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Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcellwith Sandy Gluck

Food Photography by Paulette Tavormina

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THE

Acknowledgments ................................................................. vi

Introduction .......................................................................... ix

Spring ....................................................................................... 1Starters .................................................................................. 4Main Dishes ........................................................................... 13Side Dishes ........................................................................... 29Desserts .................................................................................35

Summer ..................................................................................43Starters .................................................................................46Main Dishes ...........................................................................54Side Dishes ............................................................................63Desserts .................................................................................75

Fall ...........................................................................................85Starters .................................................................................88Main Dishes ...........................................................................96Side Dishes .......................................................................... 109Desserts ................................................................................119

Winter .................................................................................. 127Starters ............................................................................... 130Main Dishes ......................................................................... 136Side Dishes .......................................................................... 149Desserts ................................................................................ 161

Index .................................................................................. 172

Contents

When we moved to Beekman Farm, over hill, over

dale, and twenty miles from the nearest grocery

store, the first lesson of our newly bucolic lives

was that we would need to relinquish the overly

indulgent and instantly gratified existence to which we had

become accustomed. There is no twenty-four-hour diner, no corner

deli, and certainly no delivery in our corner of upstate New York.

Initially, this meant careful planning of menus to prevent an extra trek to the market for a forgotten ingredient. But as we became more familiar with the territory, we learned which neighboring farm could provide fresh cow’s milk, where to go when the maple sap started running, and the closely guarded locations of the wild leek patches.

Over time, we grew to appreciate each season on the farm, both for what the season brought to the table and, oddly, for what it did not. Absence does indeed make the heart grow fonder. The time between the first cherry blossoms and the arrival of their sour fruit, and the cold months between the last tomato and the first, now seems to reinforce that there are true cycles in life—an important fact somehow lost in a world in which everything is always available.

When we started developing recipes for our website, Beekman1802.com, we let the ideas flow not just from the fertile reaches of our imagination, but also from what was coming from the ground. In the spring, the desire to devour the essence of each sweet pea led us to the recipe for pea pod risotto. The long, verdant beans of summer became our green bean slaw. Autumn meant stuffed apple dumplings, and even in winter, as we were scraping the bottom of the barrel for remnants of the harvest, we managed some soul-satisfying soups, stews, and casseroles.

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Each of these became Beekman heirlooms—recipes that we will make every year, recipes that we pass along to friends and family on scraps of paper. They are now as much a part of the story and life of Beekman 1802 Farm as are the house, the barn, and the land.

Why “Heirloom” Recipes?“Heirlooms” of any type have a sentimental or intrinsic value greater than their assigned monetary figure. They are often irreplaceable, and because of this they are treasured and passed down from one generation to the next.

When we started working with our friend Sandy Gluck, the former food editor for Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food magazine, our goal was to create recipes that reflected our food heritage as well as how we live today. We wanted them to be simple and delicious, using ingredients the minute they are plucked out of the garden—recipes for every day and for special occasions. We wanted them to be recipes that would be passed from one generation to the next.

Each recipe has a blank note space for your personal annotation, and many of the recipes are accompanied by suggested variations so that you can adapt them to create heirloom recipes for your own family. If you come up with a unique twist, of course we want to know about it, so we’ve created a special section on Beekman1802.com where you can share your recipe and read how others have made the recipe their own, too.

We’ve also included photographs of vegetables from the Beekman 1802 heirloom vegetable garden throughout the book, styled to look like Dutch master still-life paintings. Most important, we’ve included several pages at the end of each seasonal section for you to transcribe your own family’s heirloom recipes either for safekeeping or for presentation of this book as a gift. Practice your handwriting!

Whether it is in the preparation or the presentation, the food we eat, where it comes from, and how it is consumed contribute to the narrative of our lives. We hope that each of these recipes becomes a part of your own story.

Every spring is the only spring

–a perpetual astonishment.

–ellis peters

starters spring 11

otes

serves 6Asparagus Torte

“use them before you lose them” is a fitting motto for these sentinels of spring. Steaming asparagus and then tossing them briefly

with shallots and butter intensifies their flavor, making them sweet and

buttery. Cracker meal takes the place of flour and makes the final dish just

slightly custardy. Don’t be tempted to use only the tips, as the stalks are very

flavorful. While we haven’t peeled the asparagus, feel free to do so if you like.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a shallow 6-cup glass or ceramic baking dish.

Place the asparagus in a steamer basket set over (not in) 1 inch of water

in a skillet or saucepan. Bring the water to a boil, cover, and steam until the

asparagus are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Remove the steamer basket from

the pan.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and

garlic stalks and cook, stirring frequently, until the shallots are tender, about 3

minutes. Add the asparagus, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and cook for

2 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, basil, tarragon, cayenne, and

the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Whisk in 11/4 cups of the cheese and the cracker

meal. Fold in the asparagus mixture. Transfer to the casserole, sprinkle with

the remaining 1/4 cup cheese, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is

lightly browned and the center is just set.

2 pounds asparagus, tough ends trimmed, cut into 2-inch lengths

4 tablespoons (4 stick) unsalted butter

3 large shallots, minced

3 green garlic stalks or scallions, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon salt

10 large eggs, lightly beaten

4 cup heavy cream

2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon leaves

Pinch of cayenne pepper

14 cups (6 ounces) shredded Blaak cheese (page 130) or other semihard cheese

4 cup cracker meal or crushed water crackers

128 winter starters

starters winter 129

hen little, Brent was mesmerized

by his grandmother’s collection

of holiday snow globes—perfect

little settings surrounded by

whirling, glittery snow. These unobtainable,

glass-bound worlds were made all the more

foreign by the southern (snowless) climes of

his childhood.

The kitchen at the Beekman is surrounded by windows on three sides, and sometimes on quiet, gray winter days when the snow is swirling, it is not hard to imagine that we are sitting inside one of those tiny snow-globe houses, illuminated by an unseen fire within.

This probably explains why it takes Brent so long to fetch something from the root cellar for a winter’s meal. Lost amid the glass canning jars, he is hypnotized by their silent, suspended bounties of summer.

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desserts winter 167

serves 8Sweet Potato Pie

to get a sweet potato pie that isn’t overly sweet, we use two kinds of sweet potatoes: japanese sweet potatoes, which are a little drier in texture and mildly sweet, and deep-orange garnet potatoes, which are moist and quite sweet. If the pie

develops a crack in the center as it cools, which many do, simply top it with

sweetened whipped cream, sour cream, or yogurt.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to a 12-inch round. Roll the

dough around the rolling pin, and then fit it into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate

without stretching it. Press the dough into the bottom and sides of the pan.

With a pair of scissors or a paring knife, trim the edges of the dough to form

a 1-inch overhang. Fold the overhang over to form a high edge, and with your

fingers, crimp the dough all around. Refrigerate.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg,

and salt until well combined. Whisk in the milk, sour cream, whole eggs, egg

yolk, and vanilla. Whisk in the mashed sweet potatoes.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Cook until the

butter foams; then continue cooking until the foam subsides and the butter

turns a rich brown. Immediately pour the browned butter into the sweet potato

mixture and whisk until incorporated.

Basic Pie Dough (page 26)

1 cup packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

2 teaspoon salt

4 cup milk

4 cup sour cream

3 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups pureed cooked sweet potatoes (from about 14 pounds)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Recipe continues on next page.

Welcome to Beekman 1802, in Sharon Springs, NY—the historic home of The Fabulous Beekman Boys, Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge. Josh and Brent star in the popular show on Planet Green TV, and they have built a worldwide reputation for their goat’s milk soaps and superb, artisanal Blaak cheese.

Together, Josh and Brent have created a gorgeous cookbook that is “heirloom” in every sense of the word: they showcase heirloom fruits and vegetables; offer delicious heirloom recipes from farm, family, and friends; and include a special recipe card section so you can personalize the book with your own treasured recipes—and create a unique keepsake to hand down to your family.

From springtime pea pod risotto and summery strawberry shortcake to quick braised collards in autumn and yummy chicken ‘n’ dumplings for a snowy winter’s day, this is simple yet luscious farm-fresh fare that everyone will love.

Josh Kilmer-Purcell is the New York Times bestselling author of Bucolic Plague and I Am Not Myself These Days: A Memoir and Dr. Brent Ridge is the former VP of healthy living at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.

• Major national publicity• 20-city TV satellite tour• 20-city morning drive radio tour• National multimedia advertising • Promotional giveaways in NYC• Features and reviews in cooking, entertainment,

and general interest magazines• Newspaper coverage in food, entertainment,

and book review sections• Holiday gift guide outreach

• Online coverage targeting food blogs and entertainment websites

• Cross-promotion with authors’ Twitter feed (@Beekman1802Boys) and Facebook page

• Promotions on authors’ website, Beekman1802.com

• Email marketing campaign• Author events in New York and appearances at

major food festivals nationwide

Culinary/All-Purpose CookbooksOctober 2011$25.00 ($30.00 Canada) | Hardcover8 x 9; 192 pages, all in colorSterling | 978-1-4027-8709-6

For more information, contact Caroline Mann at (646) 688-2531 or cmann@sterlingpublishing.com

Reviewers are reminded that changes may be made in this uncorrected proof before books are printed. If any material from the book is to be quoted in a review, the quotation should be checked against the final bound book. Dates, prices, and manufacturing details are subject to change or cancellation without notice.

sterlingpublishing.com

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