Giuseppe Ruta, the chef/owner of the popular La Bottega Italian Gourmet in Garden City South and La Bottega Wine Bar in Carle Place, is the kick-off chef for Hicks Nurseries' annual Cooking from the Harvest series. On Saturday, Sept. 18, Ruta will be at the Westbury nursery between 11 a.m. and noon demonstrating insalata di riso, a typical seasonal salad with peas, tomatoes, meat and cheese from his native Sicily, plus frittata, the easy-to-prepare Italian omelet.

The chef will offer food tastings and recipes. The event is free; reservations are not necessary.

Other chefs in the series include: Oct. 2 - Angela Slates, owner/chef, Slates Restaurant, Mineola, preparing North African Vegetable Stew. Oct. 9 - Ayhan Hassan, owner, Ayhan's Shish Kabob restaurants, Port Washington, Westbury, Plainview, Rockville Centre, preparing zucchini pancakes and salad dressings. Oct. 16 -Tim Champa and Jennifer Lucadamo, Paesana Gourmet Italian Specialties, East Farmingdale, showing how to bring extra taste to store-bought sauces. Oct. 30 - Brian Fishman, pastry chef/owner, Sweet Karma Baking Company, East Meadow, with a trio of fall desserts. Nov. 6 - John Brill, chef, 105 Harbor Restaurant, Cold Spring Harbor, making wild mushroom and pancetta quiche, with Grafton Vermont cheddar cheese.

The demos are held in the Henry Hicks Learning Center at Hicks Nurseries, located at 100 Jericho Turnpike in Westbury. Hicks Nurseries, Long Island's oldest garden nursery, can be reached at 334-0066. The web site is www.hicksnurseries.com. The nursery is handicap accessible.