The Creative Kitchen | Meet Our Friends: The Beekman Boys

Brent Ridge + Josh Kilmer-Purcell

The Beekman Boys

Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell are two former New Yorkers who originally purchased the historic Beekman 1802 Farm as a place to retreat from hectic city life. When both lost their jobs in 2008, they worked hard to turn their love of farming into a profitable lifestyle brand. You may know them from their reality show, The Fabulous Beekman Boys on The Cooking Channel. The Creative Kitchen was excited to learn about some of their fondest childhood food memories.

Don’t miss their recipe for Savory Cornbread Bread Pudding below! It’s sure to be a family favorite at any Thanksgiving table!

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Website: http://beekman1802.com

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/FabulousBeekmanBoys

Twitter: @Beekman1802Boys

What was your favorite food to eat as a child?

Brent – My favorite food was (and still is!) a freshly picked tomato sandwich on white bread with Duke’s mayonnaise.

Josh – Door Country (Wisconsin) Cherry Pie. Sour pie cherries were so plentiful in Wisconsin that I grew up thinking they’d be available everywhere. But it wasn’t until we purchased Beekman 1802 Farm and discovered an old cherry tree in the yard, that I had proper cherry pie again.

What is your favorite childhood memory in the kitchen?

Brent – I loved baking. Not necessarily because I loved the science or art of baking at the time, but because I wanted to be there to get the first dibs on licking the beater, the bowl or the spatula.

Josh – We grew up without a lot of money…so there were many nights where dinner consisted of eggs, not meat. But I never knew were scrimping because my mom let us create our own omelets with whatever we could find in the refrigerator or garden. My brother and I had great fun coming up with our own concoctions (not always terribly appetizing, but we ate them). Mom turned constraints into creativity!

What was your favorite recipe to help make when you were a kid?

Brent – I used to love to make the No Bake Chocolate and Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie recipe that used to be on the box of quick oats. It was my father’s favorite cookie and mine, too.

Josh – Those peanut butter Christmas cookies with the Hershey Kiss in the center. I guess Brent and I really were meant for each other. 🙂

Savory Corn Bread Pudding featuring Beekman 1802 Farm Pantry HoneyBee Cornbread Mix:

Serving Size: 6 to 8 servings (approx. 1 cup per serving)

Cooking time: 55-60 minutes

Ingredients

1 package Beekman 1802 Farm Pantry HoneyBee Cornbread Mix

2/3 cup milk

HoneyBee Cornbread 1 egg

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 T. butter, plus extra for buttering the pan

1 cup coarsely chopped onions

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

3/4 cup grated extra sharp Cheddar cheese

2 teaspoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1 cup heavy cream

1 1/4 cup half & half

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions

Bake the Beekman 1802 Farm Pantry HoneyBee Cornbread Mix according to package directions. Cool. Cut the cornbread into 1-inch cubes. You need 4 cups of loosely packed cubes; reserve the remaining cornbread for another use.

Make the bread pudding: Preheat oven to 350º F. Generously butter a 9-inch baking dish. Place the cornbread cubes in the baking dish in a single layer. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a medium skillet over low heat. Add the onions and sauté slowly until soft and golden brown, about 20 minutes. After 10 minutes, add the diced red pepper and continue cooking. Remove from heat.

Scatter the onion, peppers, cheese, parsley, rosemary and thyme evenly over the cornbread cubes and stir gently to combine.

Whisk together the cream, half & half, eggs, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Pour the cream mixture over the cornbread cubes. Allow the casserole to rest about 5 minutes.