June is Bustin' Out All Over

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING:  Memorial Day weekend is over, we’ve said good-bye to 

May, and this is the start of the first full month in June, or, as I like to call it: summer.

 

We all have different markers for when the season begins - the aforementioned holiday 

weekend, the end of the school year, that blast of cold air as the office’s annual pre-set 

AC comes on whether it’s 50 or 90 F. But without a doubt, June is the start, the first 

month of summer, the month of weddings and graduations and my birthday, which is 

why I know it’s so great.

I have certain rituals that mark the start of the season. First and foremost, I bring the 

warm-weather clothing and the fans down from the attic, and carry the winter things up. 

The parkas and scarves move from the foyer to the less-accessible front hall closet, and 

the boots disappear in favor of sneakers and flip-flops. 

There’s summer-specific beauty rites: a pedicure with bright nail polish and sunless 

tanning lotion after showers (I wear it under my SPF 50 sunscreen.)

 

On the first really hot day, I’ll make myself cold tuna-mac salad, a 1960’s style dish that 

was one of my mom’s staples back before she started replacing gobs of mayo with 

heart-healthy alternatives. I’ll add a few things to my grocery list: lemonade mix, lime 

and strawberry popsicles (which Google tells me I should refer to as frozen fruit bars,)

 Miracle Whip (come at me, haters.)

And of course, as we discussed last week, there’s the joy of finding a horde selection of 

great summer reads.

Reds, what rites and rituals mark the start of summer for you?

HALLIE EPHRON: Ah, summer… Number one is opening the windows. This year I’m 

having the windows washed, a pricey but necessary (at least once every five years) 

endeavor.


Number two, birds! There’s usually several nests in my backyards and then comes the 

fun watching the gawky hatchlings fledge. When you see four cardinals together and 

not killing each other or mating, they’re nest-mates.

And on the watch for lady slippers at the base of trees on my walks. 

And, oh yes, finding someone to help me hoist my a/c from the office floor and into the 

window. It’s the only room I really need it for. Any volunteers??

LUCY BURDETTE: First is a tuna melt on rye when my favorite snack bar opens. 

Deep River potato chips on the side. Pretty soon the farmers market will provide more 

than greens and radishes, though we are enjoying lots of those!

 

RHYS BOWEN: Lucy and I have had a sneak preview of summer at our other homes. 

It reached 95 before I left Arizona. Now I’m back in California with weather in the 70s. 

My first summer task is to take heavy winter clothes downstairs and bring up summer 

ones. Then go through and weed out those I no longer wear. (I wore a white jacket this 

week. It’s after Memorial Day so I’m allowed to.)

 

Things I look forward to: Thursday farmers market with all that organic fresh produce. 

And sitting out on my deck on a balmy evening, glass of Aperol Spritz in hand, enjoying 

watching the sun slip below the hills.

 

JENN McKINLAY: Summer is…less fantastic for me. I’m saying good-bye to my weekly

 farmer’s market outing until October. The AC guy has to come out and
make sure our 

unit is all good. You never want your AC to die when it’s 115. The pool starts getting 

used daily to exercise the dogs - this is actually one of the highlights! 

 

 

And my garden starts to shrivel up and die until late July when it’s time to plant the 

pumpkins and hopefully a robust monsoon season will do the watering. Woo hoo! 

And the highlight of summer is the annual trek to my mom’s summer house in Nova 

Scotia. We count the days until we’re back on the Bay of Fundy, fishing in the trout 

stream, hitting the local farm stands, and running on the beach! Can’t wait! 

DEBORAH CROMBIE: The winter clothes migrated back into the attic here back in 

April! But June does really feel like the beginning of summer, especially with all the 

summer produce coming into the market and the frogs singing in the pond.
But every year I indulge in a little beginning of summer ritual–driving through our 

favorite barbecue joint. We have a great multi-awarded barbecue place but somehow 

when it’s cold it drops off my radar. 

 

But that first warm evening with the lengthening twilight, I love to drive 

across town and sit in the drive-through line with the windows down, smelling the huge 

smokers and watching the light fade over the western treetops. And if I get into the fried 

okra before I get home, don’t tell…

 

JULIA: Readers, what starts your summer? 

Images by freepik, gpointstudio, wirestock, freepik, vecstock, and chandlervid85, all on Freepik.com

Mock Grilled Ribs for Memorial Day

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: As promised, a Memorial Day recipe that fulfills my two requirements: it has to be something guests will expect to see at a cookout, but NOT have to go on a grill, because I am a woman and I don't know how to grill. There, I said it. I married Ross so I would never have to know anything about wine or about BBQ, and it's too late for me to learn no, especially when I have A) the wine guy at RSVP Beverages to tell me what's good and B) recipes like this.

These mock-grilled ribs are not my recipe, but come courtesy of my friend Celia Wakefield, who besides being a delightful commentor on Jungle Reds, was also a professional  caterer. Many of her meals which I've had the good fortune to share are wonders like this - three or four ingredients, a little magic, and they come out looking and tasting like... well, like you had a pro catering for you! Take it away, Celia!

Here is a quick prep recipe which works well with a gathering when you want to be with the party, not in the kitchen.

Ingredients:
2#+ rack of St. Louis spareribs -this will give 14# ribs so allow 3 ribs per person at least.

Spice mix:
Buy a good commercial one like Indian Curry Seasoning from Frontier Coop*, or make your own with:
1 tbsp cumin
2 tbsp coriander
1 tbsp turmeric
2 tbsp cardamom
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp garlic powder NOT salt
1 tbsp chili (Trader Jo makes a great one called TJ Chili Lime seasoning blend)
Measure out and mix together. 

Heat oven to 325 degrees F

Use a baking sheet large enough to lay the ribs down in a single layer.

Tear a piece of heavy duty foil to enclose the ribs with extra to fold over to make a heat proof envelope.

Lay the ribs curved side up in the center of the foil, sprinkle generously with spices.

Turn over and sprinkle the other side. This side is ribs curving up.

Wrap tightly and put in the oven for 1.5 hours dependent on the meatiness of the ribs. More meat, longer cooking. 

Remove and unwrap carefully as the steam can burn!

Turn ribs over and put either under the grill or on the barbecue for a crisper finish.

*  If you can find a smoked mixed spice grab it as it will be wonderful and you can add additional spices to ‘spice’ up the flavor.

Serve by separating the ribs and serving with a rice pilaf or fries or a good baguette. 

JULIA: Do you have any fail-proof cookout recipes you'd like to share, dear readers? And please congratulate Celia, who's celebrating her 50th anniversary with her delightful husband Victor this week!

Fast Five for the Start of Summer

It's Memorial Day Weekend! We'll have some recipes that straddle the line between BBQ and a dinner party tomorrow, and on Monday, we'll reminisce about the Memorial Day parades we have known and loved. But we're all running around like mad today, so it's going to be a Fast Five Questions about the start of summer!


JULIA:
1. What's your fav dish to bring to a cookout?  My mom's potato salad recipe. Simple, cheap, and everybody loves it.

2. Are your feet ready for sandal season?  Heck, no. My feet look like they've just been released from a Siberian gulag. I desperately need a pedi.

3. What's your summer jam? Fishin' in the Dark by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

4. Are you going swimming, and where? I will, with God's help. (That's a joke for the Episcopalians out there.) If the temperatures manage to reach something resembling summer, I'll be dunking in Lake Arrowhead this weekend, otherwise, you can catch me swimming in the Saco River. In July, when it warms up.

5. Name one thing you always have at the ready in summer. A cardigan! Because you never know when it's going to get chilly here in Maine.



HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: 
 1. What's your fav dish to bring to a cookout?   Chilled Prosecco. Fresh fruit--blueberries, raspberries, peaches.  Peach pie!

2. Are your feet ready for sandal season?   Yes! I just got turquoise. I feel so radical.

3. What's your summer jam?  Basia--there's a song called ..ah, I will look it up. Time and Tide, I think. Girl from Ipanema.  Beach Boys!

4. Are you going swimming, and where?  Truro. But do I have to go into the water? We love to float in our back yard pool!  We get big puffy pool floats and books, and lemonade, and float. looking up at the blue blue sky and up through the giant sugar maples. It is glorious and inspirational and very very Zen.

5. Name one thing you always have at the ready in summer.        Sunscreen. A hat.  Sunglasses. (And I swoon at the fragrance of Coppertone and Bain de Soleil!


HALLIE EPHRON
1. What's your fav dish to bring to a cookout? Sesame noodles with mushrooms, and cucumbers. There's a Mark Bittman recipe for it that ran in the NY Times.

2. Are your feet ready for sandal season? I just bought myself sandals that cover my toes so I can put off addressing this very issue.

3. What's your summer jam? In the Summertime, when the weather is hot...

4. Are you going swimming, and where? I'll fully intend to and then usually never actually take the plunge. Peaks Island in Maine where the water is NOT hot.

5. Name one thing you always have at the ready in summer. Vodka and club soda and cranberry juice and lime. 



DEBS:
 1. What's your fav dish to bring to a cookout? Bottles of chilled rose and Sauvignon Blanc. Oooh, and my watermelon and feta salad.

2. Are your feet ready for sandal season? You betcha. This is Texas. I've been in sandals for two months. My toenails are a happy coral.

3. What's your summer jam? Roundabout, by Yes. Always makes me want to drive with the windows down and the sunroof open.

4. Are you going swimming, and where? Sure. If someone who has a pool invites me.

5. Name one thing you always have at the ready in summer. Mosquito repellent!


 
Jenn McKinlay:
 1. What's your fav dish to bring to a cookout? -- Deviled Eggs!!! Always.

2. Are your feet ready for sandal season? -- Yes, mostly because I just don't care (my, god, I love being over 50).

3. What's your summer jam? -- Lounging on the hammock on the porch of our summer house in Nova Scotia while reading and listening to the Grateful Dead. Bliss.

4. Are you going swimming, and where? -- Yes, in my pool in AZ when it's over 100 or in the Bay of Fundy, usually because I tipped my kayak over and have no choice.

5. Name one thing you always have at the ready in summer.  -- Sunscreen.





LUCY BURDETTE:
 1. What's your fav dish to bring to a cookout? Jenn got to the eggs before I did, but that's what I'm bringing too!

2. Are your feet ready for sandal season? Yes, pale pink toes:)

3. What's your summer jam? Under the Boardwalk (people walking above...)

4. Are you going swimming, and where? John's family reunion is in Cape Cod. Really hoping it's warm enough to swim in July--the kids will all be going in!

5. Name one thing you always have at the ready in summer. Rosé!


RHYS BOWEN:
1. What's your fav dish to bring to a cookout? How come everybody has already brought the deviled eggs? That's what we bring. Okay, secret recipe baked beans.

2. Are your feet ready for sandal season? Not exactly. Pedicure needed before I take off for Europe

3. What's your summer jam?  Anything Beach Boys. Barbara Ann.

4. Are you going swimming, and where? I swim year round at my health club and in the pool in Arizona and I'm seriously miffed that I won't have much chance to swim as we criss-cross Europe. Maybe I'll brave the ocean in Cornwall. But I'm a wimp. Brrrr.

5. Name one thing you always have at the ready in summer.: My bathing suit.



JULIA: What is Rhys's secret recipe for baked beans? Will anyone invite Debs to their pool? How many times will Jenn tip her kayak in the Bay of Fundy? Stay tuned for the answer to these and more questions as summer unfolds! Meanwhile, dear readers, you can copy and paste the questions, below, and add your Fast Five to the comments!

1. What's your fav dish to bring to a cookout?

2. Are your feet ready for sandal season?

3. What's your summer jam?

4. Are you going swimming, and where?

5. Name one thing you always have at the ready in summer.