Dan's Papers - June 19, 2009 - Simple Art of Cooking

What a nice coincidence that Father's Day falls on the first official day of summer, that special day that traditionally brings out the best in Dad, as he kicks off the season at the grill. Hello summer, we've been waiting for you. Isn't it supposed to be April showers that bring May flowers, followed by sunshine days of summer barbecues? I know, I know, grilling enthusiasts will fire up the grill no matter the weather - in rain and even snow - while hoping for that elusive sunshine. My husband does a great job of getting the coals started using charcoal hardwood and allowing them to burn to a perfect gray ash. He can then sit back and read the Sunday paper, while occasionally tending the grill. I hope I'm wrong, but it looks like we're due for more rain.

Nevertheless, barbecued ribs and spinach salad with strawberry vinaigrette are dishes of choice for the day. My antidote for rain, should it happen, is to oven barbecue the ribs. Just be sure your ribs are the best quality available and the spinach is local from a sustainable and/or organic farm stand or farmers market. It is strawberry season on the East End. Even with our complaints of unseasonably cool and wet weather, we are savoring plump, sweet, ripe-down-to-the-tip, local strawberries. Pick up some crumbly short cakes at your favorite takeout, top with luscious berries and a dollop of créme fraiche for Dad to enjoy our fleeting strawberry season.

Rain or shine, have a savory, sweet and happy Father's Day.

SPINACH SALAD WITH STRAWBERRY VINAIGRETTE

Purchase only the freshest local spinach and sweet local strawberries for this salad.

1. Stem spinach leaves and wash them in several changes of water to remove any sand. Spin dry in a salad spinner, and then wrap in paper towels to absorb excess moisture.

2. Coarsely cut shallot and put into work bowl of food processor; process to chop fine. Add strawberries, salt, cayenne, mustard (if using) and Sherry wine vinegar and process to purée the berries, pushing down sides with a rubber spatula as necessary. Slowly add olive oil through the feed tube until mixture is homogenous. Taste to adjust vinaigrette. The dressing should yield about 1/2 cup.

3. Tear spinach leaves into a bowl and dress the salad with a few tablespoons of vinaigrette at a time just to coat the leaves. Add more dressing as needed.

OVEN-BARBECUED RIBS WITH TOASTY SPICE RUB

A dry rub is a spice mix that can be rubbed into your meat up to two days before grilling.

1. In a mixing bowl, combine dry rub ingredients, except ribs, and stir to mix. With a paper towel grab the thin skin from the back of the rib bones; pull off and discard. Divide the mixture to rub into racks on both sides. Wrap each rack with heavy-duty foil large enough to cover them securely and refrigerate for up to two days.

2. For the mopping sauce heat oil in a saucepan, add chopped onion and sauté, stirring occasionally until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally so that sauce doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Sauce will reduce and thicken slightly. Refrigerate sauce until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3. Bring ribs to room temperature when ready to cook. Place securely wrapped ribs on a baking sheet in one layer. Bake for 1 hour, remove from oven, uncover and baste racks with 1/3 cup of sauce. Return to oven and bake uncovered for another 25-30 minutes or until meat is fall-off-the-bone tender. Baste with some of the additional sauce and keep warm in a 180-degree oven. Transfer to a cutting board; slice ribs between the bones and serve.

Note: If you have excess sauce, refrigerate in a suitable container for later use.