Cottagecore & Culinary Herbs Workshop at the Pardee-Morris HousePack a picnic for this outdoor event

New Haven, Conn. (June 3, 2021)— New Haven Museum Herb Garden volunteer Giulia Gambale will present a “An Afternoon of Culinary Herbs, Cottagecore, and More” at the Pardee-Morris House, with guest speaker, chef and culinary artist, Nadine Nelson, who will demonstrate simple and delectable recipes using herbs from the historic Pardee-Morris House (PMH) Herb Garden. The public is invited to bring picnics to the event on Sunday, June 27, 2021, at 1 p.m. at PMH. Tickets are $25, $40 for two, and are available through Eventbrite here. Online viewing is free; register through Eventbrite.

“An Afternoon of Culinary Herbs, Cottagecore, and More” is the first of four presentations with guest appearances by experts in the fields of culinary arts, textile arts, medicine, and scents. In each of the workshops, Gambale and her guests will discuss the herbs in the PMH Herb Garden and others used in the time periods during which the c. 1780 Pardee- Morris House was occupied. The presentation was developed in partnership with the New Haven Free Public Library Creative-in Residence Program.

Gambale will discuss the selection of the herbs growing in the garden, including the researched history and current cultivation, harvest and use.

Nelson will create a lovely tablescape and demonstrate how to make and present a seasonal and garden-fresh picnic—including stuffed Italian Sandwich, gazpacho, quinoa salad with mango and fennel kimchi, chipotle three-bean salad, berry trifle, and passionfruit basil-seed spritzer—showcasing herbs from the PMH Herb Garden.

Nelson will also present a flower divination, based on floriography, the “language of flowers” often used in Victorian times to express sentiments that would typically not be conveyed.

Inspiration for the event comes from current Cottagecore trend and the origins of the word picnic, which began in 17th-century France and is derived from the verb "piquer" which means to pick or peck. Over time the term became associated with alfresco or outdoor dining in a pastoral setting, so naturally PMH is the ideal backdrop.

Also on the menu for the day: lawn games and the Notorious P.I.C Aura Booth, suitable for boomerangs, videos and filters, and with options for virtual props and photo sharing.

Nadine Nelson is a social activist, cooking instructor, chef, writer, and culinary artist. An expert in interactive cuisine, she is the eco-chef and social entrepreneur of Global Local Gourmet, a roving community-supported kitchen. She studied at the Ritz Escoffier, in Paris, and has a certificate in food styling from the New School. She also studied philanthropy and nonprofit management at New York University and holds a teaching degree from Tufts University. Nelson is the Creative-in-Residence at the New Haven Free Public Library in 2021.

Gambale, an avid gardener, has been maintaining the herb garden of the Pardee- Morris House with fellow NHM volunteer and master gardener Rachel Heerema since 2017. Both Gambale and Heerema are neighbors of the Pardee-Morris House. Gambale is a member of the Mutual Aid Growers, delivering produce to people who are undocumented and ineligible for food stamps and unemployment during COVID-19. She is also a KNOWNpreneur team member and instructor. She writes on gardening and other topics in addition to co-facilitating Digital Media Sync, a learning networking event for small businesses, entrepreneurs and non-profits. Previously, she developed and operated the non-profit online fundraising workshops and served as keynote speaker for the 2019 Great Give kickoff through The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven.