Standing Florida Rib Roast with Roasted Vegetables and Arugula Pesto

Ingredients

Preparation

Rib Roast

Remove the rib roast from the refrigerator 1 hour before cooking (this helps the rib roast cook evenly). Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Preheat a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat (one big enough to fit the entire rib roast). Generously season the entire outside of the rib roast with the seasoning blend, then season with salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste. Add the olive oil to the preheated pan. Carefully add the seasoned rib roast to the preheated pan. Sear the rib roast for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until browned. Place the browned rib roast bone-side-down in a roasting pan or baking sheet with high sides. Cook the rib roast. After 1 hour, check the temperature by inserting an internal thermometer into the thickest part of the rib roast. You can generally estimate total cooking time by multiplying 20 minutes by how many pounds the rib roast weighs. After cooking for 1 hour, it’s important to check the temperature every 20 minutes. The ideal temperature for a medium-rare rib roast is 130 to 135 degrees (125 for rare, 145 for medium). Remove the rib roast from the oven about 5 to 10 degrees before desired temperature, then cover with foil and let rest for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

Roasted Vegetables

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Scrub and rinse the potatoes to remove any debris. Make cuts about ⅛ inches apart across the width of the entire potato, making sure to not cut completely through. Repeat this process with each potato. In a medium mixing bowl, combine 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon chopped herbs, cut potatoes, and 1 tablespoon garlic; mix to combine and season lightly with salt and pepper. Place the cut and seasoned potatoes onto a large baking pan with the cut-side facing up, and lightly season the top of each potato with salt and pepper, to taste. Make sure to save room for the rest of the prepared vegetables. Bake potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes and remove from the oven. Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees (the rib roast should be out of the oven and resting by now). In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the broccoli florets, zucchini, squash, carrots, snap beans, 1 tablespoon garlic, 1 tablespoon seasoning blend and 1 tablespoon chopped herbs. Stir ingredients to coat. Add the seasoned vegetables to the pan with the cooking potatoes. Cook everything together for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until crisp tender. Remove from the oven and serve warm. Garnish with fresh herbs.

Arugula Pesto

Dry-roast the pecans in a pan with no oil over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Be careful not to burn them or they will turn bitter. In the same pan over medium heat, lightly toast the garlic cloves in 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Place the arugula, pecans, and garlic into a food processor. Process this mixture while drizzling in the olive oil and the lemon juice. When thoroughly combined, remove and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Store in the refrigerator. Serve over oven-roasted Florida vegetables, on the side with the rib roast.