NEW YORK - MICHELLE Obama's vegetable garden is about to become a culinary battlefield.

The Food Network announced on Wednesday that an episode of Iron Chef America will be taped at the White House featuring Mario Batali, Bobby Flay and Emeril Lagasse.

The three chefs, joined by White House chef Cristeta Comerford, will be welcomed by the first lady and allowed to use anything found in the garden to help create their meals.

The competition will then move back to the network's Kitchen Stadium in New York, where Flay and Comerford will face-off against Batali and Lagasse to produce five dishes showcasing the ingredients.

The judges will include chef Nigella Lawson, Olympic gold medalist Natalie Coughlin, and actress Jane Seymour.

The episode airs Jan 3. -- AP