The Memorial Day forecast calls for rain in Southeast Texas, but that’s fine by me. A rainy Monday Memorial holiday calls for sleeping late, a date with a good book, some barbecue in the afternoon and a war movie or two. Whether or not you’ve got rain in your forecast, here are a few tried and true recipes that are just right for the Memorial Day table.
My Spicy-Sweet Honey Chipotle Pork Spareribs are cooked “low and slow” in the oven and then given a quick finish on the grill for that time-honored char. Give ’em a try!
If you’re vegetarian, try the rub from the ribs recipe on grilled eggplant; my blogger friend at Pleasant Peasant Cuisine suggested that in a comment on my post about the ribs. He used the rub on his Stuffed Squash Blossoms, which would be a great vegetarian main dish for Memorial Day or a lovely side.

What’s a barbecue without a slaw on the side? Here’s my slightly spicy Pepper Jelly Slaw recipe.
Or you could opt for a Throw-Down Side: Quick and Easy Black Bean Salad.
Serrano Ham and Corn Pudding is a great side for ribs (actually, I think it is a great side for anything, and it’s not even one of my original recipes).
Why not finish off the meal with some great big cookies that are chock-full of cookie goodness? You’ll like my Glover Gardens Comfort Cookies, and since they have nuts, oatmeal and dried fruit, too, they qualify as “healthy”. That means you can eat more of ’em!

Happy Memorial Day! And no, even though I’m blogging about the menu, I haven’t forgotten the reason we celebrate: those who gave their lives for our freedom. In their memory, here’s a photo of our flag, taken at Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC. I love how prominently it is displayed there.
Copyright 2017, Glover Gardens Cookbook
The Black Bean Salad looks great! I used some of the chipotle rub along with a little citric acid on popcorn this evening.
Awesome! We had popcorn, too, and I used one of a ten-pack of fab spices I got for Christmas. I’m always torn between the already-made (by someone else) and the just-in-time, just-for-me spice mixes.