Monday Summer Supper recipe share: roasted baby back ribs with an aromatic fresh salad
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| photograph collage I took from the East End of Long Island A simpler August in the Hamptons: avoid the crowds, shop during the week, use the back roads, buy from local farm stands and dine in at home with family and friends. you know you're in the Hamptons when you see the original antique windmills and sunflower fields take in the beauties... |
the historic Hook Windmill in East Hampton
"Hook Windmill,
also known as Old Hook Mill, is a historic windmill on North Main Street in East Hampton, New York. It was built in 1806 and operated regularly until 1908. One of the most complete of the extant windmills on Long Island, New York,[2] in 1922 the windmill was sold to the town of East Hampton. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978"
Windmills in the Hamptons - Wikipedia
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photo I took of this sunflower field in Bridgehampton  |
Summertime is fleeting,
so after a week away in Sunny, Southern California to cook with Traditional Home magazine and Thermador, I came back to the East End of Long Island inspired to cook and entertain with vigor. Unlike other seasons, when I happily spend time in my kitchen, summer is about spending as much time outdoors as possible. Although we entertain quite a bit in summer, I try to make my meals simpler and my time in the kitchen less labor intensive. Last week we invited friends over for a barbecue and low and behold it turned out to be a rainy day. I had planned on preparing slow grilled babyback ribs (about four hours), but instead, we cooked them in the oven. This happy accident turned out to be the easiest and best tasting result -- fall off the bone, flavorful ribs. Without the convenience of having that many hours (it started raining and guests were on the way) I only had two hours and opted to cook the ribs on a higher heat. I preheated the oven to 400 degrees and figured if I covered them in foil they'd steam and lock in the flavor. The hardest part of the meal was setting the table and making the side dishes. For sides, I often pair ribs with baked beans, cole slaw, rice pilaf, corn on the cob and salad. This day, we kept it simple and picked up local, fresh Bistrian corn, which is sweet and delicious. I also made a fragrant salad with cherry tomatoes, cut up basil and avocado -- sprinkled with a good olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar.
so after a week away in Sunny, Southern California to cook with Traditional Home magazine and Thermador, I came back to the East End of Long Island inspired to cook and entertain with vigor. Unlike other seasons, when I happily spend time in my kitchen, summer is about spending as much time outdoors as possible. Although we entertain quite a bit in summer, I try to make my meals simpler and my time in the kitchen less labor intensive. Last week we invited friends over for a barbecue and low and behold it turned out to be a rainy day. I had planned on preparing slow grilled babyback ribs (about four hours), but instead, we cooked them in the oven. This happy accident turned out to be the easiest and best tasting result -- fall off the bone, flavorful ribs. Without the convenience of having that many hours (it started raining and guests were on the way) I only had two hours and opted to cook the ribs on a higher heat. I preheated the oven to 400 degrees and figured if I covered them in foil they'd steam and lock in the flavor. The hardest part of the meal was setting the table and making the side dishes. For sides, I often pair ribs with baked beans, cole slaw, rice pilaf, corn on the cob and salad. This day, we kept it simple and picked up local, fresh Bistrian corn, which is sweet and delicious. I also made a fragrant salad with cherry tomatoes, cut up basil and avocado -- sprinkled with a good olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar.
easy weekday supper
in the Hamptons:
oven-roasted baby back ribs
local Bistrian corn
tomato, avocado and basil salad
rice pilaf
My Hamptons is not the busy restaurants and clubs you hear about, but, rather August is a beautiful month in the East End of Long Island with gorgeous wineries, ocean vistas, sunflower fields and horses grazing in the fields. To avoid the crowds we dine in during the month of August. The end of summer, we are busy entertaining family and friends most weekends or stopping over to friend's homes for dinner.
Bistrian corn:
Bristrian corn is a local secret (shh) sold for generations on the side of the road by the Bistrian family across from the fire station in East Hampton it is simply the sweetest corn I have ever had. July is the perfect time for Bistrian corn.
I like to buy locally grown, smaller cherry-size tomatoes for my salad. They are flavorful and crisp and hold up to the softer avocado. the fresh cut basil (try rolling the basil leaves and cutting with a scissor in strips to prevent bruising and get those thin slices) adds another level of fresh flavoring. I usually buy my produce at
Round Swamp Farm and other farm stands in East Hampton (but I only shop during the week because weekends are crazy busy in August!)
The rainy evening was a welcome relief
from the blazing hot sun for one evening.
Round Swamp Farm and other farm stands in East Hampton (but I only shop during the week because weekends are crazy busy in August!)
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| I grow fresh basil in pots on my patio (to keep from the pesky deer) and pick the leaves daily in summer months |
The rainy evening was a welcome relief
from the blazing hot sun for one evening.
& a coffee rub secret:
this Fire Roasted Coffee Rub
adds a spicy, smokey flavor to the ribs then Sweet Baby Ray's sweet sauce adds a complimenting sweeter flavor
In a shallow cookie sheet place two racks of babyback ribs on top of aluminum foil (leaving enough to wrap the ribs later).
Rub the ribs with the dry coffee rub and let set for a couple of hours. Once the dry rub has settled in and the coffee/chile flavor seeps in I brush on (not too much and only a light coat) Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce on the ribs. I wrap up the ribs tightly in the aluminum foil. Put into a preheated oven set to 400 degrees, cooking for 2 1/2 hours on the high heat!
Enjoy your summer entertaining.
Happy Nesting XO
