The Edible Garden returns to the Big Apple today. Throughout the summer and into autumn (ending October 17, 2010), the New York Botanical Garden presents an exhibition about growing and preparing good food. Set across the 250-acre Botanical Garden landscape, it celebrates locally grown, seasonal food through demonstrations from food and gardening experts every day, and programs that demonstrate the bounty, economy, and nutritional value of edible plants. (Watch for appearances by Mario Batali, Lidia Bastianich, Rick Bayless, Daisy Martinez, Dan Barber, Sara Moulton, and others during four festival weekends.)

Featuring four kitchen gardens and cooking demonstrations every day, The Edible Garden teaches visitors how to grow the best food at home. Celebrity chefs narrate The Edible Garden Audio Tour through which visitors can discover where their food comes from and how it gets to their table.

The Edible Garden’s first festival weekend is “Get Out and Grill”, a summer grilling series today and tomorrow (June 19 and 20). Celebrity chefs provide healthy cooking demonstrations in the Conservatory Kitchen. Visitors can also sample a selection of food and beverage products from vendors at the Tasting Terrace and learn about Garden scientists’ research projects involving edible plants at Cafe Scientifique.

Additional festival weekends are scheduled for “Fiesta de Flores y Comida”, a celebration of Latin American and Caribbean food and flowers, on September 25 and 26; “Family Harvest” (Columbus Day Weekend), on October 9, 10, and 11; and the “Fall Finale”, October 16 and 17. In addition, Rick Bayless and Peter Hoffman make a special appearance on September 12.

In addition to the weekend demos, each day offers something to see: “Cooking for Kids” every Tuesday and Wednesday at 11 a.m., “Cooking for Your Health” every Wednesday at 12:30 p.m., “Cooking for the Season” every Thursday at 2 p.m., and “Whole Foods Market Fridays” every Friday at 2 p.m. There’s more information online.

(Photo courtesy of New York Botanical Garden)