Josh Kilmer-Purcell's Blog, page 93

The Story of Pie

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Photographer Paulette Tavormina was at the farm recently for a planning session for the Beekman 1802 Heirloom Dessert Cookbook (Rodale, October 2013).   Paulette snapped away as we were preparing Saturday night dinner.

Here’s the story of a pie:

 

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Gartending: It’s All OK

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The Late Summer Refresher

Time and time again, Klaus is tempted by the cool breezes that blow in from the north instead of the hot n’ sticky that seems to be plaguing the wooded wonderland that Klaus calls home.  Today Klaus awoke to a powerful thirst.

During his morning stroll through the gardens the mint called out to him and a cocktail was inspired.

Rum arrived yesterday in the mail from Zaya.  A gorgeous twelve year old Rum bottled in a most attractive package found its way to Klaus’s door.  Klaus, being the adventurous traveler was feeling a bit low with all the heat and humidity plaguing his expanding world.   A refreshing cocktail was on his mind. Plus he wanted something to settle the stomach.  Ginger, Rum, Mint, Seltzer, mint???

The Zaya Rum asked a bottle of Powell and Mahoney Old Ballycastle Ginger Syrup to the dance and a cocktail was born!

Klaus spends a good amount of time in the air traveling these days and sometimes his stomach gets upset with all the ups and downs from place to place.

Fine Ginger Syrup is often required to settle his stomach.  The Powell and Mahoney Ginger Syrup is strong in the mouth, yet kind to the stomach.  Woven into a cocktail with seltzer and the 12 year old Zaya Rum and his constitution has taken a turn for the better.

And that’s the name of this gartending cocktail.

 

The Turn for the Better Cockta i l

Each Recipe makes 2 perfectly lovely cocktails

 

Ingredients:

2 shots Zaya 12 year old Dark Rum

2 shots Powell and Mahoney Old Ballycastle Ginger Syrup

Perrier Sparkling Natural MinerWater

 

Instructions:

To a Boston Shaker add:

The Zaya Rum

Some ice

The Ginger Syrup from Powell and Mahoney

Shake well

Pre-chill Martini glasses with ice and water- pour out water after a few minutes to pre-chill.

Pour the strained liquor into pre-chilled Martini glasses with a couple of cubes of ice in each and garnish with fresh sprigs of your garden fresh Kentucky Colonel Spearmint.

Finish with a splash of mineral water

CHEERS!

5 Beautiful Things

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This new feature is designed to inspire you to look at the world around you, to take note of the season at hand and to capture it – in memory or on film – for posterity. I will be choosing five photos each week for Beekman1802.com with this aim in mind. We’re calling the feature, The Five Most Beautiful Things In The World This Week

 

The Art of Paulette Tavormina

When I first saw the photographs of Paulette Tavormina, I was gobsmacked. I could simply not believe that these lush, painterly still-life compositions were photos and not the masterpieces of Dutch and Spanish still-life painters of the 1700′s. As fine-art photography goes, Paulette, who is represented by the Robert Klein Gallery in Boston, occupies a rarified place of artistic excellence, elevating the medium to a level of gorgeous execution not seen elsewhere. I first got to know Paulette through Brent and Josh, in fact. Many of you may recognize her work from The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Cookbook, which came out last year – a must-have, by the way, for anyone who loves to cook using simple, fresh and delicious ingredients.

Paulette is also responsible for those sumptuous images in the Sotheby’s catalog (a contributor since 2007) that have bidders drooling over priceless works of art and collectible sculptures. She has also worked as a food stylist for several Hollywood productions, including The Perfect Storm, Nixon and The Phantom.

In getting to know Paulette, I found her to be as generous and inquisitive as I imagined such an artist to be. Below are some examples of her incredible work, courtesy of the Robert Klein Gallery. I’ll be visiting her studio in Manhattan the next time I’m there, which I’m very excited about! To read more about her, including a great essay about her work by Wayne Andersen, and see more examples of her work, please visit her website.

 

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All photography by Paulette Tavormina, courtesy of the Robert Klein Gallery

1. Artichokes ©Paulette Tavormina courtesy Robert Klein Gallery

2. Lemons and Pomegranates ©Paulette Tavormina courtesy Robert Klein Gallery

3. Crab Apple ©Paulette Tavormina courtesy Robert Klein Gallery

4. Watermelon Radishes ©Paulette Tavormina courtesy Robert Klein Gallery

5. Strawberries ©Paulette Tavormina courtesy Robert Klein Gallery

 

Andrew Ritchie is the creator of Martha Moments, a blog devoted to 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.

 

 

Harvest Festival 2012!

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When we started the Sharon Springs Harvest Festival 4 years ago, we dreamed it to be an occasion to celebrate the harvest from our local farmers and a day to bring the community together.   The first  year we were thrilled when 500 people showed up to the one day event.  Last year, imagine our surprise when over 8000 people over two days came to visit our little village.  Why?  No other reason than it’s a weekend to acknowledge what is good about small town America.  We want you to come by and say ‘hi’ to everyone.

You can check back to this page as we add details about this year’s event.  If you are interested in becoming a vendor at this year’s festival, visit enjoysharonsprings.com to submit a vendor application.  For questions call Joe Todd Campbell:  518.284.2884

Check back here frequently as new events will be added right up until the last minute!

 

Friday, Sept 14

10:00-4:00pm–Check out  Pictures from an Exhibition, a retrospective of photographs by Leila Durkin  on display at the Village Hall Gallery on Main Street

6:00pm-10:00pm–Harvest Feast featuring all locally sourced ingredients.  Contact the American Hotel at (518) 284-2105 to see if tickets are available.

7:00pm-11:00pm– the second annual Harvest Hop!!  Fire burning on the dance floor!!  Click here for information and tickets

 

Saturday, Sept 15

9:00-9:30–Join us in Chalybeate Park as pastors from six area churches come together for an  interdenominational “Blessing of the Bounty of the Harvest.” All are welcome!!

10:00-4:00pm–Harvest Festival in the Village of Sharon Springs. With over a hundred craftsmen, farmers, artisanal food and displays

10:00-4:00pm–Tour of Beekman Farm (SOLD OUT).  To eliminate issues with parking, there is a shuttle to and from the farm that picks up and drops off at the steps of The Mercantile.

11:00am & 2pm–ever watched A River Runs Through It and wish you could fish with Brad Pitt?  Get one step closer?  Come for a free dry-casting lesson by world-renowned fly fisherman, JP Ross.  Everyone will get a chance to try!

2:00pm–Walking architectural tours of Historic Sharon Springs led by our town historian. Click here for ticket information.  Space is limited.

3:oo-5:00pm– a special screening of the powerful documentary film, The First Season.  Filmmaker Rudd Simmons followed new farmers Phyllis and Paul van Amburgh as they start up an organic dairy farm (the one right next door to Beekman Farm!)  It’s a powerful look at what it takes to bring good food to our tables.  Paul and Phyllis will be on hand for Q & A after the screening and to provide samples of the grass fed beef from their farm, Dharma Lea. 

Taking time out to watch this film will put the entire Harvest Festival into perspective and make everything you experience this weekend that much more powerful.

5:30pm-10:00pm–An Authentic Pig Roast!–if you missed out on tickets to the Harvest Feast, you can still taste the best of the local harvest when the Sharon Tavern hosts and pig picking using locally raised and cultivated ingredients.  Please book ahead by calling (518) 284-2354

6:00pm-10:00pm–Harvest Feast featuring all locally sourced ingredients (SOLD OUT)

 

 

Sunday, Sept 16

 

10:00am:  Please join us at the Chalybeate Temple for a traditional Native American thanksgiving address.  The Mohawk tribe once populated this valley.  The blessing of the harvest, Ohen:ten Kariwehtehkwen,  means “the words that come before all else.” Simply put, this is recognition of the importance of all things on Earth.

10:00-4:00pm–Harvest Festival in the Village of Sharon Springs. With over a hundred craftsmen, farmers, artisanal food and displays

10:00-4:00pm–Tour of Beekman Farm (SOLD OUT).  To eliminate issues with parking, there is a shuttle to and from the farm that picks up and drops off at the steps of The Mercantile.

6:00pm-10:00pm–Harvest Feast featuring all locally sourced ingredients.  Call The American Hotel to see if tickets are available at (518) 284-2105

 

A rotating shuttle bus will operate continuously on both days between parking lots and festival destinations on Main Street.  Free parking available at the Sharon Springs Central School at the intersection of Route 20 and Route 10

 

Other things to do in Sharon Springs during  your visit

Visit Howe Caverns, one of the most magnificent cavern systems in the world just 12 miles from Sharon Springs.

Take a tour of Brewery Ommegang and see how some of the best Belgium-style beer in the world is made right here in upstate NY. Click here for more info.  And while there check out the nearby The Farmer’s Museum, The Fenimore Art Museum, and The Baseball Hall of Fame

Visit the world-class Arkell Art Museum in Canajoharie and stop by to see the waterfalls in Wintergreen Park

 

Check back soon for a map and itinerary that you can print and carry with you to the festival!

Fairest of Them All

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Because the fortunes of Beekman 1802 are so closely tied to goats, we are always looking for quirky little icons to place around the house—santons, talisman, relics—whatever you like to call them, we scoop them up in honor of the 4 legged ombudsmen in the pasture.

Several years ago we bought a page from an old history book that included an etching of a goat balanced atop a walking stick. The image was part of a larger picture that was really not that interesting, and we struggled with how to frame or display the etching.

3 years later, it came to us!

After seeing a tutorial on our Pinterest page about how to make a regular glass vase look like vintage mercury glass using Krylon mirror paint, an idea came to us. Instead of framing the etching with a traditional mat board, why not create a mercury glass “mat” to isolate the specific portion of the etching that we wanted to display?

Here are the steps we took:

Found a large vintage oak frame (you can find examples of these in almost any antique shop)
Removed and cleaned the glass from the frame.
Measured out the space on the glass where we wanted the image to be seen (use a wax pencil to draw out the space)
Using paint tape, completely covered the area of the glass that we wanted to remain clear (where the image would be displayed)
Using the Krylon paint as directed on the back of the can, we “mirrored” the side of the glass with the tape.
After the 3rd coat, while the paint remained tacky, we filled a standard spray bottle with a 50:50 mixture of white vinegar and water.
We sprayed the painted area, alternating the distance we held the spray nozzle from the frame to get larger and smaller droplets
The acid of the vinegar will immediately cause the paint to bubble. Using the corner of a paper towel, “pop” these bubbles to create the effect of antique mirror
 We also gently rubbed some areas to create larger bare areas. If you mess up or don’t like the desired effect, simply wait for the vinegar to dry and then spray again with the paint.
After 24 hours for the paint to dry completely, we removed the tape.
We mounted the etching on a piece of white poster board. You will see the color of the board through the “holes” you created in the mirror, so you may also choose black or even a color that coordinates with your decorating scheme.

We think it turned out to be framing fit for a king—the king of the mountain, that is.

 

Let’s Go to the Hop

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SEPTEMBER 14, 2012

 

Around the middle of the 19th century, hops was one of the most important agricultural crops in upstate NY and people from urban areas would come to Schoharie County on vacation for the sole purpose of helping with the hop harvest.  No doubt, part of the draw was the fun and frolicking in the evenings that followed a hard day’s labor.  (Read more about hops and how local beers are being developed by clicking here.)

In 1890, the following item appeared in a local paper:

“The hop house dance with orchestra on flour barrels, will soon be rife.  Without it hoppicking would be a failure to a goodly percent of pickers.  It’s lots of fun for those that like it, and many a girl in a calico dress, to the music of the non-aristocratic mouth organ, without the enchanting influences of lofty surroundings, goes through the various dances with a grace that would do credit to the bespangled and diamond-rigged belles of high society.”

A disastrous trifecta of soil depletion, blue mold and the passage of the 18th amendment led to the rapid decline of the hops harvest in Sharon Springs… but not for the need to party.

As part of our annual Harvest Festival, we’re hosting a Harvest Hop–destined to become a legend.

This year’s Hop will be held in the town fire hall on Friday, Sept 14

Join us, a fantastic live band and a dance caller that will get everyone burning up the dance floor!

Each female ticket holder will get their own dance card for the evening, so put on your best calico dress and muck boots and get ready. And every ticket holder gets a drink ticket to sample the best of Ommegang’s new brews!

Click here for ticket information (space is limited to 150 people)

 

Gartending: Extra pep for the a.m.

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Klaus is tired. He’s been on the road for the past two weeks. Klaus spent a sleepless week in New Orleans for Tales of the Cocktail, then Klaus traveled to Columbus, Ohio- where he reveled in his German heritage and the resident’s legendary thirsts. If you remember your history books, the Columbus, Ohio area is famous for the plethora of Germanic people who live and work in the region. Klaus, if you also remember is a German Drinking Gnome from the 1930’s. He missed being around his German friends and reveled in the satisfaction that only comes with drinking rather heavily.

 

He certainly was the “Soused Gnome” on this trip to the heartland.

 

Gardening is huge in Columbus, Ohio. It seems like everyone who lives there is touched in some way by gardening scene, be it at the numerous farmers markets brimming with some of the freshest and most delicious ingredients that money can buy or in the multitude of home gardens that grace the simple architecture of the farms.

 

Klaus needed a little extra help this morning. His usual cup of coffee left him feeling a bit homesick for the welcoming hearts of the Columbus, Ohio residents. He needed a pick me up of a most alcoholic nature. Even though his coffee hailed from the Columbus area, he asked me in his deep German accent for a bit of correction. Correction? What is correction? In his patient and calm fashion, Klaus pointed helpfully to a bottle of Sailor Jerry Rum and a new bottle on my shelf named Spodee. I asked him in my most interested manner what is Spodee? Klaus replied that Spodee is simply, “Wine and Shine.”

Wine and Shine? Like Moonshine? “Yes” Klaus replied. Red wine produced by the Brotherhood winery in New York State, mixed with moonshine, chocolate and garden fresh herbs. Wine and shine was a drink made popular during prohibition when booze was forbidden, yet everyone seemed to enjoy a sweet, salubrious drink. Also in this concoction of wine and shine is one of Klaus’s perennial favorites- Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum. Sailor Jerry is the personification of Klaus’s bad boy image. After all, Klaus sports a Sailor Jerry tattoo on his chest. You cannot see it, but it’s there. Sailor Jerry was a real man, with a real talent for the tattoo arts.

Klaus got his tattoo while in New Orleans courtesy of the kind folks at Downtown Tattoo. He’s a bit shy, so I’m the only one who has seen this magnificent piece of body art.

 

Klaus made his coffee this morning using water from his German Mavea “inspired water” pitcher. Why would he want to do that? Well, up here in the country the water is filled with minerals that taint the sweet flavors of the water with ones of dirt and stones. The Mavea “inspired water” filter is adept at removing these bitter flavors and leaving in their place creamy textured water. I can only say that coffee made without the Mavea is not coffee but only brown sludge.

 

And what about the correction to your coffee? Corrected coffee is absolute genius when going back to sleep on Country Time.

The Gene Sheldon Cocktail is reminiscent of the television show named Zorro. He played the mute servant named Bernardo. I see much of this character in Klaus. Powerful, silent, enlightened, Gene was in the most literal form of the word, a star in the making from working with the Disney Studios on Zorro.

 

Klaus is already a star by his strapping demeanor and kind, yet wry smile. I wonder what he’s thinking about right now?

 

The Gene Sheldon Cocktail

 

Ingredients:

Water filtered through your Mavea “inspired water” pitcher

Freshly ground coffee brewed slowly

Spodee (Wine and Shine)

Sailor Jerry Rum

Royal Rose Simple Syrup of Roses

Freshly grilled peaches from your peach tree in the garden (slice into chunks and char over wood)

 

Preparation for one lovely breakfast cocktail:

Preheat your mug with boiling hot water- toss out water

Mash the grilled peach chunks (use only a couple) into your cup

Add 2 tablespoons of Royal Rose Syrup

Add 1 shot of Sailor Jerry Rum

Add 1 shot of Spodee (wine and shine)

Add freshly brewed coffee to finish

Stir well and drink.. If you are like Klaus, you’ll be gaily dancing at first, then sleeping soon thereafter!

Welcome home Klaus!

5 Beautiful Things

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This new feature is designed to inspire you to look at the world around you, to take note of the season at hand and to capture it – in memory or on film – for posterity. I will be choosing five photos each week for Beekman1802.com with this aim in mind. We’re calling the feature, The Five Most Beautiful Things In The World This Week

 

Down the Garden Path

At my grandparents’ cottage there was a path that connected each property to the next. It was not made by anyone in particular and had no official designation. It was known by all the cottagers on our side of the lake and had been shaped by wanderers, tread and sole, over several decades – long before my grandparents had purchased their lot. As a child, I loved walking this pathway: over its undulating hills and valleys, across the mossy patches and the rocky parts, under tall tree canopies and through narrow passageways where the underbrush was closing in. It was a landscape of its own, with multiple personalities and moods that unfolded as each corner was rounded. It could never be designed or replicated and its charm lay in its connective purpose, linking a community of cottage dwellers in the woodlands of Ontario with a sense of reassurance that neighbors were not far off.

In garden design, pathways are beautiful features that inspire contemplation, a slow pace and a steady gaze. They are outdoor corridors that connect divergent spaces and stitch the landscape with a common thread. Below are five beautiful examples of garden paths.

 

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Photos:

1.       Vogue Living

2.       Gm-gardendesign.co.uk

3.       Tumblr.com

4.       Green-home.tumblr.com

5.       Etsy.com

 

Andrew Ritchie is the creator of Martha Moments, a blog devoted to 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.

 

 

 

Black Currant Cordial

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There are three types of people in the world: those that love black currants, those that hate black currants, and those that have never tried black currants. In America, the majority of folks probably fall into the last category. As hosts of White Pine Rust disease which threatened the lumber industry, black currant bushes were banned in America for most of the last century. Thus most Americans have never tried this midnight-colored berry, which some say tastes like cabernet wine, and others say tastes like cat pee.

Generations of British children on the other hand, have grown up drinking a beverage made from water mixed with a black currant flavored syrup sold under the brand name Ribena. The juice became particularly popular during World War II when oranges and other vitamin c-rich fruits became unavailable in the UK. The government provided free black currant syrup to the country’s youths in an effort to keep them healthy. One serving of black currants can provide up to 300% of a person’s daily requirement for vitamin c.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Nearly any concentrated syrup made from fruit, sugar and water can be called a cordial. But black currant may be the most popular variety worldwide. Uses for black currant cordial range from  mixing it with carbonated water for a refreshing beverage, to pouring it over ice cream, to mixing it with Guinness beer to heighten the brew’s flavor.

Making the cordial is simple. Simply simmer the fruit with water,sugar and lemon (not too long, however, or you’ll end up with jelly;) strain; and bottle. Cordial will keep for a month or so in the refrigerator (longer if heat sealed) but we keep ours in the freezer to enjoy all winter long.  Our cordial recipe has a slight variation…we use our Beekman 1802 Lemon Creamed Honey to provide both the added sweetness and tartness in one fell swoop.

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Black Currant Cordial

Ingredients:

5 cups fresh or frozen black currants (no need to remove stems)

2 jars of Beekman 1802 Lemon Creamed Honey (or substitute 2 cups sugar plus juice & zest of one lemon)

1.5 cups water

Combine water and Lemon Honey in large saucepan. Bring to boil. Add currants. Simmer for one minute, then mash with potato masher. Let simmer for four more minutes. Do not let simmer for more than five minutes. Remove from heat and mash well. Sieve the mixture through a fine wire mesh strainer into bowl. (Do not use plastic utensils or bowls. Currant juice will stain.) Pour resulting syrup into bottles, leaving enough space at top for expansion if freezing.

Blue Ribbon Jumbles

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We were so honored to be asked to judge the Chocolate Jumbles competition at the county fair this year.

Jumbles–a spicy cookie made with molasses, nutmeg and clove–were common in Europe as early as the 17th century and were prepared by twisting the thick dough into shapes and then boiling.

The jumble made its way to the Mohawk Valley in the 19th century with the arrival of the German Palatine settlers.  They added chocolate to the cookie and a characteristic round shape and painted the surface with a royal icing.  Fancy!

Families have been making the cookie in Schoharie County for over 200 years, and each family has its own tradition and twist.

It wasn’t easy to choose a winner, but we bravely faced the challenge.

Congratulations to Debbie Collins who won the blue ribbon with a cookie just like her grandma used to make.  That’s an heirloom recipe!!

 

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Debbie Collins’ Chocolate Jumble Cookie

Ingredients

2 eggs

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of shortening or lard

1 cup molasses

5 cups of all purpose flour

1 cup of buttermilk

1 cup of cocoa

1 tsp of cinnamon

1 tsp of clove

1 tsp of salt

2 tsp of baking soda

 

Instructions

Combine ingredients in order given and then chill.

Roll and then cut out the cookie using a donut cutter.

Bake at 350 degrees just until the edges turn crisp

Allow to cool

Paint with royal icing

 

Learn more about the history of jumbles and several variations on the recipe in a booklet produced by the Friends of Fort Plain

Does your neck o’ the woods have a special cookie recipe? Tell us about it in the comments section below!