BBQ ribs are best prepared as you make the sauce

Pork Ribs 9 sides
Mirpoix 1 quart
Chicken stock 2 gallons
White wine 1 quart
Salt pepper
Jalipeno 3 pc

Two weeks ago Scot Chasky gave me a packet of red runner beans. The germination rate was about 60 percent at The Lodge, 100 percent at The Litltle Kitchen. Each seedling has structure to reach out to, I can see the first shoots coming off the stem surrounded by big heart shaped leaves. Across from the beans each garden sports garlic shoots that are reaching for the sky, days away from opening, slowly curling from the roots that swell under the surface.

Family dinner tonight included a steamed Jasmine rice, sautéed broccoli with ginger, garlic and peppers and grilled chicken in a similar marinade. The chicken breast was grilled over a new flame because of time instead of my usual routine of throwing it on a pre heated grill. The chicken was in the marinade for 30 minutes prior to grilling.

For the Similar Marinade:

8 cloves of garlic
1 large knob of garlic, peeled and chopped (1/4 cup)
1 red pepper, seeds and stem removed
1/2 cup blended oil
¼ cup lime juice

Oyster mushrooms carmalized w/ garlic scapes over spring greens

What's real, what isn't? The mushroom man, he's real. His name is Daveand the mushrooms he sell taste awesome. I first met Dave at the Little Kitchen a few years ago. It was a Sunday morning in November, he chose the BuffaloSteak and Eggs for breakfast. The dish made him happy and he shared that with me.

Since that time, I've seen Dave at the farmers market in Sag Harbor. His offerings are exotic, many of which come from his production. Never stopped to buy, why I'm not sure. Perhaps it's just a barrier that he had to break and he did. Last Friday, after the market day had passed and I was breaking down my pasta stand, I found a brown paper bag. The Mushroom Man had shared his oyster mushrooms with me. This is a gesture that to me suggests a greeting, a welcome to the club of sorts.

Tonight for dinner the feature was oyster mushrooms, first tossed in equal parts of reduced balsamic vinegar, soy sauce and olive oil then caramelized in a cast iron skilletwith thinly sliced garlic scapes.

The mushrooms meaty flavor compliments a roughly chopped salad of pea sprouts,spring spinach and arugula. Not only did this meal celebrate the gift of Dave's oyster mushrooms it also defined the first harvest at Quail Hill. On SaturdayWhittier joined me in the lower gardens, snipping spinach then arugula, followedby a walk up to the field east of the apple orchard in search of pea shoots.
The result needs no dressing, simply place the cleaned, chopped spring greens ineach bowl and top with equal parts of caramelized oyster mushrooms, be sure topour any remaining liquid over the mushrooms, serve hot.
To serve 4 as a starter:
4 cups chopped fresh oyster mushrooms
2 cups fresh cleaned arugula
2 cups fresh spring spinach
1 bunch pea shoots, remove thick stems
4 tablespoons reduced balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons olive oil
6 garlic scapes, sliced into thin pieces
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
Start with vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat, add garlic scapes and stir for 3 minutes then add the chopped mushrooms after they've been tossed with the olive oil, vinegar and soy. Turn up the heat and stir often, when the mushrooms have caramelized transfer them to the bowls filled with greens and serve.