I’ve made a beautiful fruit barbecue sauce to celebrate seasonal rhubarb, as well as local deep purple vinegar made from the blueberry bounty of previous seasons. First order of business is pork ribs – after all, I made the barbecue sauce at the Fat Cow Farm Store with their pasture-raised meats in mind. However, there are more ways than meat to incorporate this sauce into your first lakeside picnic of June, and I’ve included a few below along with directions for using the crock pot if you want to come home to a nice cool kitchen as well as the enticing aromas of summer.

Enjoy!

First Swim Blue-Barb BBQ Pastured Pork Ribs (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

Pork Ribs (3 Pounds)
Blueberry Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce (1/2 Cup)
Salt & Pepper (Generous Pinch)

Method:

Season ribs with salt and pepper and sear on both sides in a hot skillet, then brush on 1/4 cup of your sauce. If you are cooking the ribs in your oven place them in a tightly covered baking dish and bake for three hours at 300. Alternatively, place them in a slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

First Swim Blue-Barb BBQ Navy Beans (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

Navy Beans (1 Cup Dried)
Blueberry Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce (1/2 Cup)
Honey (1/4 Cup)
Red Onion (1 Diced)
Salt & Pepper (1 Teaspoon Each)

Method:

Soak beans for twelve hours in cold water with a teaspoon of baking soda to ensure even cooking, then drain. Add to four cups of cold unsalted water, bring to a boil and simmer for up to an hour or until tender. Drain all but one cup of cooking liquid and add remaining ingredients. If you are cooking the beans in your oven place them in a tightly covered baking dish and bake for two hours at 325. Alternatively, place them in a slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

First Swim Blue-Barb BBQ Red Cabbage Slaw (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

Blueberry Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce (3 Tablespoons)
Mayonnaise (3 Tablespoons)
Cider Vinegar (1 Tablespoon)
Salt & Pepper (To Taste)

Red Cabbage (1 Medium Head Thin Sliced)
Carrots (2 Grated)
Red Pepper (1 Thin Sliced)
Scallions (4 Thin Sliced)

Method:

Combine the first four ingredients well in a large bowl, then add cabbage, carrots, red pepper & scallions and toss to combine. Serve at once.