A Rainy Day Rib Recipe

May 25, 2018

Slow Roasted Oven Ribs | In Jennie's Kitchen

The sun is blaring down on me, as I sit in the back porch writing. Should we believe the forecast, to the extent of what I see on my iPhone, it looks like Memorial Day might be a bit of washout. Who knows, really, but I suppose it’s best to be prepared, and have a back up plan. I mean this last part for all of you since we’ve no big plans for the Memorial Day weekend, and I’m very content with that reality.

Michael and I were never one for these traffic-heavy holiday weekends. In fact, as native New Yorkers who constantly had to share our city with millions of people, these were the moments we cherished. There are three key weekends in NYC when you can stroll into a theater just a few mins before your movie time, get a last minute dinner reservation relatively painlessly, and find a hassle-free parking spot.

We lived for Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day. While everyone else seemed to make their mass exodus to beach and country retreats, we relished the quiet hush that blanketed eternally busy streets. Perhaps this New York no longer exists—so much has changed there in the last 20 years. Memories allow time to pause, and then rewind.

I can still hear the silence of sleepy Tribeca sidewalks.

My big goal for this weekend is some time in the garden. Lots of rain means lots of weeds, leading to lots of TLC required on my part. If I’m lucky, I can get some plants in the ground, too. Much of the garden comes back to life on its own. The herb garden us bustling with lemon thyme, English thyme, sage, mint, chives, tarragon, rosemary (I think), and oregano.

Chive Blossoms | In Jennie’s Kitchen

The raspberry and blueberry bushes are flowering, so that means I need to figure out how to protect them from critters and birds. Any ideas or advice from my gardening friends? Last year I used sheer plastic netting, but it often got caught in the lawn mower, was a huge hassle to untangle every time I had to pick berries, and caught two birds accidentally (one made it out okay, and the other is buried under Michael’s tree on the front lawn).

Blueberry Bush | In Jennie’s Kitchen

The roses are beginning to wake with buds, and the monstrous rhododendron bush (or is it a tree?) masking the front porch is ready to burst with hot pink flowers any moment now. Last year’s juniper trees survived a tough winter, but only barely. I’m not sure if I was supposed to cover them with burlap, need fertilizer for them, or the deer ate them even though they’re supposed to be deer resistant. Good news is the ornamental grasses I planted are coming back up rather grandly. Definitely planning to buy a few more of them to create more perimeter privacy in the front yard.

Quince Blossoms | In Jennie’s Kitchen

Let’s not even discuss the state of the back porch. I really hope time permits to do some organizing, while still allowing me some relaxing hours of doing nothing but reading, and maybe some writing.

Before I dive into this all, though, I wanted to share some recipes that might be helpful if you’re hosting this holiday weekend. I recently made my Seriously Delicious Ribs, and forgot just how easy they really are to make. Planning is key, since they need some time for the dry rub to set in, and then there’s the long, slow cook in the oven, but otherwise, it’s a relatively hands off recipe. No heavy lifting required, just time. Should the weather be a wash out, no worries since a grill to finish the ribs is optional (the broiler does a smashing job, too). Link to the recipe is below, along with a few more favorites.

Enjoy the long weekend, friends—xo