Josh Kilmer-Purcell's Blog, page 129

Raised Bed Covers

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These simple covered hoops serve a multitude of uses in the garden.

Because we have such a short growing season at Beekman 1802, we have to give our seedlings every chance possible. Watch the slide show below to see how we construct our protective hoop coverings that save our plants from cold and pests.

Materials:

recycled 3/4 in pvc pipe

3/4 inch fabric clamps

Floating Row Cover

Rebar lengths

Click on first picture to begin slideshow:

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Easy Durable Raised Bed Trellising

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Climbing towards the sun.

Many of our favorite vegetables in the Beekman Heirloom Vegetable Garden require some sort of trellising – tomatoes, beans, peas, melons, cucumbers. When we put in our raised garden two years ago, we were determined to devise a trellising system that was easy to assemble, and would last for years. We were sick of weaving together bamboo sticks, and snapping together plastic cages. We learned that if something was cheap, it wouldn't last more than a month, and if it had any sort of moving parts, it wouldn't last more than a week. (If we could figure it out in the first place.)

We think we've perfected the perfect solution – and it's relatively inexpensive to boot. (especially considering that we haven't had to replace anything in three years.)

Our secret weapon? Livestock panels.

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Livestock fence panel for trellising.

These lengths of panels are 12′ long, and come in a variety of heights. Made of thick welded galvanized steel, they don't get rusty or bent out of shape very easily. (If only the same could be said for us.) How do we use them? In many different ways…

Our most ingenious discovery was that if we inserted one end of the panel into the soil on one end of the bed, and then bent it over, we could insert the other end of the panel into the opposite end of the bed. This forms a sort of "hoop" over the bed. We call it our "Calistoga Wagon Trellis."

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By mid-summer, this trellis is covered with bean vines.

We use this hoop system for our tallest vines – usually our beans. It allows six feet of growth on either side. To make the most of our bed space, we plant the beans at the base of the trellis ends, and lettuces and other greens  in the middle. The lettuces get full sun while the bean vines are young, and as the beans grow to cover the trellis, they shade the greens underneath – keeping them from bolting in the increasingly hot summer days.

We employ another method using livestock panels for shorter vines (cucumbers, melons, peas.) For these, we cut our 3 ft tall livestock panels into 6 foot lengths using a bolt-cutter. They fit exactly in the length of our beds, and we use one on each side to form a teepee. Like with the Callistoga Hoop method, we also plant tender, heat sensitive greens underneath their shade.

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Pea, melon, & cucumber trellising.

One added bonus, we realized that first year, is that before any seeds have sprouted, the two panel segments can be laid over top of the beds to discourage cats and other animals from digging in the exposed dirt.

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Laid flat, trellis pieces offer early protection from cats and other digging creatures.

Another added bonus, we learned, was that the spare old windows we found in the barn can be placed on top of the panels to create a simple coldframe. These help warm up the beds quicker in the springtime, and keep them from freezing for another month or so in the winter.

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A window laid on top of flattened trellising creates a cold frame with ventilation around the edges.

Pretty ingenious, no?  So where can you buy livestock panels? Check out your local Agway or farm supply dealer. Ask for cattle or hog panels (different heights) and be sure to purchase the heavy-duty ones. Each panel, if we remember correctly, cost us about $25. (from which we get three small trellis sections, or one large Calistoga hoop trellis.)  Seems costly, perhaps, but when we step back to think of all of the cages, netting, broken stakes, and what-have-you we've thrown away over the years, we think it's a pretty good value.

Happy, Happy

[image error]Hey!  It IS a thrill to be nominated.

Season 1 of the Fabulous Beekman Boys has been nominated for a GLAAD Media Award.  Check out our competition here

Congratulations to all of the team at World of Wonder  and Planet Green and all of the people in Sharon Springs, NY.  It takes a whole village to make a show this good.

See what all the buzz is about when Planet Green starts airing "More Fab" on Feb 15.  All of Season 1 reloaded with "Pop-Up" factoids.

Reading List for Winter

January and February are the last big reading months on the farm. Other than daily clean-up and keeping the fireplace stoked, there aren't a lot of chores. Soon, though, baby goats will arrive, the garden will thaw, and something will no doubt need to be painted. Until then, however, I'm going to curl up and enjoy some of the books that have stacked up on the night table. Let me know if you've read any of these, and if you liked them as much as I do.

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The Dirty Life: On Farming, Food, and Love, Kristin Kimball. No, seriously. How did I miss this one when it first came out? Journalist interviews farmer, falls in love, gets married, starts dream farm in upstate. They should have their own TV show. Terrific reviews.

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Heirloom Bulbs, Chris Wiesinger and Cherie Foster Colburn. Someone recommended this to us by email, and it's an amazing find. While the world is slowly becoming aware of heirloom vegetables and heritage breeds, there hasn't been many (any?) publications talking about beautiful heirloom flower bulbs. An incredible gift for a flower gardener. Beautiful back-stories, artwork, and information.

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Up From the Blue, Susan Henderson. Lest you think that all we read are gardening books, I wanted to include one of my favorite books from last year. It's a darker story, told through a child's eyes, about a family battling with a mother's depression. But it also has surprising moments of brightness. A real page-turner. A great book club selection for February.

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We Took to the Woods, Louise D. Rich. Originally published in 1942, this is a great book for those who loved The Egg and I. It's one of the earliest modern memoirs about leaving it all behind for rural living – something that just wasn't done in the 1940′s. Plainspoken and lightly humorous. A true treat.

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Fannie's Last Supper: Recreating One Amazing Meal from Fannie Farmer's 1896 Cookbook, Christopher Kimball. Josh's mom discovered this one. Fans of the PBS series America's Test Kitchen know Mr. Kimball as its exacting host. Fans of cooking know Fannie Farmer as one of the pioneers of modern recipe writing – she was one of the first to insist upon precise measurements. In this fun and informative book, Kimball delves into history in preparation for hosting an authentic dinner party based on Fannie Farmer's recipes. A fun documentary by the same name has aired on PBS stations.

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Dining by Rail: The History and Recipes of America's Golden Age of Railroad Cuisine , James D. Porterfield. One of our neighbors shared this with us. Since we're (too) intimately familiar with Amtrak, it was great to peruse through the history of these "rolling restaurants." Equal parts history and recipes, this book details an almost forgotten era of culinary and travel luxury.

Brent's List for January

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Yes, this really is how neat Brent makes me keep our city pantry.

As many of you know, Brent's famous for making lists for me. I thought I'd share with you a few of the things he wants me to accomplish at the farm this month. The combination of getting so many lists along with being genetically lazy has made me a sort of expert at chore shortcuts. So I thought I'd share some of those too.

Here's my latest list:

1. Take down outdoor Christmas Decorations. There are only so many times I can use the "I'm waiting for a January thaw" excuse. Mostly because there is no January thaw in Sharon Springs. We have several wreaths on the outside of the house (yes, they're artificial…we inherited them) and I've found one of the best ways to store them is in large, clean, round garbage pails. They stack nicely and don't get crushed. And they have handles so they're easy to carry up and down from the attic. (Be sure to measure the bottom diameter for correct size since the bottom is often narrower than the top.) Also, save the tubes from Christmas wrapping paper, or mailing tubes. If you have Christmas table runners or tablecloths, roll them onto the tubes rather than folding them. It saves ironing time next year. Wrap in saran wrap to keep clean, or if you have several sizes of tubes, roll the linens on a smaller tube then slip into a larger one for protection.

2. Clean out the attic. Putting away holiday decorations is also a great excuse for straightening up the attic overall. Here's our rule: for every box that goes into the attic, one must come out. And every box must be clearly marked with its contents. You think you'll remember next year that you put your spring sweaters in that Amazon box in the corner, but you won't. Trust me. Tip: Tie a Sharpie marker to a long string and hang from a rafter. That way you'll never be tempted to leave a box unmarked because you don't want to go downstairs to get a marker.

3. Clean the copper cookware. To be fair, this is on my list every month, but I only really get to it every three months or so. Since we don't like chemicals, we use lemon halves dipped in table salt to polish our pots and pans. And because we're cheap, we save all of the squeezed lemon halves we use for cooking to later use for polishing. We toss them in a plastic bag that we keep in the freezer. They often have just enough acidic juice left in them for polishing. (Also, because we're really really cheap, we zest all of our citrus, even those used for juice or snacks, and keep the zest in a bag in the freezer. You can never have enough zest, and why waste any of it?)

4. Bring wood over to the house. John lets us use his tractor to move the wood from the barn to the side of the house (I drive, of course.) Brent used to hate it when I would bring an armful of wood into the house, dropping twigs and pieces of bark as I went. So I started using those big blue Ikea bags. Not only do they hold more than I can carry in my arms, I can also dump all of the "bark crumbs" directly into the fireplace. Instant kindling! Footnote: Brent has since given me a canvas log tote for Christmas. Romantic, right?

5. Clean out both city and farm pantries. I got a jump start on this by cleaning out the farm pantry over Christmas break, but I've been working on our city pantry since New Years. One of my pet peeves, (yes I have them too) is too many nearly empty spice jars. This is the time year to use them up, since fresh herbs aren't always readily available. My trick for consolidating them is to make my own blends. You know that if you're making something Italian you're almost certainly going to use a combination of dried oregano, basil, and parsley. So if you've got less than a third of a jar of each, use a funnel to combine them into one. The same goes for thyme, crushed rosemary, sage leaves & parsley. You'll probably use that blend in stews. By consolidating now, you'll clean out your drawers, and save time searching for jars while cooking. Just be sure to label them with a Sharpie marker and promise yourself you'll use them up by herb planting time.

So, what are your chores for January?

Hoarfrost -a dress rehearsal for Spring.

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This morning we were going about our morning business when Brent noticed that something looked a little different outside. This time of year we sometimes avoid looking out the window. The weather is fairly monotonous and bleak, and there's still a long way to go until it changes.

But, as if to teach us a lesson, Mother Nature surprised us. We had our second hoarfrost in as many years – last year it happened on Christmas Day. Locals around here told us last year that there hadn't been a hoarfrost in decades. So we certainly didn't expect to see one again in our lifetimes.

People call this phenomena by many names – "hoar frost," "rime," "radiation frost." It's difficult to categorize frost formations because they're usually a combination of different types. But generally, large frost crystals form on objects when the objects themselves are colder than the air around it, and the air is "super-saturated," or humid. What shape they take depends on how cold the ambient temperature is, and whether or not there is a slight breeze.

It's all very complicated, and we don't really understand it either. But it doesn't matter. It's beautiful. Every single branch in the yard looked as if it had grown leaves overnight. It was like spring – only dressed in all white.

Click on any one of our photos below to begin a slide show, and watch the short video at the bottom. And be sure to check out your window every morning…

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Click here to view the embedded video.

Mary's Ironing Chore

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Mary Beekman is a four-year-old ghost who resides in The Beekman Mansion, and considers Brent and Josh her "imaginary friends." Follow Mary Beekman's Diary each week to learn what it's like to be a young child in early 19th century America

I woke up when the sun rose today.  It had snowed over night and the sunrise made the snow look orange-pink.  I wonder if that is why everyone says "the sun rose?" It was almost the same colors as our peaches when they are ripe.  I know snow is not fuzzy though. I was in a hurry to get dressed because it is cold. I have trouble with my undergarments because they have so many drawstrings. They have drawstrings at the neckline and the sleeves and the waist.  It is easier to press them because they can be laid out flat for drying and then ironing.  But they are hard to tie.  Mother's hands were cold against my tummy when she helped me. I kept wiggling away.

After my breakfast, I practiced my stitches and lessons.  Josh visited for a moment but he left to find Brent.  I so wish I could help him but I know I have to keep busy. The women were ironing today.  It is easier to iron in the winter because it is cold.  It gets very hot when ironing is done in the summer. We have six flat irons because they have to be swapped over as each one grows cool. Some of the irons are a shallow box and have a middle bit that can be removed and heated separately then placed back inside the iron.  This helps to keep the clothes from being soiled from the bottom of the iron. The metal handles can get so hot they have to be wrapped in a cloth so the person ironing doesn't get a burn.*

Sometimes I use my own small iron on flat pieces.  I iron the pocket handkerchiefs. I am very, very careful. Besides the flat irons, we have a tally iron for bows and bonnet strings.  A mushroom iron is for puffy sleeves and a fluting iron is for pleats.  They are mostly for the grown ups garments.  The women use a piece of beeswax to rub on the irons when they are smoked.  There is a clean piece of sheet iron in front of the fire to set the irons on to heat directly.  They stay cleaner that way.*

*www.vintageconnection.net

*www.oldandinteresting.com

Snowy Day Candy

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Kids love the idea of a snow day, and how fun is it when mom actually LET'S them bring snow inside the house?  (Didn't you ever try to preserve snowballs in a ziplock bag in the freezer?)

This is what intrigued us about this recipe submitted by one of the contestants in our Beekman 1802 Heirloom Recipe Contest.

We tried this in our own test kitchen with a group of kids and found they loved the process and the product.

Maple Snow Candy

Put 2 cups of real maple syrup in a pan and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer to 235 degrees on a candy thermometer (if you don't have a candy thermometer, cook until 'soft ball' stage, which means a spoonful of the syrup dropped into a cup of cold water forms a soft ball).

While the syrup is simmering, take a two 9-by-13-inch cake pans and fill them with clean snow, packed down well. When the syrup reaches softball, slowly pour the hot syrup in ribbons onto the packed snow.

With clean fingers, pick up a section of the caramel-like candy and pop it in your mouth.

There's no need to complain about a winter's day.  Make the most of it.

Need more snowy recipes, check out our instructions for delicious Snow Cream

Potatoes Newman

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Although this has long been our favorite way to prepare potatoes, we've never had a proper name for them. We kept calling them "those potatoes that Jane made." "Jane" is "Jane Newman," a former colleague of ours who has since moved to Africa and begun a tremendous charity project.  But if we're going to post a recipe for them, we figure we need an official name for them, so we're now officially dubbing them "Potatoes Newman."

Jane is British, but we have no idea whether this way of preparing potatoes is particular to the UK. If anyone else knows more about them, let us know. But we'll probably still keep calling them "Potatoes Newman."

Because they're both boiled and roasted, they're a little bit more time consuming to prepare than most spud dishes. But they're worth it. They come from the oven with a crispy, buttery crust and soft, creamy insides. Trust us. They're worth the extra effort.

Here's how we make them.

While bringing a medium saucepan to a boil, peel and wash 15 small-medium potatoes. They should be about the size of a baby's fist. (This doesn't work as well with fingerling shaped potatoes.) Simultaneously, preheat oven to 375 degrees.

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Peeled and washed potatoes.

Drop potatoes in boiling water (being careful not to splash.) Bring back to a boil, and set timer for 5 minutes. The goal is to barely boil the outside of the potato, while leaving the inside raw.

At the end of 5 minutes, drain potatoes, then return them to the empty saucepan. Add 4T of butter (1/2 stick) to pot immediately, while potatoes are still hot.

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"Barely-boiled" potatoes with butter added.

Now comes the first magic trick. Replace the lid on the pot containing the potatoes and butter, and hold it tightly while shaking pot and contents vigorously. Shake for about a minute. What should happen is the the outside layer of the potatoes should become "mushy" and absorb the melted butter.

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Buttered potatoes after shaking.

Next, transfer the shaken, buttered-potatoes to a roasting pan large enough to keep a little space between each potato. Scrape any mashed potato bits left in the pot over the potatoes. Sprinkle with coarse salt.

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Buttered and shaken potatoes, now ready for roasting.

Place roasting pan, uncovered, into hot oven. Roast the potatoes for approx 30-45 minutes, or until outside has turned golden brown. Turn potatoes once about halfway through roasting to keep bottoms from burning.

Once browned, test one potato to be sure it has cooked all the way through. If so, remove from oven and serve warm.

As always, let us know what you think of them!

The Content of Tables

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What better way to spend a chilly, snowy winter than in the kitchen and around a warm stove?

As we put the final touches on the first Beekman 1802 cookbook, Heirloom Recipes (due in October 2011), we thought we'd get back to basics so that everyone can develop some heirloom recipes of their own (and share them with the rest of us)

We turned to one of the best cooks we know, our own Ross Wasserman.  Over the next few weeks, he's going to discuss a low-tech, low cost and low stress approach to assembling a meal using readily available ingredients.   Over the many dinners we've shared with Ross, he's taught us one important lesson that we carry with us every time we fire up the oven:  there are no mistakes in the kitchen, only new dishes.

In Heirloom Recipes, we suggest that you take the recipes we've created and adapt them so that they become heirlooms in your own families–suitable for passage from one generation to the next.

Over the next 10 lessons, we'll give you all the underlying skills needed to become a true heirloom craftsman in the kitchen.

First lesson:  Soup for Starters