Happy Flag Day!

We had Erika and Gary and the Graves over for dinner to celebrate Flag Day. Earlier in the day I saw two bald eagles flying over Lake Washington, so I knew this was going to be a great flag day celebrations! It had been way too long since we'd seen Erika and Gary so it was nice to see them and hear about their wedding plans. We also had some good food. Here are the highlights:

These were delicious!
texas-rubbed and brined pork chops
Brine
4 cups apple cider
1 cup Morton kosher salt
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 bay leaves, crumbled
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon whole cloves
4 cups ice cubes or cold water
Meat
1 (4-5 pound) center-cut pork loin
2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
Rub - Next time I might cut back on the salt and add something sweet...
1/4 cup Morton kosher salt
2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Oak or apple wood chips, soaked
Combine the cider, salt, sugar, bay leaves, peppercorns and cloves in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for about three minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the sugar and salt dissolve. Remove from heat and add the ice cubes or cold water (the ice cubes will cool the brine to room temperature faster).
Place the pork loin in a nonreactive pan or resealable plastic bag (brining bag) and cover with the brine. Cover pan or tightly close the bag and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours. If you are using an extra large resealable bag or brining bag, rotate the pork a few times to make sure all of the meat gets brined. Before roasting, remove the pork and pat dry with paper towels.
Meanwhile, make the rub by combining all of the spices and mixing well. You will not need all of the rub for this recipe. Store any leftover rub in a clean, airtight container.
If you are cooking on a charcoal grill, build the fire and sprinkle the wet wood chips over the gray-ashed briquettes just before putting the food on the grill.
Lightly brush pork with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with rub. Place pork directly on the cooking grate and cook for about 90 minutes or until an instant-read meat thermometer reaches 155°F. Remove pork from roasting pan. Let meat rest for 10 minutes.
Cut pork loin into thick (double-cut) chops and serve.

This salad was light and pretty, but a pain to make and as Charlie put it, "Only good if you REALLY like tomatoes." Maybe that's why I liked it...
cherry tomato and lemon salad
2 large lemons
1 tablespoon sugar
1 lb cherry or grape tomatoes (3 cups), halved or, if large, quartered
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Finely grate enough zest from 1 lemon to measure 2 teaspoons. Trim ends of both lemons, then stand lemons on a cut side and cut peel, including all white pith, from lemons with a sharp paring knife (discard peel). Cut segments free from membranes, then cut segments crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces. Toss lemon segments gently with sugar in a bowl.
Stir in remaining ingredients and zest, then let stand, covered, at room temperature 15 minutes (to allow flavors to develop).


This corn was good, but the butter was even better... I took a little of the extra butter and added honey to use on corn bread and it was my favorite part of the meal...
grilled corn with smoked paprika butter
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoons hot smoked paprika - I only had sweet smoked paprika and I don't know if I'd use the hot, because the sweet smoke taste was great
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/4 teaspoon sugar
Pinch of salt
10 ears of fresh corn, shucked
Blend butter, paprika, garlic, sugar, and salt in processor until smooth. Wrap paprika butter in plastic, forming 1 1/2-inch-diameter log. Refrigerate butter until very cold, about 2 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Working in batches, cook corn in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well. Grill corn until lightly browned in spots, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes. Serve corn hot with thick slices of paprika butter.