Josh Kilmer-Purcell's Blog, page 72

önder, the table, and dreaming

 

When I was a child almost every Sunday’s paper would have a small advertisement in the classifieds showing an old photograph of someone. The caption read:  “Lordy, lordy look who’s 40”.  I don’t know what I found so captivating about this bit of hometown humor. Perhaps it was trying to figure out what 40 year old face the person seen in the photo had morphed into. Perhaps it was just that the age of 40 seemed incomprehensibly old.

We marked Josh’s 40th birthday with a small gathering at The American Hotel and by adding something to the Beekman Mansion that we hope will be there always—a symbol of permanence and stability (click here to read more about The Table)

We marked my 40th birthday with a small gathering at The American Hotel and by adding something to the Beekman menagerie.

In a dog rescue about 2 hours south of the farm, was the offspring of a chance encounter between a retriever and a Great Pyrenees (it was a wild night, and we didn’t ask any questions).

And she found her way to us.

Her name is önder, (pronounced under) and is a combination of “under” and “wonder”.    In Turkish, the word means “leader” or “chief”.

As we look into her eyes, we see nothing but a lifetime of love and devotion.

As she looks into ours she thinks:  “Lordy, lordy, look who’s 40!”

 

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In the comments section below, tell us your dog’s name and how they changed your life.

5 Beautiful Things

 

A YEAR OF FIVES

This edition of the column marks its one year anniversary: volume 52 of “The Five Most Beautiful Things In The World This Week.” For the last 52 weeks I’ve tried to bring you content that you will find inspiring, entertaining and (occasionally) useful. It has been so much fun for me to search for images and themes that I find visually alluring and interesting and to share them with the Beekman 1802 community.

The column came about when Brent approached me to be a regular contributor to the website. I was very honored to be asked and he came up with the perfect vehicle for me to share my thoughs: five images each week, plucked from anywhere in the world that are beautiful and inspiring with some accompanying text. The idea was so simple and so wonderful in its purity that I jumped at the opportunity. It was perfect for me, and I thank Brent (and Josh) for their encouragement.

The column is very much Brent’s idea but it is also a collaboration. Each week I surprise Brent with the five images and theme I’ve chosen just as he surprises me with the iconic image of the number 5 that introduces the column each week. I never know what Brent is going to choose and I’m always so impressed by the care he takes in selecting just the right image of the number 5 to fit the theme I’ve chosen to share. Below are five of my favourite fives that Brent has selected over the last year to introduce the column.

I look forward to contributing more beautiful things to Beekman1802.com in the year to come. I sincerely hope you have enjoyed the column and have found it to be a source of inspiration. Were there any standout favorites?

 

 

How has a year of beautiful things inspired you?  Tell us in the comments section below.

 

2013 Garden Party Festival

4th Annual Garden Party Festival—June 1 & 2, 2013

 

In addition to the wonderful merchants throughout Sharon Springs, join over 100 local craftspeople, artists, farmers and food purveyors from all over the Mohawk Valley and greater New York State, here’s a list of other events during the weekend to help you plan your trip:

 

Weekend-long events:

 

Become a part of our roots. If you’ve already been digging and separating in your own garden, bring your remnants and be a part of our perennial plant exchange. Take a piece of Sharon Springs home with you! FREE

Take a Walk on the Wild Side of Sharon Spring’s history with a guided walking tour of the historic buildings of the village and an afternoon English-style tea at Edgefield House. Space is limited. Click here to reserve your tickets.  Proceeds from the event go toward the ongoing restoration of the village’s Chalybeate Park

Get your garden started!  Seeds, seedlings, and plants available for purchase from the Landis Arboretum, D. Landreth Seed Company, and the horticultural program from SUNY Cobleskill.

GRAND OPENING!  Help us celebrate the completion of the flagship Beekman 1802 Mercantile in its new location on Main Street.

 

 

ON SATURDAY

 

11:00am  Gavel for Gravel

For the past several years, we’ve been raising money to restore the village’s central park and now the work is about to begin!

With a beautiful new plan for the park in hand, celebrity auctioneer Roger Hazard will auction off trees, plants, benches, and statuary.  You can bid to purchase an element of the new park in honor of your self or a loved one.  Your contribution will be permanently remembered on the park’s memorial website.  You can watch your contribution grow every year when you come back to the festival!

For a decade, Texas native Roger Hazard, was the host of the popular home design show, Sell this House & Sell this House Extreme Edition on A & E Network.  In 2012, Roger and his partner, Chris Stout, moved to Sharon Springs to launch their new design company called  Love Decades

 

4:00pm  mini-concert by the Glimmerglass Opera

Enjoy a preview of this year’s Glimmerglass Opera Festival as performers take to the porch of the old Roseboro Hotel on S. Main Street to sing selections from the upcoming season. Saturday at 4:00pm. FREE

 

6:00pm  NEW!!  The Feast of Forage

204 Main Bistro will host a special dinner comprised of ingredients foraged from the fields around Sharon Springs.  Each course will be accompanied by mini-lectures on what you are about to eat.  Click here to learn more and make reservations (NOTE: seating is limited for this event)

 

ON SUNDAY

9:00–end of day

Help all of our vendors go home empty-handed! (Makes packing up so much easier!)

 

NOTES:

For more information about lodging, restaurants and attractions in neighboring towns and villages, OR if you would like to apply to be a vendor at the festival, visit enjoysharonsprings.com

If you have purchased tickets for the Beekman Farm tour, a shuttle bus will be running on the half-hour to and from the farm.

PARKING:  all guests should follow the parking signs for parking at the Sharon Springs Central School.  A shuttle bus will run on the half-hour.

CHECK BACK HERE UNTIL THE WEEKEND OF THE FESTIVAL FOR UPDATES!

 

Beneath the Pale

 

I would like to blame it on the blinding whiteness of winter.  A time when the rolling landscape of Sharon Springs is covered for months by snow.

But as much as we like to think we make the time to lay witness to all the wonders that Beekman Farm reveals to us, we evidently don’t.

One day this winter a neighbor from a nearby village stopped by.  In cleaning the house of a departed relative they had come across the Last Will & Testament of William Beekman—the namesake of Beekman 1802.

Accompanying the document was a survey of all of his property (this entire area of Schoharie County was once called Beekman’s Corners).  According to the map, just down the road a bit was another grand house painted yellow–the home of Cornelius Beekman, one of William’s sons. Per the legend, the house was close enough that Cornelius probably walked the short distance to his parent’s home to have Sunday dinner.

Now there’s just a hay field there.

After the Spring snow melt, we slowed the car down as we drove past.

Right at the edge of the road, in plain sight (should we ever have taken a moment to notice) is the remnant of a stone wall in the exact same configuration as the stone wall in front of the Beekman Farm.

Like father like son.

We’ve driven past this spot literally thousands of times so preoccupied about the final destination (usually the Mercantile down in the village proper) that we didn’t see what was right there.

It gave us a valuable lesson for the morning:

Just because you take the same path every day doesn’t mean  you have to take the same journey.

 

 

 

Wherever you are headed today, try to identify one thing that you’ve never seen before and then report back what you discovered in the comments section below.

Feast of Forage

Saturday, June 1, 6pm

When The American Hotel started hosting the Harvest Feast as part of the first Sharon Springs Harvest Festival, we had no idea it would turn into its own “institution” –which now sells out three consecutive nights each year.  It has become a real focal point of the festival and a true celebration of local agriculture.

We thought that the spring Garden Party Festival needed a celebratory dinner, too.

Schoharie County has some of the most fertile soil in the world, and things just seem to spring up in our fields with what seems like no effort at all.

In the past, we’ve taken you on journeys for ramp, nettles, and milkweed.  Often these gifts from the earth are some of the first things to emerge from the ground after the thaw.

Just in time for Garden Party Festival!

As part of this year’s festival 204 Main Bar & Bistro will prepare a menu for the first annual Feast of Forage.   Before each course, Kate Miller, David Ward and Betty Pillsbury will give a short, lively talk about the foodstuffs they themselves foraged for this meal.

About the speakers:

Betty Pillsbury, owner of Green Spiral Herbs in Huntersland, is an award-winning textile artist, herbalist and instructor.  Her educational, organic herb gardens are certified Botanical Sanctuary and Monarch Way Station.  She produces herbal products for Green Spiral Herbs and Beekman 1802.  She has lectured for the NorthEast Organic Farming Association, the Herb Society of America and many garden groups.  “Goodness from my garden to your home.”  www.BettyPillsbury.com

David Ward’s interest in foraging was piqued when his daughters were born with multiple food allergies.  Kate Miller is an organic farmer from Sharon Springs who realizes that you can’t get more local than native plants.  Together, they formed Wild Foraged, which will sell teas, tinctures, spices, herb blends, and other seasonably foraged edibles via their website, wildforaged.com, and from local retail suppliers, beginning in June 2013.

The event is Saturday, June 1, beginning at 6:00pm. This is a prix fix menu for $95.00 inclusive of tax, gratuity, and choice of one beverage.  (Please note that the proposed menu is subject to change due to the availability of certain items.)  We will keep you posted as the Garden Party approaches.

Note that space is very limited.

Please call 518.284.2540 or visit 204mainbarandbistro.com for reservations.

Gartending: Spring Fever Cure

 

Klaus has spring fever.  Not only are the plants bursting out in lush green splashes of color, but also Klaus has love on his little terra-cotta mind.  You see Klaus tends to drink a bit too much during the day.  With the coming spring in the air, his libido is working overtime.  How do I know this?   Well Klaus doesn’t hide his emotions well.  Recently Klaus has been receiving strange messages from other gnome in the social mediascape.  Is he married, does he have a fräulein?  Are there little gnomes that belong to him?  Ah Klaus… Have you been fooling around again?  Has the “spring-fever” caught up with you? I’m not sure what is going on inside his little terra-cotta brain.  All I know is that he has cocktails on his mind and it’s only 8:30 in the morning! The garden seems to be perking up a bit.  Last night I caught Klaus out in the garden sniffing the herbs that are emerging from the ground.  I found him out in the lavender patch, rubbing the fragrant herb on the inside of his little terra-cotta wrists.  Klaus explained that this method of rubbing herbs on his skin keeps the insects off of him.  He’s very sensitive that way- to insects that is!  What I think he was doing was like dabbing cologne on his body.  He was doing this to attract and capture the fräulein who live out in the garden!!!

Klaus had a small bottle of Barr Hill Gin tucked under his arm.  This German styled gin is made with raw honey, like back in the old country where Klaus was born.  The distillation of honey is a very old technique that dates back to the beginning of time.  The ancient Egyptians made fermented spirits with honey, so the distillation of honey to make gin is not so far off of the mark.  Because Klaus is always on the cutting edge of flavor, gin is a lively liquid, meant to charm the dirndls off the gnome maidens that seem to find their way to his door.  Oh, I’ve never seen these maidens, but I know they are out there in the garden.  They even make Klaus blush with their antics.  Oh Klaus! 

My friend Thomas Hardie in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont where they know a thing or two about gnomes, distills Barr Hill.   I’m a HUGE fan of his spirits- both the crisp, honey dipped vodka and the lush, opulent and salubrious, luxury gin. Klaus is convinced that his ice is of the highest importance.  He uses a Williams-Sonoma silicone ice tray and always fills it with water filtered through another product that Williams-Sonoma sells called the “Inspired Water” filter- Mavea Pitcher.  Klaus has a well in the garden where he draws his sweet branch water.  Unfortunately this water has quite a bit of mineral action going on in the mix.  Why is this important to filter the water?  Klaus knows to filter the water because it freezes clear once filtered in this very special German filtration system.  And in keeping with Klaus’s edict of being good to Mother Nature, these water filters are completely recyclable! Tom Richter is a friend of mine who invented a different kind of Tonic Water.  It’s different because it doesn’t have the water or the corn syrup sweeteners of supermarket tonic water.  Tomr (what his dad called him when he was younger) is the concentrated aromatics of tonic water, without the stuff you don’t want!  Klaus used Tomr’s Tonic to make a very lively cocktail this morning… Or was it last night?  Oh Klaus- are you drinking in the morning again?

 

The Spring Fever Cocktail  (Makes for one soused gnome)

 

Ingredients:

2 oz. Barr Hill Gin

1 oz. Tomr’s Tonic

½ oz. lime juice (freshly squeezed is essential)

½ teaspoon chopped lavender (don’t use too much, this isn’t potpourri.)

Mavea “Inspired Water” ice cubes, frozen with the chopped lavender in the mix (above)

2 oz. Polar Beverages Mint Mojito Seltzer Water (Essential!)

3 drops Bitter End Thai Bitters

 

 

Preparation:

The night prior, freeze a tray of ice cubes with the addition of lavender over the top of the water  (hand cut your cubes with an ice pick and hammer if possible)

In a Boston shaker- fill ¾ with regular bar ice

 

Add:

Barr Hill Gin

Tomr’s Tonic

Lime juice

 

Shake like crazy for 13 seconds

Strain into a rocks glass that has one large cube of infused lavender ice within

Finish with the Polar Beverages Mint Mojito Seltzer Water

Drip 3 drops of the Bitter End Thai Bitters over the top and sip carefully…

 

What is YOUR cure for Spring Fever?

 

5 Beautiful Things

Street Stone

French photographer Leo Caillard recently collaborated with digital wizzard Alexis Persani to create an intriguing new series of photographs called Street Stone that drapes shades of modernity over timeless form. The pair took photographs of classical sculptures at the Louvre in Paris and models dressed in the latest street fashions and then blended them together, using Persani’s special photo-manipulation techniques. The sartorial (and satirical) contrast is quite effective, turning the appeal of classical sculpture and street fashion on its ear. What I realized in looking at these photographs is that the human form is forever timeless and attractive, regardless of the evolving fashions we cover it with. Michelangelo’s David as a fashion-forward hipster? Somehow, it works because form will always trump fashion.

 

 

All photographs by Leo Caillard

 

Andrew Ritchie is the creator of Martha Moments, a blog devoted Martha-Stewart related content and her community of supporters. He lives and works in Toronto, Canada, and has been a longtime friend of Brent & Josh, Beekman 1802 and Sharon Springs. Each week he’ll scour the world (wide web) to find the 5 most beautiful things to inspire you. Follow Andrew on Pinterest.

 

Leave ‘em Laughing

 

 

For all of you who love seeing The Fabulous Beekman Boys, we thought we’d point out this little blooper reel.  Feel free to laugh at us any time you need to.

 

 

 

7 Great Tips Early Spring Gardening

There may be no greater satisfaction to a gardening aficionado than watching your spring garden bloom. Sitting back on your lawn and watching your garden shine with a natural and beautiful array of planet life can be a relaxing and stress-relieving process. There is a certain skill behind creating and caring for the perfect spring garden that requires patience, love, and attention to detail. That hard work is what makes the finished product so rewarding and fulfilling.

Whether you are planning your first garden or have been watching tomatoes ripen every spring for as long as you can remember, getting your garden off to a solid start is one of the most important things you can do to ensure success.

Here is a quick list of 7 tips for great spring gardening.

1) Get your soil ready:

Preparing your soil for a spring garden should be done as early as possible. The main process is tilling your garden area around 8 to 12 inches beneath the surface and removing any rocks or debris. The next major step is to add organic matter and fertilizer. One thing you want to avoid is tilling when your soil is too wet. The extra water will hinder plant growth.

2) Weeding your yard:

Weeds can be a pesky thorn in your side—especially if you let them run wild for most of the winter. Wedding is the boring and tedious work of caring for a garden, but it must be done. Start early, and do a little at a time so you won’t tire yourself out.

3) Fertilize your garden with coffee grounds:

During the winter, you may have moved some of your shrubs to indoor planters – now’s the time to move them back out again! Using coffee grounds to prep your soil is a great way to save a little money and be a bit more ‘green’ in the process. The grounds are filled with nitrogen, a mineral that aids in vegetable and plant growth. Simply add them to your compost pile or directly into the soil itself.

4) Use cooking water on your plants:

Watering your plants using left over cooking water is another great way to add a nutrient boost with the vitamins and minerals left behind after you have boiled some pasta, vegetables, or potatoes. Just be sure to let the water cool down before you feed it to your plants.

5) Use chamomile tea to ward off plant infections:

Watering your plants with chamomile tea is a great way to help ward off bacterial and fungal infections that come with springtime. Spraying your plants with a chamomile tea mix a few times a week will help stop your seedling from damping off.

6) Plant egg shells along with your vegetables:

Throwing some eggshells in the same hole that you will be planting your vegetables in help your plants avoid “blossom end rot” which is often cause by a calcium deficiency. Just be sure to grind up the egg shells as much as possible.

7) Garden at night:

Many gardening experts believe that planting at night will help your garden grow faster and stronger than by planting during the day. Planting at night also maximized your water usage. Just be sure that you have the proper lighting to see what you are doing. Since the cold of the winter months might not have completely passed, you should probably wear a sweater, too!

 

A Bay Leaf Primer

Latin Name: Bay Laurel Laurus Nobilis or Lauraceae is one of about 3000 different species in the Laurel family.

Other Common Names: Grecian laurel, Daphene, Poet’s Laurel or Sweet Bay

Interesting Historical Trivia: The latin word Laurus means praise. Hence the term “to rest on one’s laurels” refers to reflecting on your past achievements. The greek word for the laurel tree is Daphene, named for the daughter of river god Peneus, who turned his daughter into a Bay Laurel tree to solve a very convoluted lovers spat between Cupid, Apollo and Daphene. When the Olympic games were established in 776 BC victors as well as Roman Emperors of the era were adorned with crowns of laurel leaves. Common in the gardens of ancient Egypt, it continues to be an aromatherapy plant, which is said to help medicine men see into the future.

Proven Scientific Uses: Used topically for wounds, a 2006 study in the BMC Journal for Alternative Medicine, showed that rats with open cuts which were treated externally with 200mg of bay leaf extract daily, accelerated the wound closure and healing process to just 10 days. In 2009 in the Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition discovered that humans with type-2 diabetes experienced a drop in blood glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides when taking 1 to 3 grams of ground bay leaf per day for 30 days. Bay leaves are rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, manganese, calcium, potassium and magnesium.

Folk Remedies: Bay leaves have been in medicine for hundreds of years. Consumed by infusion into warm water and drank for a variety of aliments. It is diuretic and astringent being used to reduce excessive sweating brought on by illness. As a caution, Bay Laurel leaves can be easily confused with California laurel (or any other variety of laurel tree) which are toxic. Never use any leave that you haven’t confirmed to be Bay Laurel leaves, and always consult a doctor before trying any herbal remedies.

Can I grow it? Bay Laurel is fantastic as a houseplant. It requires well-drained soil. A blend of cactus mix and potting soil works really well. Water regularly, but only when the surface of the soil is dry. The light must be bright but not direct. In the summer months, Bay Laurel will thrive on a shaded porch. In zones 8 to 11 Bay Laurel grows well outdoors. Bay Laurel is a very slow growing plant, and after 10 to 30 years of age, the tree will flower and provide small fruits that birds love.

Common Culinary Uses: Bay leaf is excellent for seasoning stews and soups. The oils and flavor of the leaves are infused during cooking, and should be removed before eating.

Unusual Culinary Uses: Bay leaves can be used in potpourri, wreaths and other decorations.

Bay Leaf Tea is a wonderful Mediterranean treat. It’s a comforting aromatic drink that’s spicy yet light, and may take you to a place that reminds you of the islands of Greece. Recipe below:

 

What you need:

3 large fresh bay laurel leaves

2 cups water

Sugar, cinnamon and milk (optional)

Rub the leaves between your fingers, which helps break the leaf veins by bruising the herb. Add the bay leaves and water to a pot, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Let boil for 10 minutes then remove pot from the heat. Let tea steep for 4 additional minutes.

Strain, and add a dash of cinnamon. Sweeten to suit your taste. If desired add a small splash of milk or cream, as too much will dilute the flavor.