The Martha Stewart Culinary Herb Garden at the NYBG and My Favorite Summer Cocktails
Last weekend, I attended the opening of the Edible Garden at the New York Botanical Garden in Bronx, New York. Last winter, Gregory Long, who runs the NYBG, asked me if I would be interested in being a part of this project. I, of course, told him to count me in and said I would be very pleased to create a Culinary Herb Garden. I enlisted my team of garden experts and we set out to redesign the NYBG's historic Nancy Bryan Luce Herb Garden, which had previously been planted with mostly medicinal herbs. Our new design includes more than 50 types of culinary herbs from around the world, including French tarragon, sorrel, English thyme, Italian parsley, Mexican cilantro, Greek oregano, and Japanese saltwort. All of these wonderful herbs were donated by my friend, Sal Glibertie, who is the largest herb plant grower in the country.
It was a fun-filled day with talks from experts in the local and sustainable food movement and demonstrations by world-renowned chefs. I took part in a panel discussion and then made some of my favorite summer cocktails with an herbal theme.
PURPLE-BASIL MOJITO
Look for purple basil (opal basil) at gourmet or farmers' markets
1 lime wedge
2 sprigs of purple basil
Fill tumbler with ice and add
2 tablespoons light rum
1 tablespoon simple syrup
SIMPLE SYRUP (Makes 3 ½ cups)
3 cups sugar
3 cups water
Heat sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil. Let cool completely. Syrup can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 month
MARTHA-TINI
Pour into a large pitcher of ice:
¾ bottle Hendricks Gin or Imperia Vodka
2 cups simple syrup
2 cups fresh limejuice
1 cup St. Germain Elderflower liqueur
1/8 cup pomegranate extract
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
The knot gardens and brick walkways are gorgeous.
I'm definitely going to try your drink recipes!
Do you have a drink (or other recipe) that uses lavender? It's blooming profusely here right now.
http://potsnpies.blogspot.com
Posted by: Clayvessel | July 6th, 2009 at 2:25 am
Beautiful herb gardens! I love the careful attention made to architectural details. I'd like to try out your drink recipes. By the way, that color yellow looks beautiful on you! I enjoy your blog! Have a wonderful summer!
Posted by: ML | July 6th, 2009 at 7:59 am
.
From My Office To Yours----
Please market Taste Tempters, a series of templates illustrating various designs of The Culinary Global Garden.
.
Spread the Good Green Growing!
Butterfly & The Grey Ghost Production Team
.
Posted by: andreaandweims on Twitter | July 6th, 2009 at 8:04 am
You have the neatest life! My children and I occasionally go out to my pot o'herbs on the back porch and sample and talk but to be an aficionado in the field and help plan in the New York Botanical garden is just outstanding. Thank you for sharing all of the great pictures. I can't wait to get out to the city for a visit.
Posted by: Not So Glamorous Housewife | July 6th, 2009 at 8:08 am
Mmmmm...those cocktails sound lovely!
I just posted a pic of my own summer concoction, a combination of hibiscus tea + citrus juices + vodka and can't wait to attempt your purple basil mojito recipe. Sounds delicious!
Posted by: Jennifer / Prep School 101 | July 6th, 2009 at 9:31 am
I changed my weekend plan to build a garden for a friend at her coastal home in Scituate MA so I could not come to this wonderful summer event. Thank you for these photos and sharing it with us. It is another example of a good thing: a real public service project. I am waiting for my herbs to grow from seed late in the season but an experiment for me this summer. I will take a day trip to NYC to see it along with the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. I agree with ML. Love that mustard gold on you -- but then I know from past blogs -- all of the golds are fabulous on you!
Posted by: Teresa Touey | July 6th, 2009 at 9:35 am
It’s a beautiful herb garden Martha. Great job and your pictures captured it perfectly! I especially love the cardoon inside the boxwoods and of course the architectural setting. Walkways and benches are always nice.
I see Sal Gilbertie is still wearing his trademark cap. I remember him from the Martha Stewart Living Show when he came to help you plant all kinds of herbs at Turkey Hill. What I didn’t remember was him being the largest herb plant grower in the country. You know so many wonderful people and Sal is very generous too. Judy Morris sure is thin but looks great. Pretty soon her son Jimmy will be bigger than her if he isn’t already!
One day I hope to visit the New York Botanical Garden as well as several other places you have introduced us to. I’m dreaming about it anyway! Trish
Posted by: Trish | July 6th, 2009 at 10:12 am
I'm a huge fan of Mojitos, so I'm definitely going to give the PURPLE-BASIL MOJITO a try. Thanks for the recipe!
Posted by: Shabby chic furniture | July 6th, 2009 at 11:21 am
I like these, you are so wonderful !!!
Posted by: XuyenN | July 6th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
Everything looks so nice and inviting. The colors of your outfit and Sal Glibertie's honest denim outfit just makes it that much more intriguing. How fun to just sit on one of the benches and enjoy the smells, views and conversations.
Thanks as always.
Posted by: Margie | July 6th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
I loved your culinary herb garden at the NYBG- lots of things I had never seen growing before. Do you have a good source for some of the more exotic herbs?
Posted by: Jen | July 6th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
Both of these recipes would be fantastic after a long day at the beach, relaxing on the dock and watching the sunset.
Was so upset I was unable to make it to the NYBG that weekend since you and Dan Barber were going to be there but definitely will be checking out the Edible Garden sometime soon.
Posted by: Kristen | July 6th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
Wow !! the garden's are so well done and it was
a pleasure to see them, even if I can not be there. Please send us more . Thanks
Posted by: Loni Knowles | July 6th, 2009 at 7:12 pm
We have added n herbaceous twist to our summer margaritas here at the nursery: we fillet an "arm" of Aloe vera, scrape the gel into the blender, and blend with the rest of the mix. It slightly sweetens the drink, keeps your blood sugar level down, and seems to reduce hangovers for the over-indulgent. Besides, aloes go well with things made from agaves, eh?
Posted by: Terry Moyemont | July 6th, 2009 at 7:21 pm
Just eyeballing the martha-tini, a single serve would look something like:
1oz vodka or gin
3/4oz simple syrup
3/4oz lime juice
1/2oz (or a bit less) St Germain
dash pomegranate
although that looks quite heavy on the simple syrup and lime juice...
Will have to have a bit of a play with it tonight.
Posted by: Mark | July 6th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
How funny - I was just working on my basil mojito recipe last week! When I make mojitos, I tend to use sugar and a splash of soda water, as that is the base recipe I use for mojitos.
An alcohol-free basil soda is wonderful, too! Just substitute sparkling water for the rum. Purple basil, thai basil, basil basil -- it's all good (though some gooder than others).
I have tried using different sweeteners with the basil soda/mojitos... I liked the idea of using honey instead of just sugar, but the honey doesn't incorporate well and clumps up in the cold. I tried Agave syrup and that came out nicely. Maybe if I made a "simple syrup" with honey instead of sugar I could get the subtle floral hints of the honey without it gumming up.......
Posted by: JeffreyN | July 6th, 2009 at 10:57 pm
A wonderful culinary garden...i want one!
Posted by: sherey | July 6th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
Hi Martha, What a beautiful herb garden you and your crew created for the New York Botanical Garden. Your photos show a fantastic place to spend some quality time enjoying all of the beauty of the plantings, the brick walkways and the wonderful benches. And I can imagine that the demonstrations that you and others provided were more than worthwhile to observe. Thanks so much for sharing another part of New York City with us. Jan P.S. I missed you on Ask Martha today. When will you be on next?
Posted by: Jan Erickson | July 7th, 2009 at 1:33 am
Martha, tender of the bar...
As I sat and pondered, sipping my Martha-tini, I couldn't help but remember Sal and his Gilbertie Herb Gardens in Westport. I met him once when I was there 'window shopping'. Nice, nice, man. He looks great in the pic with you! You, Dan and Jennifer look very happy, too. Is that you singing with a quartet? Nope, just speaking to the crowd! An edible garden; what a wonderful thing! Wonder how an edible art show who go over?
Thanks, Martha, for the lovely herbal stroll through the NY Botanical Gardens! And I ate the Martha-tini, too. That was a pomegranate in there, wasn't it???
Posted by: tinay | July 7th, 2009 at 9:35 am
The Martha-tini sounds delish! St. Germain Elderflower liqueur is a new favorite amongst many Boston bartenders, and it's so fun and fresh. One of my current favorite drinks is a simple mixture of St. Germain and Prosecco or Sparkling Wine over ice with a twist of lemon. Soooo refreshing! They serve this at one of my favorite restaurants in Boston, Audubon Circle.
Posted by: Danielle | July 7th, 2009 at 11:58 am
Those drinks sound so fun. I don't really do a lot of drinks, but I will have to try at least one.
I turned 40 this past weekend, and I am determined to do something different with the "back" 40.
I've always wanted a garden, and loved an episode on your show about starting an indoor or planter type garden. It's on my list of things to do. I plan to get some books at the library, then some soil and seed or plants.
Wish me LUCK!
I absolutely love the idea of a culinary garden for all to see and enjoy. You never cease to inspire. For that, and many other reasons, I appreciate you and all your helpers.
I have a shop with very sunny windows, maybe that would be a nice place for a container garden!
Allie Gower
Posted by: Allie Gower | July 7th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
I thought other readers would enjoy an activity I got at the botanical gardens. Have you or your children "Ever Seen a Plant Move When You Tickle It?" If you wanted to share your love for nature with your children, here is an activity I have done with mine. This may change the way you and the kids react to plants for ever. Imagine giving your children some seeds. Having them watch them sprout and grow. Then shortly after the second leaves appear they tickle the plant and it moves its branches down and closes its leaves! Give them more than a gift; give them a learning experience they will never forget. I found information and a TickleMe Plant Greenhouse at http://www.ticklemeplant.com Use coupon code PLANT to save $2.00
Posted by: Tina | July 7th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
We, of course, loved the idea of making the herb garden culinary - something that we've been edging toward. You might mention to Sal two unexpected candidates that we discovered last year - the mexican mountain marigolds.
Tagetes lucida tastes like a more licorice form of tarragon (and keeps its flavor when dried) and Tagetes lemonii has an almost indescribable flavor,
a bit of a cross between mint & citrus with a mysterious something else.
Very nice on roast salmon et al. And both marigolds are perennial in zone 7b and up.
Posted by: Terry Moyemont | July 8th, 2009 at 5:41 pm