combine red wine, olive oil, pink peppercorns and salt. Mix together and pour over steak. Add the springs of rosemary and marinate for a half hour. Remove from the marinade and drain any excess. Season with salt and pepper. Grill on high until steak reaches desired temperature, flipping once. Allow the steak to rest before slicing.

Rosemary Gremolata

1/4 cup rosemary, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 T lemon zest
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and serve over sliced flat iron steak.

Find printable versions of the Garden Chef recipes here.

Vanilla Sunday

2011-03-15T11:23:00.000-07:00

find the recipes from Vanilla Sunday at the end of this blog

Vanilla Sunday at the Atlanta Botanical Garden is an afternoon of cooking demonstrations, sensory experiences, and vanilla sundaes in celebration of the vanilla orchid. Of over 20,000 species of orchid, only the vanilla orchid produces an edible fruit. If vanilla flowers are pollinated (this is commonly done by hand on commercial plantations), a long green pod will grow. The pod, commonly referred to as the bean, is full of tiny black seeds. A complicated process of growing, fermenting, and aging develops the familiar flavor and aroma of vanilla. The Garden displays a few Vanilla planifolia orchids in the Fuqua Orchid Center.

Complimentary vanilla sundaes were a crowd pleaser.

The beautiful weather allowed us to use the Edible Garden Outdoor Kitchen for the cooking demonstrations.

Garden Chef Christina Curry showcased vanilla in both a savory pasta dish and a delicious sweet treat.

Yellow Corn Ravioli with Vanilla Cream Sauce

Ravioli Dough

2 cups flour
2 whole eggs
1 egg yolk
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients into a mixer. Using the dough hook, mix until it forms a ball.
Knead by hand for 1 minute more. Smooth out the ball, place in fridge and chill for 30 minutes.
Using a pasta machine or rolling pin, roll the dough into a thin sheet.
Cut the sheet in half and set one half to the side.
Place the filling onto the pasta sheet one tablespoon at a time leaving about one inch between each portion of the filling.
Place the remaining pasta sheet on top and press down firmly around filling.
Using a knife or cutter, cut the ravioli apart.
Cook or freeze immediately.
Cook the ravioli in boiling, salted water for 2 - 3 minutes.

Filling

3 T extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 cups yellow corn kernels
1 medium shallot, diced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 T fresh thyme leaves
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese

In a sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat.
Next add the corn, shallot, garlic and thyme.
Sauté for a few minutes until the corn becomes tender and reduce heat to low.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the mascarpone cheese and stir until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Allow to cool for a few minutes before assembling ravioli.

Vanilla Cream Sauce

1 T olive oil

2 T shallots, chopped
1/2 cup sweet white wine
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 vanilla bean
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 T unsalted butter

In a pan, heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat.
Add the shallots and cook for 1 minute.
Next add the white wine, thyme and vanilla. Cook until wine is reduced by 90 percent.
Add the heavy cream and allow to reduce by half.
Season with salt and pepper.
Finish the sauce by adding the parmesan cheese and remaining butter.
Serve over hot ravioli.

Vanilla Crepes with Minted Fruit Salad

Vanilla Crepes

1/2 cup milk
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
Seeds of 1/2 vanilla bean, scraped
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp butter, melted
1/2 cup flour

In a bowl, combine milk, egg, egg yolk, vanilla and sugar. Mix together with a whisk.
Add the flour and stir until smooth.
Stir in the melted butter.
Allow the batter to sit in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes before using.

To cook crepes, use a good non-stick pan. Over medium high heat, spray the pan with cooking spray or a thin coat of oil or butter. Pour ¼ cup of the batter (adjust as necessary for different pan sizes and desired crepe size) into the center of the pan. Move the pan around to distribute the mixture forming a very thin pancake layer.

Cook for 30 - 45 seconds on one side. Using a rubber spatula, flip and cook the other side. Repeat process.

Minted Fruit Salad

1/2 cup orange segments
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup raspberries
1/2 cup fresh strawberries, diced
3 T fresh mint, chopped
1 T sugar

Combine all of the ingredients into a medium size bowl and toss together gently.
Let mixture sit for 30 minutes.
Serve with Vanilla Crepes.

Are Tulips Edible?

2011-03-10T11:49:00.000-08:00

The spring-like weather in late February produced signs of spring all around the Atlanta Botanical Garden. The Edible Garden is teeming with daffodils and tulips which raises the question, “are bulbs edible?” We eat garlic and onion bulbs but can you eat flowering spring bulbs?

Daffodils are poisonous to humans and animals, so keep those off your plate.

There are conflicting views on tulips, so I’m not going to recommend that you eat them without further research. Many people say that you can eat tulip flower petals but caution that some people may have allergic reactions after consuming or even touching them. During WWII, the Dutch ate tulip bulbs when times were tough. Sounds like you could eat them if necessary for survival but stay away from plants treated with pesticides or possible fungus on decaying bulbs. Gardeners know that squirrels find them delectable. Maybe they’re on to something.

Along with the bulbs, a few other things are waking up in the Edible Garden.

Definitely edible! The warm weather queued the asparagus to grow in February, usually harvestable in late March through June in Georgia.

The crabapples are budding.

Waves of daffodils welcome visitors to the Edible Garden. This is a tiny portion of the 200,000 bulbs planted for Atlanta Blooms!

Chocolate Sunday

2011-01-04T10:24:00.000-08:00

On the second Sunday of each month during Chocolate: Seed to Sweet, the Garden hosted demonstrations by Atlanta pastry chefs and chocolatiers. For the final Chocolate Sunday, we welcomed CocoaTown and Chef Cynthia Wong from Cakes & Ale. CocoaTown demonstrated small scale equipment used to turn cocoa beans into chocolate bars. Scroll down for photos and a tasty chocolate cupcake recipe.

Chocolate comes from the fruit of the cacao tree (Theobroma cacao). This particular cacao pod is slowly growing in the Fuqua Conservatory at the Atlanta Botanical Garden.

The CocoaTown Roaster roasts up to five pounds of fermented cocoa beans.

Roasted cocoa beans are cracked, resulting in smaller pieces known as nibs. Other machines involved in the process winnow and grind the nibs into chocolate liquor. A pressing machine separates the chocolate liquor into cocoa butter and cocoa solids.

Cynthia Wong, Pastry Chef at Cakes & Ale demonstrates Dulce de Leche German Chocolate Cupcakes.

Cynthia Wong’s Chocolate Cupcakes

1 cup all purpose flour

1 1/3 cups Valrhona cocoa powder

¾ tsp baking powder

½ tsp kosher salt

1 ¾ cups granulated sugar

12 oz butter

4 extra large eggs
¾ cups crème fraiche

Preheat oven to 350F.
Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
Cream butter and sugar until fluffy and light.
Add eggs one at a time, beat until fluffy.
Fold in half of dry ingredients, then crème fraiche, then rest of dry ingredients.
Scoop into cupcake papers and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the tops spring back lightly when touched.

Makes 2 dozen

Winter Arrives

2010-12-18T11:32:00.000-08:00

Winter made an appearance in the Edible Garden last weekend and demonstrated a beautiful recipe: Start with a variety of winter veggies, add a generous sprinkle of snow, enjoy!

Cardoon

Mache 'VIT' and Beet 'McGregor's Favorite'

Cabbage 'Buscaro'

Kale 'Winterbor'

Radicchio 'Rossa di Verona'

Broccoli 'Romanesco'

I have to admit that this picture is misleading. The blanket of white is actually frost cloth. While many of the plants in the Edible Garden will survive a winter in Atlanta, some of them can use a little help when temperatures dip below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Atlanta Botanical Garden horticulturists chose to cover the lettuce, which is not hardy below freezing.

The Herb Wall received a protective layer of frost cloth because some sections are newly planted and the wall design leaves plants exposed to the cold air.

Tips from Atlanta Botanical Garden’s Amanda Campbell and Colleen Dudley:

Horticulturists at the Garden order frost cloth by the roll. Home Depot and Pike’s sell something similar, although thinner.
Sheets and old blankets can protect plants if you don’t want to invest in frost cloth.
Plastic isn’t recommended for covering plants since it doesn’t breathe, traps moisture, and can scald plants if the sun comes out and temperatures warm up before it is removed.
When you are expecting a freeze, it’s important to make sure that your plants are well watered. Turgid plants can withstand the freeze better. When frozen plants start to thaw out, the tops will warm up faster than the roots. Frozen roots can’t transport water and a thirsty plant could become stunted or die.
Parsley may die back to its crown after exposure to cold temperatures. Cut off the dead leaves and it should re-emerge.

Sesame Soba with Wilted Kale and Mizuna

2010-11-27T12:32:00.000-08:00

With the cool temperatures of fall (by Atlanta standards), the Edible Garden is flourishing with cool season greens and vegetables such as Swiss chard, beets, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, and mache. Kale 'Winterbor' is pictured above and featured in the recipe below.

Garden Chef Christina Curry also worked mizuna into her dish. Plant it because its feathery leaves are handsome or because it’s resistant to cold. Either way, harvest some of the slightly peppery leaves, march to the kitchen and whip up this tasty dish featuring Asian flavors. A lesser known lettuce, mizuna is sometimes included in mesclun and other mixed salad greens.

Sesame Soba with Wilted Kale & Mizuna

3 T grape seed oil
2 T ginger root, chopped
2 cups kale, cleaned and cut
2 cups mizuna lettuce, cleaned
2 T sesame oil
1/2 lb. cooked soba noodles
2 T toasted sesame seeds
1/3 cup soy sauce
3 T sweet chili sauce
1/3 cup chopped green onion

Heat the grape seed oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the chopped ginger and cook for 30 seconds. Add the kale and allow to cook just until wilted, about 1 minute. Next add the mizuna lettuce and remove from heat. Mix well with the sesame oil. In a large bowl, combine the soba noodles, kale-mizuna mix, soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, green onion and toasted sesame seeds. Toss together gently and garnish with more toasted sesame seeds.

Find printable versions of the Garden Chef recipes here.

Wheat Berry Salad with Pomegranate and Fig Vinaigrette

2010-11-18T11:16:00.000-08:00

While many fruits have come and gone in the Edible Garden, the 'Nana' Dwarf Pomegranate still shines, heavily laden with fruits well into fall. Bred to be small and ornamental, they taste tart and aren't as juicy as the ones you get in the supermarket, but are definitely edible. To test for ripeness, squeeze a fruit that hasn't turned yet as a baseline before squeezing one that's red. Ripe pomegranates should have deep red skin and a little give to the fruit.

Whether you grow pomegranates in your yard or buy them at the store, combine them with wheat berries and a fig vinaigrette for a dish that's simple and tasty.

Although not featured in this recipe, here's a photo of an 'LSU Gold' Fig fruiting in the Edible Garden. Garden Chef Christina Curry used dried figs and fig infused vinegar for her dish.

Wheat berries are the unprocessed wheat kernel including bran, germ, and endosperm. This whole grain contains more nutrients than stripped-down flour, pasta, or bread. Because it can take nearly an hour to cook wheat berries, consider preparing them in advance and storing in the refrigerator until you're ready to throw this simple and tasty dish together. Look for wheat berries at the grocery store.

Wheat Berry Salad with Pomegranate and Fig Vinaigrette

2 cups cooked wheat berries
1 cup pomegranate seeds
1/4 cup dried figs, chopped
3 T red onion, chopped
2 T mint
2 T oregano
2 T fig infused vinegar
3 T olive oil
salt and cracked black pepper to taste

In a large bowl combine wheat berries, pomegranate seeds, figs, red onion, mint and oregano. Mix together gently to incorporate ingredients. Add the vinegar and olive oil, mixing gently. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Find printable versions of the Garden Chef recipes here.

Taste of Atlanta Preview at the Garden

2010-10-30T13:21:00.000-07:00

The Edible Garden Outdoor Kitchen has proven itself to be a gateway for the Atlanta Botanical Garden to host several of Atlanta's finest chefs throughout the course of its first season. The Taste of Atlanta Preview at the Garden on October 16 was a day of beautiful fall weather, great chefs, and delicious food.

Chef Shane Touhy of Dogwood woke up the kitchen with a big batch of Creamy Polenta and Red-eye Gravy.

Perfect for a 10 a.m. demo on a cool day, the gravy is made with coffee. If you’re looking for polenta or grits done right, Shane Touhy is your chef.

Chef Dave Larkworthy of 5 Seasons Brewing joined Garden Chef Christina Curry for her usual noon demonstration.

Chef Dave used a melon baller to carve perfect little spheres from his favorite eating pumpkin – the Jarrahdale pumpkin.

He dropped the pumpkin balls into the hot mixture of apple cider and spices to cook briefly. Can you get any closer to tasting fall than pumpkin, apple, and spices? I think not.

Chef Marie Nygren of Serenbe had the visitors salivating as she prepared Grits and Greens with Sweet Onion Butter and Goat Cheese. I love when chefs bring out the big equipment. Note the huge cast iron pan used as a serving dish.

One of the kale varieties that Chef Marie brought from Serenbe had such large leaves, it apparently stumped her staff. We confirmed that the greens in this container were indeed kale before serving to the one hundred plus people who attended the demonstration.

Chef Joe Truex of Watershed wrapped up the day with Silken Turnip Soup. Finished with a few drops of truffle oil, the soup brought warmth to our stomachs and smiles to our faces. Want to give turnips a try at home? Here's Chef Joe Truex's recipe:

Silken Turnip Soup
Serves 8

2 oz. butter

2 cups yellow onions, roughly chopped

1 ½ lbs. turnip roots, peeled and roughly chopped

6 oz. baking potato, peeled and roughly chopped

1 qt. chicken stock, maybe more needed after blending

½ tsp. nutmeg berry, grated

kosher salt and black pepper to taste

truffle oil, for garnish

Heat butter until foamy, then add onions and season. Cook for 5 minutes, then add potato and turnip root and season with salt again. Cover a cook on low heat for 10-25 minutes, stirring often. Add heated chicken stock and cook uncovered until root vegetables are tender. Blend until smooth. Taste for seasoning and adjust thickness by adding more heated chicken stock if needed. Finish with grated nutmeg and freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with a few drops of truffle oil if desired.

Taste of Atlanta Preview

2010-10-10T12:46:00.000-07:00

Garden Chef Christina Curry was invited to guest blog about the upcoming Taste of Atlanta Preview at the Garden as well as her upcoming appearance at Taste of Atlanta. If you've been meaning to catch a Garden Chef demonstration in the Edible Garden Outdoor Kitchen, make sure you mark your calendar prior to our last demos of the 2010 season on October 31.

Fall is in full swing and it is the perfect time to check out the Atlanta Botanical Garden and see what’s cooking in our outdoor kitchen. My name is Christina Curry and I am one of the Garden Chefs at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. The Edible Garden and Outdoor Kitchen are a wonderful addition to all the beautiful attractions that have brought visitors to the Garden for years. As one of the chefs, I am able to harvest, prep and cook with the herbs and vegetables that have been growing each season. It has been a great experience working in the Edible Garden Outdoor Kitchen, and we have prepared some delicious recipes this year.

With just a few weeks left before our demo season is over, we have some exciting things coming up. On October 16, Shane Tuohy of Dogwood, Dave Larkworthy of Five Seasons Brewing, Marie Nygren of Serenbe, and Joe Truex of Watershed will join us in the Outdoor Kitchen for the Taste of Atlanta Preview. Each will prepare a dish keeping with the seasonal theme that we embrace weekly at the Garden. Later this month we invite you to come out and support us at the one of the country’s best food festivals, Taste of Atlanta. I will be doing a cooking demo on the Farm to Festival stage on October 23, at 1:00 p.m. The Taste of Atlanta presentation will be an extension of what we do at the Garden every weekend. Mark your calendar and come on out!

Okra and Tomato Sauté

2010-10-02T09:04:00.000-07:00

Don't be fooled by the rasberry shade, this is some good looking 'Hill Country Red' Okra. Thriving in the Edible Garden during our hot summer, it stood tall and proud in August and September. These red okra are stockier than their common green counterparts and suprisingly not woody or stringy for their large size. The flowers are attractive as well, once again demonstrating that edibles can be a beautiful addition to your home landscaping.

We like to keep food light and fresh in the Outdoor Kitchen. Chef Megan McCarthy thought outside the fried okra box and presented a tasty and quick side dish.

Okra and Tomato Sauté

2 T extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb. fresh okra
2 large fresh tomatoes, diced
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Wash and trim okra. Cut okra into 1-inch pieces. Dice tomatoes. In large skillet, heat olive oil on medium-high heat and add chopped garlic. After 1 minute, add in okra and diced tomatoes. Turn down to medium heat and sauté for about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Watch a video of Chef Megan McCarthy preparing this dish. Find printable versions of the Garden Chef recipes here.

The okra was pulled out two weeks ago to create space for cool crops. Still standing is this fabulous display of glass pumpkins and gourds by Cohn-Stone Studios. Witness the stunning displays throughout the Edible Garden before October 31, 2010.

Chocolate September!

2010-09-30T13:34:00.000-07:00

Where did September go? I recall a plethora of chocolate crumbs, chocolate smears, and chocolate treats as the Garden opened Chocolate: Seed to Sweet, an exhibition celebrating this favorite indulgence. Here’s a photo journal highlighting some of the chocolaty September moments.

A Quick Lesson: Chocolate comes from the fruit of the cacao tree. This cacao tree is displayed in the Atlanta Botanical Garden Orangerie. Another is located in the Tropical Rotunda.

Flowers and pods grow directly off the trunk and limbs rather than the tips like many other fruits. Cacao (pronounced ca-COW) refers to the tree and the beans inside its seed pods; cocoa (pronounced KO-ko) refers to the two byproducts of the cocoa bean: cocoa butter and cocoa powder.

Opening Weekend, Sept. 4 - 6, 2010 was full of fun activities. These little ones are fingerpainting with melted chocolate on graham cracker canvases.

Chocolate Scented Play Dough

1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup salt
1/2 tablespoon cream of tartar
1/2 tablespoon cooking oil
1 cup boiling water

Mix flour, cocoa powder, salt, and cream of tartar together. Add cooking oil and boiling water to mixture. Stir quickly and mix well. Cook over low heat until dough forms a ball. When cool, mix with your hands. Store in airtight container.

Very few passed up the opportunity to decorate a chocolate cupcake!

Karen Porteleo and Joshua John Russell of Highland Bakery wowed the crowd during a chocolate cake decorating demonstration.

This fabulous chocolate sculpture was created by Victor Dagatan from The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead. Chef James Satterwhite also participated in the opening weekend by creating chocolate butterflies, flowers, and cacao pods.

The Atlanta Cupcake Factory joined the Garden for the first Chocolate Sunday. Jamie Fahey provided home baking tips, demonstrated how to decorate giant chocolate cupcake cakes, and provided cakes and frosting for all to decorate and consume. There wasn't a clean face in the Outdoor Kitchen!

Garden Chefs Megan McCarthy and Christina Curry indulged in some chocolate recipes in September:

Spicy Dark Chocolate Fondue

6 oz fine dark chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped

½ cup almond milk (or cream)

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp sea salt

Heat almond milk on low heat until it lightly boils. Turn off heat and add chopped chocolate. Whisk until smooth. Add in cayenne pepper and sea salt and gently stir. Transfer to fondue pot. Arrange your favorite accompaniments on a platter with the chocolate fondue using fondue forks or bamboo skewers for dipping. Serve chocolate fondue with strawberries, kiwi, fresh figs, pineapple, bananas, graham crackers, shortbread or pound cake.
Serves 4

Vegan Dark Chocolate Mousse

8 oz dark chocolate

1 12 oz package silken tofu

2 T agave nectar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 T espresso, chilled

1. Using a double boiler, slowly melt chocolate until smooth.
2. In a blender, combine tofu, melted chocolate, agave nectar, vanilla extract and espresso.
3. Blend on high until smooth and creamy.
4. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

Find printable versions of the Garden Chef recipes here.

It's not too late to get a chocolate fix! Chocolate: Seed to Sweet runs through January 2, 2011. Find an up-to-date list of happenings here.

Grilled Watermelon Salsa

2010-08-17T14:48:00.000-07:00

Want to sweeten your next cook out? While the grill is hot, try throwing on some peaches, pears, or even watermelon. Yes, watermelon. Garden Chef Christina Curry enticed the crowd in the Edible Garden Outdoor Kitchen with the sounds and smells of watermelon slices on the grill.

Grilled Watermelon Salsa

2 cups grilled and diced watermelon
1/4 cup chopped green onion
2 T chopped cilantro
2 T chopped mint
1/4 cup lime juice
2 T olive oil

Slice watermelon into 1 inch thick pieces and grill on each side for about 30 seconds, or until you get good grill marks. Next, dice up the grilled watermelon and put in a mixing bowl. Add the chopped green onion, chopped cilantro, chopped mint, lime juice and olive oil. Mix together gently. Serve with tortilla chips, flatbread or as a relish to compliment your favorite fish.

If you enjoyed this recipe, you can’t miss Melon Fest this Saturday, August 21 from noon to 3 p.m. Join Garden Chef Christina Curry in the Edible Garden Outdoor Kitchen at noon, 1 p.m., or 2 p.m. Enjoy a laugh and participate in a melon seed-spitting contest or watermelon rolling on the Great Lawn. Taste a variety of European melons from locally owned Phoenix Gardens and learn about pickling watermelon rinds.

Find printable versions of the Garden Chef recipes here.

Citrus Marinated Fennel Slaw

2010-08-05T13:02:00.000-07:00

Fennel stands proud in the Edible Garden because of its many edible parts. All of these plant parts possess a flavor similar to anise or licorice. The feathery leaves are used as greens or as an herb. The dried fruits, commonly misnamed "seeds", are widely found in spice racks. The bulbs are cooked or used fresh as Garden Chef Christina Curry demonstrated in the Outdoor Kitchen.

Citrus Marinated Fennel Slaw with Fresh Herbs

2 cups thinly shaved fennel
1/2 cup julienne Vidalia onion
2 T chopped oregano
2 T chopped mint
2 T chopped flat leaf parsley
2 T lemon juice
3 T orange juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt, to taste
fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
Citrus zest, to garnish

1. In a bowl combine, fennel, onion and herbs.
2. Toss gently to mix ingredients together.
3. Add the olive oil, lemon and orange juice, mix gently.
4. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Garnish with lemon and orange zest.

Find printable versions of the Garden Chef recipes here.

Herb Wall

2010-07-09T12:30:00.000-07:00

I’m happy to introduce Plant to Plate’s guest blogger, designer Tres Fromme. Tres has worked with the Garden on many exhibitions and projects over the past few years including Moore in America, Orchid Daze, the Southern Seasons Garden, as well as the new additions: Cascades Garden, Storza Woodland Gardens, and the Edible Garden. He is an Associate with MESA Design Associates in Dallas, Texas and leads the firm’s Public Garden Studio. With degrees in both horticulture and landscape architecture, he possesses a unique combination of artistic sensibility and plant knowledge. One of Tres’ favorite parts of leading the design team for the Edible Garden was envisioning the living Herb Wall which he writes about below.

Functional Aspects of the Herb Wall

The Herb Wall is an iconic element of the Edible Garden. It is also one of the most practical components and serves several important functions. The planters holding the living part of the Wall hang on a CMU (concrete masonry unit or cinder block) wall. The height and thickness of the Wall deflect noise and exhaust from the greenhouse fans behind the Edible Garden. Without the barrier the Garden would be a noisier and windier place. The Wall is a perfect example of creatively turning a necessity into an asset.

The Herb Wall adds much needed square footage in the relatively small space of the Edible Garden. Building upward creates a planting space with unique characteristics. The wall faces west and captures the warm Atlanta sunshine. The “soil” mix in the hanging planters drains quickly. The irrigation system allows for relatively controlled watering (we hope!). All these factors allowed us to feel comfortable planting evergreen herbs that might otherwise suffer in Atlanta’s heat, humidity, and rain.

Aesthetic Aspects of the Herb Wall

The Herb Wall was one of the most enjoyable parts of the Edible Garden to design. Essentially, we wanted to take a traditional herb garden and get it off the ground so there would be more room for other crops. We also wanted to put a chic and contemporary interpretation on the typical geometric knots and forms of many herbal plantings. Think “living wall paper.”

The Wall encourages a new relationship between people and plants. It creates an immersive and multi-sensory experience. You look up at the herbs rather than down on them. The wall places the plants at heights so people of all heights (and ages) are able to smell and touch the plants with ease.

Imagine a living canvas approximately 55 feet long and nine feet tall! The possibilities seemed endless, until we decided the plants had to meet three major criteria. One, they had to be evergreen so the wall looked good in winter. Two, the plants had to be edible or culinary. Three, they had to be low growing and respond well to regular shearing since we wanted to maintain the Wall as a “flat” surface. Being clip-able also assures raw ingredients for the many cooking programs.

After much searching and discussion, we decided to allow flowers traditionally associated with kitchen or herb gardens. There were just not enough evergreen herbs to offer a broad palette of texture and color. We also wanted to include Boxwood hedges, a time-honored element of herb gardens. All these plants might not be edible, but they are attractive. The major non-herbal plants are: Boxwood, Creeping Phlox, and Bouncing Bet (Soapwort).

Pineapple Walnut Coleslaw

2010-07-06T06:57:00.000-07:00

Cabbage looks beautiful in the garden and it's quick and easy to harvest when you're ready for a fresh dish. By mid-June, it was time for the red cabbage to come out to make room for summer crops.

Chef Megan McCarthy chose to put a twist on traditional coleslaw and added some pineapple for a refreshing summer flavor. Take this one to the next bar-b-que and at least one dish on the table will be a healthy choice.

Chef Megan offered shortcuts such as buying shredded carrots and canned pineapple when you need to save some time.

Pineapple Walnut Coleslaw

1 small head green cabbage, shredded
1 small head red cabbage, shredded
1 cup carrots, shredded
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1 cup plain yogurt, Greek-style
Sea salt to taste

Shred green cabbage, red cabbage and carrots. Combine in large bowl. Add crushed pineapple, walnuts and yogurt. Mix thoroughly. Season with sea salt.

Pineapple Walnut Coleslaw served in an outer cabbage leaf and garnished with flat leaf parsley

Find printable versions of the Garden Chef recipes here.

Father's Day

2010-06-29T10:44:00.000-07:00

What do fathers like to do on Father’s Day? Go to the Atlanta Botanical Garden and eat bugs, weeds, and flowers of course! With the adventurous eating theme in the Edible Garden, there was only one person in Atlanta that we trusted to cook bizarre delicacies: Chef Ryan Cobb. Beginning a relationship with the Garden in 2007 as the bug chef during Big Bugs and Killer Plants, Ryan cooked mealworms, crickets, and scorpions in such a way that made people rush for a sample. Chef Ryan has been the Executive Chef at the Colonnade Restaurant for almost four years now. In addition to being in the AJC over a dozen times, he has appeared on 11Alive news, The Food Network, The Travel Channel, and PBS. We hope that Chef Ryan will soon demonstrate his fine dining background coupled with classical southern cuisine in the Outdoor Kitchen sans bugs. As today’s guest blogger, Chef Ryan comments on his Father’s Day experience and shares a few recipes.

This was my first visit to the Garden since Big Bugs and Killer Plants. Wow! What amazing changes at the Garden! First of all, I was to cook in the new Outdoor Kitchen in the Edible Garden. This kitchen is beautiful and well appointed. It had everything I needed to cook bugs, flowers, weeds, or a four course fine dining meal. In previous years, I had prepared food in the Children's Amphitheater. I was faced with the challenge of preparing food for large crowds on two portable electric burners! That would not be the case this time around!

Despite intense heat and humidity, there was a large crowd forming for the first show of the day. I chose to cook bugs for the first show and I whipped up three tasty dishes joined with a fact filled presentation on edible insects. Today I was preparing Crickets and Grits, Meal Worm Peanut Brittle, and Low Country BBQ'd Hissing Cockroaches. At the end of the show, I had convinced a large portion of the crowd to come up and try some bugs; I actually ended up running out of the cockroaches at the end of the day!

Low Country BBQ'd Hissing Cockroaches awaiting the grill

Shortly after the first show, I jumped into a kudzu and edible flowers presentation. Starting with kudzu, I challenged the crowd to "eat the vine that ate the South!!!” After a short description on kudzu, I prepared Stuffed Kudzu Leaves and Tempura Fried Kudzu Leaves. These two dishes were easy sells, and most of the crowd tasted one or both of them. Immediately, I switched gears and started an edible flower demonstration. The flowers at the show today consisted of: Orchids, Chrysanthemums, Snap Dragons, Marigolds, and Chamomile. With this medium, I prepared Caramelized Orchids, Orchid and Aspic Glazed Brie Cheese, Flower Petal Ice Cubes, and Flower Tea. Once again, there was little fear factor in eating flowers and the crowd ate them up!

Orchid and Aspic Glazed Brie Cheese

All in all, on a hot humid day, there were large crowds of people eagerly awaiting the opportunity to try new and different types of cuisine. I think everyone in attendance learned something too!!!

Caramelized Orchids

12 edible orchids

2 egg whites

1/4 cup superfine sugar

Carefully rinse and dry all of the flowers, set on a paper towel, and allow to dry. Separately, vigorously whisk egg whites together adding a touch of cool water if the egg whites need to be thinned to a brushable texture. Carefully brush egg white mixture onto all parts of the flower. Immediately dust, by hand, with the sugar. Place on a wire rack and allow to dry and harden at room temperature overnight. Enjoy as a colorful garnish!

Caramelized Orchids on far right

Clear Meal Worm Brittle

500 meal worms, dry roasted
8 cups sugar

1 cup water

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

2 oz. unsalted butter

Combine sugar, water, and cream of tartar in a heavy bottomed, non reactive saucepan. Over low heat, stir until all ingredients are incorporated and dissolved. Increase heat to medium high and bring to hard boil. Place a candy thermometer in mixture and cook until 320 F (light caramel stage). Remove from heat and quickly, with an oiled wooden spoon, incorporate the meal worms and butter. Carefully pour mixture onto a lightly oiled baking sheet and spread to 1/4 inch thick. Allow to cool completely then break into desired size pieces. Store in an airtight container in between wax or parchment paper.

Pineapple Guava Flowers

2010-06-22T12:41:00.000-07:00

I don't make a habit of picking flowers and eating them, so when it was suggested that I eat the petals of the Pinapple Guava flower I was pleasantly suprised. These fleshy, white petals are sweet, delicious, fruity, with a slight tang or bite. There's a row of Pinapple Guava plants along one side of the Edible Garden as well as a beautiful tree in another part of the Garden. When I was harvesting flowers for the cooking demonstration, I found someone else feasting on the edible flowers of this very tree. This critter couldn't get enough of them!

Frantically pick all of your Pineapple Guava flowers before the squirrels eat them. Now what? This was the challenge presented to Chef Christina Curry. Also abundant in the Garden are several types of mint. Christina came up with a delicious herbal iced tea.

Pineapple Guava Mint Iced Tea

8 cups water

2 cup Pineapple guava flowers

2 cups mint leaves

1/2 cup agave nectar

1. In a medium pot bring water to a boil

2. Add the pineapple guava flowers and mint, turn the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes

3. Turn off the heat and allow to steep an additional 5 minutes

4. Strain tea through a very fine strainer

5. Chill the tea for two hours before serving

6. Sweeten with agave nectar

6. Garnish with pineapple guava flowers and fresh mint

Find printable versions of the Garden Chef recipes here.

Cardoons!

2010-06-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

It’s my pleasure to introduce Plant to Plate's first guest blogger Colleen Dudley, someone who knows the Edible Garden from root to tip. Colleen is the Atlanta Botanical Garden Senior Horticulturist in charge of the Edible Garden. After graduating from the University of Georgia with a degree in horticulture, she started at the Atlanta Botanical Garden taking care of the Children’s Garden. In addition, for the past five years she has helped in the Garden’s annual display design and coordination and just recently has started to use those skills in the new Edible Garden. She spends her days starting seeds, planting, harvesting, watering, weeding, and planning for future edibles. I enjoy meeting with her each week as she gives me the scoop on what’s ready to be eaten, how to harvest without compromising aesthetics, and sometimes she slips me an edible flower or points out something I'd completely missed. I asked Colleen to write about a common curiosity of visitors: the cardoon.

In the Edible Garden this spring, the plant I have gotten the most questions about is the cardoon or Cynara cardunculus. This plant is a member of the aster family and closely related to a familiar vegetable, the artichoke. Cardoons get pretty large as far as vegetables go, 3-4’ wide and just as tall when they bloom. In many perennial borders we have used cardoon in the past, not because it is edible, but because it is a beautiful accent plant. It has bold gray-blue leaves that other colorful plants can play off of and bright violet-blue thistle looking flowers that really stand out amongst the plentiful yellow, orange and red flowers that comprise most borders.

But enough about its good looks; the reason it’s included in the vegetable garden is because it is actually edible. The center rib of each leaf can be cooked a variety of ways and has a delicious flavor reminiscent of an artichoke. When the leaves are young, harvest stalks whose midribs are no wider than ¾”, anything larger than that will be too tough and bitter to eat. Remove all of the leaf part from the midrib and wash the rib well. Cut the rib into 1-2” pieces and soak it in a salt water solution for an hour. This step helps to remove some of the bitter flavor that cardoons can sometimes possess. Then you’re ready to cook with it. I’ve seen many recipes that fry it or cover it in cheese and while I’m sure those are delicious; I chose to follow a healthier recipe where the cardoons are boiled in water then sautéed with onion, pine nuts, thyme and honey. You can check the recipe out here.

To grow cardoons in your yard, you just need full sun and well drained soil amended with some organic matter. Water and fertilize regularly. In the spring, keep an eye out for aphids. They love to hang out on the undersides of cardoon leaves. You can keep these guys under control through early detection and a few applications of an insecticidal soap. If you don’t have a vegetable garden to grow you cardoon in, why not add them to a perennial border where they will provide a beautiful accent and tender tasty ribs that you can harvest at will.

Veronica Cauliflower

2010-06-09T09:38:00.000-07:00

As you take a stroll through the Edible Garden you may notice the beautiful design, recognize a plant that you had in your garden as a child, take a minute to smell the many herbs, or wonder about a plant that doesn't look like something you've ever seen in a grocery store. Allow me to introduce Veronica Cauliflower.

The color is greener than cauliflower and yellower than broccoli. Its florets form small peaks reminicent of spiraling seashells or alien spacecrafts. Do not be intimidated! Use it as you would cauliflower and enjoy it raw or cooked. Chef Christina Curry accepted this new veggie and created a lovely side dish. Learn more about Chef Christina here.

Veronica Cauliflower & Kale with Orzo

2 cups Veronica Cauliflower florets
3 cups julienne kale
2 cups cooked orzo
3 T olive oil
1/4 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 T chopped Flat leaf parsley
1/4 cup lemon juice
Kosher salt & cracked black pepper, to season
Lemon Zest, to garnish
Shaved Parmesan, to garnish

1. Heat 3 T of olive oil over medium high heat
2. Add garlic and onions, cook for 1 minute

3. Next, add cauliflower and kale and allow to cook until both are tender

4. Add the orzo pasta

5. Add 1/4 cup of lemon juice and parsley

6. Season with Salt and Pepper
7. Garnish with Shaved Parmesan and Lemon Zest

Find printable versions of the Garden Chef recipes here.

From botton to top: Veronica Cauliflower, Cardoon, and the Outdoor Kitchen

Garden Greens Salad with Beets and Goat Cheese

2010-05-27T10:37:00.000-07:00

By mid-May in the Edible Garden we were knee deep in beets and lettuce. Garden Chef Megan McCarthy was inspired to harvest these vegetables and prepare a fresh salad. I'm not sure if fresh is a strong enough word to describe the process of plant to plate within one hour and a hundred feet of each other.

Bulls Blood Beets with Deja Vu Calendula

Australian Yellow Leaf Lettuce

Red Velvet Lettuce nestled between Cardoon and Zefa Fino Fennel

Garden Greens Salad with Beets and Goat Cheese

6 cups Garden lettuce, chopped

1 beet, boiled and finely diced

1 cup shredded carrots

½ cup crumbled goat cheese

½ cup toasted walnuts

Toasted Walnut Vinaigrette:

3 tbsp toasted walnut oil

2 tbsp fig vinegar
½ lemon, freshly squeezed
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut off the beet tops about an inch above the beet. In a large pot cover the beets with three inches of cold water and bring to a boil. Cover and boil over medium heat until tender, about 45 minutes. Drain the beets under cool running water. Take off skins. Trim off stems and root ends and slice.

Whisk vinaigrette ingredients together and drizzle on lettuce greens and toss. Top dressed greens with beets, carrots, goat cheese and toasted walnuts.

Find printable versions of the Garden Chef recipes here.

Kale Quinoa Salad

2010-05-25T11:08:00.000-07:00

Atlanta Botanical Garden Chef Megan McCarthy cooked up this delightful salad featuring frequently used garnishes. Kale and parsley are more that just frilly greens to dress up a plate. First of all, they look great in the garden:

Secondly, they are full of flavor and nutrients. Megan refers to these at Superfoods. To learn more about Chef Megan, check out http://healthyeating101.com/. Give this recipe a try while kale is readily available at the grocery store and farmer's markets.

Kale Quinoa Salad

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

2 cups water

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
½ red onion, diced
2 Roma plum tomatoes, diced
2 cups fresh kale, chopped
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Bring water and quinoa to a boil. Cover and turn down to simmer for 12-15 minutes, until water is absorbed.

In sauté pan, heat 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil on medium high. Add chopped garlic, diced onions and cook for 2 minutes before adding diced tomatoes. Add chopped kale and cover for 1-2 minutes or until kale is wilted.

Transfer cooked quinoa to large bowl. Drizzle quinoa with remaining 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Add kale mixture and gently toss.

Sprinkle with chopped parsley and sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste. Toss again and serve.

Pick up an extra bunch of kale while your at it and try out surprisingly addictive kale chips!

Kale Chips

Makes 24

12 large kale leaves, rinsed, dried, cut lengthwise in half, center ribs and stems removed.
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon zest

Preheat oven to 300F. Toss kale with oil in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and lemon zest. Arrange leaves in a single layer on 2 large baking sheets. Bake until crisp, about 20 minutes, turning the leaves over once during baking.

From top to bottom: Starbor kale and Neri Di Toscana kale in the Edible Garden

Edible Garden Outdoor Kitchen

2010-05-25T09:22:00.000-07:00

Located at one end of the Edible Garden, the Outdoor Kitchen is a sight to behold. By day, it's a great spot to catch some shade and dream about building a kitchen in your own backyard. By night, it's a dramatically lit space set against Atlanta's Midtown skyline. A frequent expression I hear from visitors is "wow!" Here are a few photos that show some wow moments happening in the Outdoor Kitchen. Come see it in person for the full effect!

Chef Scott Serpas of Serpas True Food preps garden fresh ingredients for his demonstration at the Grand Opening.

Chef Adam Evans of Craftbar moves with ease in the spacious kitchen outfitted with Viking outdoor appliances.

Chef Linton Hopkins of Restaurant Eugene enjoys a casual conversation with visitors, something that naturally happens in this thoughtfully designed space.

An audience gathers in the Outdoor Kitchen every Saturday and Sunday at noon and 1:00 p.m. to experience a Garden Chef Cooking Demonstration. Each weekend May through October the Garden Chef showcases fresh seasonal vegetables, fruits and herbs in simple and mouthwatering recipes.

For information on Atlanta Botanical Garden's classes in the Outdoor Kitchen visit: http://www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org/events/ListClasses.do

Welcome to the Edible Garden at the Atlanta Botanical Garden!

2010-05-25T08:11:00.000-07:00

We couldn’t have been more excited to open the Edible Garden to the public on May 1, 2010! Those of us who were fortunate enough to be present during the creation of this addition were amazed by the dramatic changes visible weekly, if not daily, as the Garden’s old parking lot became the most stunning edible garden. Visit this blog to stay updated on the edibles growing in the garden, food prepared in the Outdoor Kitchen, and to hear from the team of people connected to this garden.

To read more visit: http://atlantabotanicalgarden.org/plan-your-visit/locations/edible-garden