Good morning. Yesterday, New York encountered short-sleeve weather for the first time this year. Somehow, I was ready: There were sausages in the freezer, condiments in the fridge, and—after combining the remnants of the three nearly-fossilized charcoal bags stashed in separate corners of my shed—briquettes in the backyard. Of course, no barbecue, however impromptu, is complete without sides and something to drink. Here are the last-minute recipes I leaned on to round out the year's opening cookout:
1. A pantry-cleaning pasta salad. Specifically this version from Cook's Illustrated, which—thanks to its reliance on shelf-stable ingredients like sun-dried tomatoes, pepperoncini, anchovies, and kalamata olives—did not incite a trip to the grocery store.
2. Baked beans, but lentils. Seriously. This Genius recipe from renowned Montreal restaurant Joe Beef transposes the sweet, acidic, ketchup-and-mustard-laced goodness of traditional baked beans onto the humble lentil. It was a hit—plus, it didn't require any tedious bean soaking.
3. Sweet tea rum punch. My phone's quite familiar with this recipe from Brigid Washington. Here's the gist: 1) make or buy iced tea; 2) add rum, citrus, and some bitters to it; 3) enjoy.
