Celebrating the simple joy of warm, sweet, fresh-smelling air, eating together in the evening air, and BBQ. That’s what summer is to me!

After getting up at the crack of dawn and spending all day working in my yard, I relish the feeling of satisfaction that I get at the end of a long summer day. My favorite summertime memories include standing with a cool beverage in my hand, with the tiki torches flickering and the smell of the grill teasing my nostrils as it sears and roasts my dinner to perfection.

But what fun is grilling without a beautiful, chemical-free yard in which to enjoy it in? Our yards are our personal, little corners of the earth and, I don’t know about you, but I like mine to be green in more ways than color.

Browsing through the Brown Paper Tickets website, I came across some great events that will help you find the best ways to maintain your yard in the greenest way possible during the yard work season. Seattle Tilth has a bunch of really cool classes that range from sustainable land care courses to gardening and more. They’re exactly the thing we need to get informed about better summer living through sustainable, organic yard care.

Organic Gardening 101
Edibles in your Landscape
Harvest the Rain From Landscapes to Cisterns

You can view all of the great events that Seattle Tilth has to offer on their Producer Page!

In the spirit of the season I also included this BBQ rib recipe. Enjoy!

Barbecued Baby Back Pork Ribs:

2-3 slabs of baby back pork ribs cleaned

Dry rub ingredients:

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon dry mustard powder

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon granulated garlic

1 tablespoon granulated onion

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon white pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Brine ingredients:

1/2 cup salt or 1 cup kosher salt

1/2 cup granulated sugar

4 quarts cold water

Brining & Marinating:

Combine the salt, sugar and water in a large plastic container or non-reactive stock pot.

Place ribs in brine and refrigerate for one to four hours.

Remove ribs from the brine and pat dry with paper towels.

Rub generously with the dry rub on both sides of the ribs and wrap tightly with plastic wrap.

Place in refrigerator overnight.

Cooking:

To cook on a wood/charcoal grill:

Soak 2 large chunks of hickory in water. Light about 40-50 coals or you may also use an equal amount of dry hickory chunks for an intense smoke flavor.

The temperature inside the grill should be around 275°F with a total cooking time of 4 hours.

Once coals are covered with a gray ash push them over to one side put the soaked hickory chunks on the coals and replace the grate, form a pan with some heavy aluminium foil large enough for the rib, put it on the cool side of the grill, place the ribs in the “pan” add about 1 cup of water and put the cover on the grill with the holes over the meat.

To cook on a propane grill:

Light the grill and turn off half (or 2/3rds) of the burners, set up the ribs in the same fashion on the cooler side of the grill. Instead of large chunks use soaked hickory chips in a throw away aluminium pan on top of the hot side of the grill.

Turn the meat 180 degrees and over every 30 minutes.

About two hours into the cooking you will need to add a little more charcoal (when using a charcoal grill) and wood (when using either a propane or charcoal grill). Use your best judgement as a different amount may be needed. The total cooking time should be around four hours. Until the rib meat is falling off the bone.

Brush your favorite BBQ sauce on the meat for the last 5-10 minutes of the cooking process if desired. And serve some extra warmed up on the side.