giveaway: easy, cozy recipes from beekman 1802
IAM SIMMERING A POT OF ONION SOUP as I type, thanks to a reminder from “The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Cookbook” about how simple, delicious and suited to the season it is. Broccoli-Cheddar Soup may be next (not sure I can resist!) and then there’s a recipe for Roasted Cauliflower and Apple Soup, too. Oh, dear; I haven’t even gotten beyond the fall chapter and I’m already over the limit of what the freezer will hold the leftovers of. Want the onion soup recipe—and a chance to win one of three copies of this new cookbook that I’ve bought to share?
I paid a visit this summer to historic Beekman 1802, the rural residence of my ex-Martha Stewart colleague Brent Ridge and his partner Josh Kilmer-Purcell, also known as “The Fabulous Beekman Boys” from the Planet Green reality show and from the popular memoir “The Bucolic Plague” that Josh published last year about their city-to-country transition.
For the Beekman Boys’ latest project (do they ever stop?), the cookbook team included another old friend, Sandy Gluck, former food editor of Martha’s “Everyday Food” magazine and one of the smartest cooks I know. The result: a happy combination of fresh-from-the-garden ingredients, including many heirlooms, that Brent and Josh grow at their Sharon Springs, New York, farm or purchase nearby, combined into well-written, practical recipes that invite me to try them. No crazy-long lists of ingredients; no daunting step-by-steps, thank you.
“The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Cookbook” has me busy harvesting not just recipes but also flavor ideas. I wouldn’t have thought to fold tangy leaves of sorrel into my mashed potatoes, or to weave mushrooms and kale into my ramekins of crumb-topped mac and cheese. Fried green tomatoes get extra-crunchy with panko bread crumbs instead of cornmeal; pears poached in red wine and sugar gain an extra kick from cinnamon, peppercorns, allspice, and vanilla bean.
It’s also a cookbook that invites personalization, with space left on each recipe page for writing in notes (“Practice your handwriting,” suggests Brent) and bound-in envelope-like folders to tuck your own recipes into.
All I can say is good thing it’s not June, or I’d be face-down in the Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble instead of sharing this recipe with you.
Cheese Toast-Topped Onion Soup
From ‘The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Cookbook’
Serves 8
It always seems that the first thing to come out of the root cellar each autumn (even though they’ve been hanging for only a few weeks) is a bundle of onions for a slowly cooked pot of onion soup–the perfect herald to the season. This richly flavored soup—with sweet, golden onions, red wine, and just a touch of sherry—is made even more irresistible with a topping of country bread and melted cheese.
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ½ pounds large yellow onions, halved, peeled, and thinly sliced (8 cups)
4 sprigs fresh thyme or 6 teaspoon dried
¾ cup red wine
2 tablespoons sherry
6 cups homemade chicken stock or reduced-sodium canned broth*
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
8 slices crusty country bread
¼ pound Gruyère-style cheese, thinly slicedIn a 5-quart Dutch oven, heat the oil and butter over medium-low heat. Add the onions and thyme, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft, about 20 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring frequently, until golden bro wn, about 25 minutes.
Stir in the red wine and sherry, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the stock, salt, and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 30 minutes to concentrate the flavors.
Preheat the broiler.
Divide the soup among 8 soup bowls. Cut each slice of bread in half and place on a baking sheet or broiler pan. Top with the cheese. Broil the cheese toasts 4 to 6 inches from the heat for 2 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. Place 2 slices in each bowl of soup.
(*I’m using homemade vegetable stock in place of the chicken.)
More, More, More
- Visit the Beekman1802 website
- Shop for “The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Cookbook” or “The Bucolic Plague”
How to Win 1 of 3 Cookbooks
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO TO QUALIFY TO WIN one of three copies of “The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Cookbook” I bought to share is comment below, offering up an example of a recipe you’d call one of your own “heirlooms.” (You don’t have to post the whole recipe, but just describe it a bit–up to you.) Is there a recipe you’re known for, that friends and family want when they visit you?
Don’t worry if you’re feeling shy. I’ll count your comment even if you just say , “I want to win” or some such. I’m pretty easy.
Winners will be chosen at random, using the number-generating tool on random [dot] org, after entries close at midnight Thursday. October 20. Good luck to all.
Credits: Recipes and images reprinted with permission from “The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Cookbook” © 2011 by Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell, Sterling Epicure, an imprint of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. Photography by © Paulette Tavormina. Also: A portion of anything you might buy from an Amazon link here results in a small commission, which I use to buy more books for future giveaways.
I make cheddar-jalapeno biscuits and then stuff them with kale crisps and prosciutto. It’s a delicious accompaniment to a kale-potato soup.
That sounds like a great cookbook! I don’t have very many recipes I’d call “Heirloom”, or even many I make repeatedly. Maybe something stuffed, like tomatoes or pattypan squash?
I don’t know if there’s any one thing I’m particularly “known” for cooking. I think, more so, I’m known for cooking seasonally and coming up with “weird” vegetables for my friends and family to try. I can usually get my picky eater in-laws to eat something by calling it “cheesy vegetable goodness” rather than cardoon sautéed with leeks and roasted with Parmesan.
I love soups when the weather starts to turn cool. I guess the closest I could get to an “Heirloom” recipe would be stew. I love it made with lots of red wine and simmered for a couple of hours. Then served with a good crusty bread. Yum.
Split pea soup made with local country ham, potatoes, carrots, onions, and anything else that occurs while I’m putting things in the pot.
I want to win! I love the Beekman 1802 brand and I have followed Josh and Brent since day one!! Love their show and all of their products. This is a new website that was linked on josh’s and brent’s website. How wonderful.
I make Tomato Brie Pasta, best in the summer with my own Sungolds or other heirlooms. Love how the prep is all done at the start, and you can smell the wonderfulness on the counter all afternoon. And then just add hot pasta. Yum!
Tomato Soup. You buy a soup bones and cook it for 3 hrs , scoop the marrow off the top of water, add two cans of whole tomatoes shimmer for 1/2 hour add home made noodles or buy them and add a little pepper and salt, (Very little salt) .
With some Italian bread and its so good.
Mom’s recipe and it was so good on winter nights,
I’m really not know for an heirloom recipe but on the menu for tonight is a huge pot of roasted tomato soup! Yummy! :) I’d love to be entered in your contest! :)
Made a vegetarian vegetable this week with everything I could find in the fridge. It’s great and almost no calories. Love it on a rainy day like today.
I would love to win a copy. Always interested in new recipes.
Hot pepper jelly with the peppers that I grow.
Beef Stew – Cut up a chuck roast in cubes. Lightly toss in flour, salt & pepper. Brown in an iron skillet with butter & worchester sauce. Chop up a large union and add to the saute. Once onions are carmelized, add a handful of sliced fresh mushrooms. Continue to brown. Add chopped carrots and potatoes and add water to cover. Add two bay leafs and both beef and chicken boulion cubes (3 each). Cover and simmer for a couple of hours, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaves. Serve with fresh corn bread or bisquits and apple cider.
A long standing family recipe for us is what we call sausage bread. It’s a poppy seed bread made with bisquick that is then topped with browned, ground breakfast sausage. After that bakes for a bit, then we add a sour cream topping. Great for breakfast, especially with a crowd.
I don’t have any heirloom recipes but I am a fan of The Fabulous Beekman Boys! :) LOVE Josh & Brent & Polka Spot!
It’s very simple, but everyone in my family makes it. Fresh, ripe tomatoes cut into sections with green pepper slices and thinly sliced red onion. A dressing made of Balsamic and olive oil with a little salt and pepper to taste. A bit of blue cheese sprinkled over. Mix it all up and let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour. So simple yet so good!
I make a ‘one bowl’ lasagna that’s gluten free and loaded with spinach plus any other vegetables around. The cheese mixture has a couple of cheeses (depending upon what’s in the fridge, including cottage cheese), fresh seasonings, huge batch of spinach, often sauted mushrooms, all fresh herbs. Tomato sauce layer usually has fresh tomatoes when in season placed on top, too. The Heirloom Cookbook sounds great!
I have a Cheese Ball recipe that I got from my Cousin Rita. My husband loves it – I make it for every holiday. Would love to win this book – thanks, Margaret.
Teriyaki flank steak skewers was always a favorite when we were kids decades ago. Now a favorite is dubbed ‘greasy tacos’ which is simply crispy fried corn tortilla shells and ground turkey with homemade taco seasoning, and of course, lettuce, tomato, salsa, cheese, onions, and olives on a good day :). Plain old roasted chicken, homemade mashed potatoes and gravy and great green salad are favorites. Homemade vinegrette is pretty easy and terrific. Thanks for offering the delightful-sounding cookbook by the lovely Beekman Boys!
My breakfast granola with homemade yogurt seems to be very popular with friends and guests. It’s made with honey, nutmeg, cinnamon, chopped almonds, pumpkin seeds, golden raisins, and lots of coconut, including coconut butter.
I make a pot of homemade potato soup with fresh bacon! So good, reminds me of my childhood and growing up. Something I want my kids to remember also and keep the memories of.
Italian Wedding Soup- mmm! We have a freezer full that we’ve been sharing with friends and family.
I make oven slow roasted tomatoes – usually roma. toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, thyme, oregano and garlic for 2+ hours at 300 degrees….so tasty.
i want to win
Chili in the crock pot. I mix chili meat with ground beef, then dump in chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard, pepper, paprika, and various other seasonings, and let it cook all day. At the end I stir in some masa with water.