Over vacation I spent some quality time outside with my feet up with a mountain of magazines. Unfortunately, this didn’t last as long as I hoped – as we quickly were attacked by dinosaur sized Florida mosquitos. But, I did have a chance to get through this month’s Bon Appetit and a small stack of antique Martha Stewart Magazines that my mother has been holding onto for decades. Just like our clothing styles, food trends seem to also have their resurrections.

One recipe that stood out this month was Paul Kahan’s recipe in Bon Appetit for County-Style Ribs with Quick Pickled Watermelon. The photo is particularly striking – and humbling as I look at my own photo! I tagged it for the perfect day to experiment.

I made this recipe on Saturday night with friends – although I substituted pork chops for country-style ribs.  I was happy to find a plethora of colorful small tomatoes at the market and watermelon on sale at most grocery stores. If I did it again, I’d marinate overnight but 6 hours was plenty of time for a nice flavor.

We devoured this platter of local Massey Creek pork chops, tomatoes, watermelon and cilantro. Casual, fun and certainly sticky. If you are looking for an interesting new twist on a weekend dinner – I highly suggest this. It is very easy, unique and a great recipe that keeps the heat out of the kitchen!