Josh Kilmer-Purcell's Blog, page 82
December 31, 2012
A New Year
At the start of any relationship, there are love letters, there are fireworks, and birds singing.
In 2008, we celebrated our 10th anniversary by buying one another the traditional gift of “tin”.
The reason we had to cash in our life savings and take out a half-million dollar mortgage was because the “tin” happened to be the roof of a barn that just so happened to be sitting next to a 200-year-old farmhouse and 60 acres of land.
By the end of 2008 (and the beginning of the Great Recession) we had both lost our jobs and were on the verge of losing it all.
Over the holidays that year, we made a pact that whomever found a job in the city first would take it (and hold onto it) while the other remained at the farm and tried to make a go. Thus began the “year of sacrifice” that was captured in Season 1 of The Fabulous Beekman Boys. It was, undoubtedly, one of the most stressful, contentious years of our lives.
In the blink of an eye, one year of sacrifice stretched into five.
As Beekman 1802 grew, we found the need to hire staff but still unable to wean ourselves from a steady city paycheck and corporate health benefits.
But were they really beneficial?
Five years apart taught us each how to fend for ourselves in different ways. While one of us forged a path in a brave new wilderness, the other learned to re-navigate an urban one solo.
While it is true that absence makes the heart grow fonder, it also makes one accustomed to setting one’s on schedule, having the entire bed to one’s self, and never having to wait for the bathroom or the shower.
There is comfort and simplicity in solitude.
But strength in numbers.
Thanks to an “Amazing” year, we are now reunited. We’re living at the farm and finally, since the inception of Beekman 1802, working full-time together to turn our vision and passion into a successful and sustainable business.
There will be love letters, and seedlings and picnics and fireworks and harvests and scary masks, and feasts and mistletoe and snow and icicles and…birds singing.
And I am reminded of the words of another witty writer who once was seduced by the charms of Sharon Springs, too:
If you are not too long, I will wait for you all my life—Oscar Wilde
Potato, Beer & MuBock Soup
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Potato soup rocks. Potato cheese soup rocks even harder. Potato cheese and beer soup…well, if you think about that combo too long, it might literally make you question why God invented any other foods. This is one of the easiest soups to make, and chances are you already have everything you need in your pantry. We, naturally, use our own Beekman 1802 MuBock cheese when it’s in season, but you can use any sharp cheddar. It pairs nicely with…what else?…more beer.
Beekman 1802 Potato, Beer & MuBock Soup
6 slices of bacon, chopped into 1 inch pieces. (For vegetarian version, substitute 3 Tablespoons butter.)
2 celery stalks finely sliced
1 large carrot finely sliced
1 large onion chopped
2 cups chicken broth (For vegetarian version, substitute vegetable broth.)
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 bottle amber or dark beer (12-16 oz)
1 teaspoon black pepper
4 large baking potatoes (like russet), cut into one inch cubes. leave unpeeled.
2 cups milk
salt to taste
2.5 Cups shredded MuBock (or sharp cheddar)
1/4 Cup fresh chopped flat parsley
In large heavy soup pot, cook bacon pieces over medium high heat until very crisp, stirring often. (Approx 5-7 minutes.) Transfer bacon with slotted spoon to paper towel lined plate.
Drain off bacon fat, leaving 3 Tablespoons in pot. (For vegetarian version, just start with 3 Tablespoons butter melted in pot.)Add celery, carrot and onion to pot, cook in oil until very soft, stirring often. (Approx 5-7 minutes.) Add chicken broth, beer, vinegar, pepper and potatoes to pot. Bring contents to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Cook approx 20 minutes, or until potatoes are soft.
Turn off heat. Add milk. Using an immersion blender, puree contents in pot. (Or puree in food processor and return to pot.) Add cheese, and stir by hand until cheese has melted into soup. If soup is too thick, add more milk or broth until at desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve topped with crumbled bacon pieces and chopped parsley.
Serves 4-6
Prep + Cooking time = 1 hour.
December 30, 2012
Gartending: A New Year, Baby
I always look forwards to New Year’s Eve. This is my favorite time of the year for a few reasons. The first and most important reason is the Twilight Zone Marathon. I’ve always loved the television show and the strange stories told. Klaus is especially fond of the episode with Williams Shatner on the airplane. He sees a gnome out on the wing.. Sort of looks like Klaus’s uncle Franz. Did Franz come from the old country out on the wing of an aircraft? I hope not. William Shatner appeared to be very disturbed by the sight of Franz.
If you don’t believe me, watch the marathon and see. Franz! Stop being so bad!
Ah, that’s what gnomes do! They flash their wild eyes and swoon over the most mundane things. Like a pot of hot chocolate?
Perhaps yes. The most marvelous pot of hot chocolate I’ve had in recent memory was in Burgundy. It was served in a little teapot. Short and Stout.
It was all I wanted in France. Oh, certainly the wine and the food- yes there is always that. But what I wanted to relive, were my memories of my childhood.
Klaus was raised in Europe, that is for certain. And I was as well. One of my fondest memories as a boy was the time that I tasted real hot chocolate for the first time. The aroma of toasted cacao beans, the chocolate bitter and sweet all at once and hot, hot against my tongue, burning it for a second, then melting back into the present tense where all childhood memories lay.
Klaus is covered in swaddling cloths to signify his birth (a long time ago…) on the New Year. And in keeping with his boozy ways, his most favorite beverage is a frozen (because it’s darned cold outside) hot chocolate. And because Klaus has such good taste, the chocolate should be Valhrona Chocolate. Only the best for Klaus.
Klaus’s Frozen Hot Chocolate for New Year’s Eve
Ingredients:
Valhrona Chocolate (at least 75% bitter)
Hot milk to blend with the Valhrona Chocolate and dark brown sugar
Templeton Rye Whiskey
Freshly whipped cream sweetened with a few tablespoons of dark brown sugar and an ounce or two of the rye
Preparation:
Prepare a pot of the best hot chocolate you can make with milk
Let freeze overnight in your freezer
Cut chunks of the now frozen hot chocolate and crush it with your food processor or blender
Fill the mug to the top with the crushed hot chocolate
Pour 2 oz. of the Templeton Rye over the shaved frozen “hot chocolate” in your mug
Top with the rye and sweetened whipped cream and a home cured rum cherry.
Sip to a Happy 2013!
Happy New Year Klaus!
Worldly Hot Chocolate
Is is possible to improve upon something as perfect as a cup of hot chocolate? We think so. Take a trip around the world in a cup of hot chocolate with these recipes inspired by the flavors of the places we’ve been:
The American
Is there a more classically American taste than that of a S’more? Try putting all of that gooey goodness into a mug. It’s far less messy.
Ingredients
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate (60%) chips
3/4 cup white sugar
1 pinch salt
1/3 cup boiling water
3 1/2 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup half-and-half
marshmallow cream (recipe below)
graham crackers
Instructions
1. Combine the sugar and pinch of salt in a saucepan. Blend in the boiling water.
2. Bring this mixture to a gentle boil while you stir. Simmer and stir for about 2 minutes.
3. Stir in 3 1/2 cups of milk and the chocolate and heat until very hot but not boiling. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Divide between 4 mugs.
4. Add the cream to the mugs of cocoa to cool it to drinking temperature.
5. Top with marshmallow cream (toast using a crème brulee torch) and garnish with a graham cracker finger
To make marshmallow cream:
Ingredients
3 egg whites
2 cups light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
In large mixer bowl, combine egg whites, syrup and salt. Beat for 10 minutes until thick. Add confectioners’ sugar at low speed. Then add vanilla extract and beat until blended.
If you are feeling EXTRA ambitious, you can make your own graham crackers using our recipe here.
The Latin American
A dash of cinnamon and red pepper spice things up in your cup.
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon Mexican vanilla
3 ounces of Mexican sweet chocolate
1 teaspoon brown sugar
dash of red pepper
Instructions
1. Add the milk to a small sauce pan over medium low heat.
2. Whisk in the cinnamon and vanilla and brown sugar
3. Using a mortar and pestle or a food processor grind the chocolate into a powder. Whisk all of the chocolate into the milk mixture.
4. Continue whisking the hot chocolate mixture until all the chocolate has melted, and the milk is warmed to the appropriate temperature.
5. Pour the hot chocolate into two coffee mugs and add a dash of powdered red pepper
The African
Inspired by the rich and exotic flavors of northern Africa (and, oh yeah, that chai tea latte from Starbucks.)
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups white sugar
2 cups of milk
5 ounces of bittersweet dark chocolate chips
1 cup unsweetened tea (brewed)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
Instructions
1. Add the milk and tea to a small sauce pan over medium low heat.
2. Whisk in the sugar and spices
3. Whisk all of the chocolate into the milk mixture.
4. Continue whisking the hot chocolate mixture until all the chocolate has melted, and the milk is warmed to the desired temperature.
The Asian
In NYC, you could probably get this rich chocolatey, ginger-mint treat delivered.
Ingredients
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup white sugar
1 pinch salt
4 cups milk
2 tablespoons of ginger/mint simple syrup
Instructions
1. Add the milk to a sauce pan over medium low heat.
2. Whisk in the sugar, cocoa, and salt
3. Continue whisking the hot chocolate mixture until all the chocolate has melted, and the milk is warmed to the desired temperature.
4. Stir in simple syrup
5. Garnish cups with mint leaves
To make simple syrup:
Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
1 ginger root peeled and shaved
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups packed fresh mint leaves, chopped
Instructions
In a saucepan bring sugar, water, ginger and mint to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Simmer syrup, undisturbed, 2 minutes. Pour syrup through a fine sieve, pressing on solids. Cool at room temperature. Syrup keeps, covered, in the refrigerator for weeks.
The European
The addition of espresso makes this the perfect mid-afternoon pick-me-up.
Ingredients
1 cup white sugar
2 tbsp. flour
1/3 cup cocoa
2 tbsp. butter
1 cup milk
2 cups of brewed coffee
Instructions
1. Mix all ingredients except coffee together into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.
2. Boil until sauce thickens. (Hot fudge sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.)
3. Pour fudge sauce equally into two mugs then fill remainder of mug with the brewed espresso and stir
Tell us which is your favorite…
December 29, 2012
Create an “Oatmeal Bar” with Surprising Toppings
What are your favorite toppings? Let us know in the comment section below.
We go through a lot of oatmeal at Beekman 1802 Farm during the winter. It’s one of the few breakfasts the two of us agree on…mostly. Josh usually likes a sweet breakfast – such as muffins or pancakes. But Brent generally prefers something savory – like last night’s dinner leftovers. Thankfully, oatmeal allows both of us to be happy…we just add different toppings. And we’ve found that when we have overnight guests, they usually like to choose their own toppings as well. We’ll often set out a buffet-style Oatmeal Bar, so that everyone can create their own perfect bowl. And because we make our oatmeal overnight in a slow cooker (see below slideshow for instructions) it’s hot and ready – even for the latest sleepers. (Steel cut oats are required for slow cooker method. Our favorite brand is McCann’s.)
Here are some of our own topping ideas, as well as a few from our Beekman 1802 colleagues:
Josh – the “Traditionalist.” Josh doesn’t think you should mess with tradition. So his add-in ideas are probably most peoples’ childhood favorites.
1. Brown Sugar or Maple Syrup – just a tablespoon.
2. Golden Raisins – Josh is adamant that his raisins are golden, not black. (“Black ones are for oatmeal cookies only,” he insists.)
3. Cinnamon & Nutmeg – sometimes Cardamom if he’s feeling adventurous.
4. Toasted Walnuts, Hazelnuts, or Pecans.
5. Heavy Cream.
Brent – “Southern Savory.” Brent makes his oatmeal like he fixed his corn grits growing up in North Carolina. With salty add-ins. And why not? Like grits, oatmeal is nothing more than a simple grain, and is a great blank canvas for anything. After all, there’s no law declaring all oatmeal has to be sweet.
1. Bacon or Ham
2. Cheese – sharp cheddar or MuBock.
3. Butter, sour cream or creme fraiche with chives. Salt/Pepper to taste.
4. Leftover chicken or turkey, with soy sauce.
5. Leftover steamed vegetables and a little sesame oil.
Megan – “Health Nut.“ Megan, Beekman 1802 COO, makes sure we all get our vitamins at the Mercantile, by bringing in healthy salads and making kale smoothies. So it’s no surprise that she can make oatmeal even healthier than it already is – while still making it taste great.
1. Quinoa – which adds additional protein and vitamins to oatmeal. Just throw some in with the oats as they’re cooking.
2. Seasonal Fresh Fruit – why use dried raisins when you can pack in even more nutrition with fresh fruit. In the fall & winter use bananas, kiwi, pear, apple, dates or figs. During spring & summer try peaches, blueberries, strawberries or currants.
3. Freshly Grated Ginger & Unsweetened Coconut Flakes.
4. Ground Flax Seed – adds mega-3 fatty acids and lignans (plant estrogen & antioxidant qualities.)
5. Raw (not roasted)Walnuts, Almonds, Pumpkin Seeds
Maria & Pete – “Sweet Tooths.” Husband & wife Beekman 1802 team Maria & Pete think dessert is the most important meal of the day. So if you can turn breakfast into dessert, why not?
1. Chocolate Chips – there aren’t many things adding chocolate chips to doesn’t help.
2. Red Hots – cinnamon AND sugar all in one.
3. Marshmallows – when the oatmeal is piping hot, the marshmallows melt right in.
4. Crumbled Graham Crackers or Oreos.
5. Caramel or Hot Fudge Sauce.
Let us know your favorite toppings in the comment section below the slide show.
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Winter on Main Street
Last winter there was so little snow that the 20 or so inches blanketing the village right now hardly seem like a nuisance. Take a wintery stroll with us down Main Street.
Wish you were here!
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Want to join us for a wintery walk around the farm? Click here
December 28, 2012
Refrigerator/Freezer Cleaning Tips
Remember that huge harvest of raspberries three years ago? Or that Strawberry-Cumin-Chive Jelly you thought sounded interesting up until the first spoon full? How about those cheese cubes leftover from a party tray that you swore would make fabulous macaroni and cheese one cold winter day? That’s pretty much all they should be right now…a memory. But chances are you have a few “Ghosts of Bumper-Crops Past” lurking in your freezer, and jars of Condiment Remorse hiding behind the ketchup in your refrigerator door.
As children, we remember our mothers and grandmothers completely emptying out the refrigerator and freezer to let them “defrost.” Being forced to empty the contents of them twice a year was a great way to keep track of one’s inventory, and also gave one a chance to thoroughly clean the units. But since the advent of “Frost Free” refrigerators and freezers, there are no more mandatory deadlines for giving your refrigerator and freezer the once-over.
Martha Stewart recommends deep cleaning your refrigerator and freezer four times a year. We’re not that ambitious, but we never let a spill set unattended, try to give the shelves and drawers a good wipe-down at least three times a year, and schedule one big deep cleaning for our two freezers and refrigerator during the week between Christmas & New Years. What better way to start the New Year than with a clean refrigerator and no food past its due date? Plus, during the winter months, you can store your food outside during the cleaning to avoid any thawing or spoilage.
Watch the slide show for handy refrigerator/freezer cleaning tips. And in the comment section, tell us the one food item you know you’ve had in your fridge for too long, and vow to throw out today!
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December 27, 2012
Walk After Snowstorm
2012 Beekman Boxing Day Raclette Party
Every Boxing Day (December 26th) we have a Raclette Party at Beekman 1802 Farm to celebrate all of the folks we’ve worked with over the past year. (To read more about our tradition, click here.) This year’s Raclette started roughly the same time a winter storm set in. (Eight inches so far, and still falling.) Luckily, people were able to fill their stomachs with melted cheese before the roads became impassable. Although would being snowed in with good friends, plenty of wine, stacks of firewood and 20 lbs of Beekman Mubock cheese necessarily be a hardship? (Especially since we encourage folks to come in pajamas or sweats, or “apres-holiday wear” as we call it.)
Below are some photos we took of the evening. As usual, once guests began arriving we put down the camera to concentrate on hosting, but you can get a good feel for pre-party Beekman.
What do you do the day after Christmas? Let us know in the comment section below.
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