Chicago Botanic Garden

Chef cooking at the Chicago Botanic Garden.EVENTS: GARDEN Chef Series

Centered in the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden’s open-air amphitheater, the Garden Chef Series features noted chefs preparing recipes with garden-fresh ingredients, May 22 through October 3, every Saturday and Sunday at 1:30 and 2:30 p.m.

Demonstrations are free (normal parking fees apply). Reservations are not needed; seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. (The amphitheater holds approximately 125 people.) The lineup of chefs from the 2009 season can be found here. Occasionally, the schedule is adjusted to reflect changes in the chefs' availability.

The Barilla Italian Cooking Weekend at the Garden is on Saturday, July 10, and Sunday, July 11, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Barilla and local chefs will give cooking three daily cooking demonstrations using fresh Italian ingredients such as those found in the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden. The event also features plant and seed-packet giveaways (while supplies last), family activities, gourmet olive oil and balsamic vinegar presentations, and tastings. Presented by Barilla.

The Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden is the Midwest's headquarters for fruit and vegetable gardening information, exhibiting the best edible plants to grow in the Chicago area. This summer, as the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden continues its transition to growing organically, visitors to the Garden Chef Series will notice interpretive signs explaining the process throughout the garden. They'll also notice a remarkable variety of fruits and vegetables in cultivation.

Summer plant giveaways are an added bonus from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays at the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden. Volunteers share information about the featured plant, which changes monthly, and encourage visitors to plant seeds or seedlings (while supplies last) to take home to their own gardens. A flyer with care information and a recipe is available.

Presenting sponsor:
Barilla logo.
Additional sponsor:
COUNTRY Financial