For some, July 4th gatherings focus on fireworks, games, and decorations. Those things can play a part, but it’s the food that is most often central to the shindigs. Yes,commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence, marking the colonies’ official declaration of separation from Great Britain, is at the heart of the celebration, butit’s also the chow that brings us together.
Burgers or hot dogs, grilled ribs or bratwurst are often the entrees of choice. They call out for side salad accompaniments to balance the fare. From potato to pasta to greensteamed with vegetables, these recipes turn out delicious, foolproof salads. And gratefully, much of the prep can be done in advance.
Advance Preparation:
Potato Salad: Up to three days in advance prepare the vinaigrette dressing; cover and refrigerate. The eggs can be hard cooked up to 6 days in advance, then cooled andrefrigerated. The salad can be prepared without the eggs one day in advance and refrigerated airtight.
Hearts of Romaine Salad with Beets, Apples, and Blue Cheese Dressing: Prepare the dressing up to 3 days in advance, cover and refrigerate (at serving time if thedressing is too thick, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons milk). Toast the walnuts up to a week ahead; cool and store airtight.
July Fourth Tomato and Cornbread Crouton Salad: Toast the cornbread cubes up to a day ahead of time; cool completely and store airtight at room temperature. Preparethe dressing up to three days in advance and store airtight in the refrigerator. Cheese can be cubed and refrigerated several days in advance, as can the marinated artichokehearts.
Fusilli Pasta Salad: The salad can be prepared up to three days in advance and stored airtight in the fridge. If making it in advance, add the baby arugula and chopped freshbasil just before serving.
Vinaigrette Style Potato Salad is shown served with sliced hard-cooked eggs. (Photo by Cathy Thomas)Vinaigrette Style Potato Salad
Potato salad seems an essential component at a July 4th gathering. There’s nothing complicated about it; basically, it is boiled potatoes tossed with a mustardy vinaigrettespiked with fresh herbs. It can be served at room temperature or chilled. The recipe is open to loads of variations. I like to include hard-cooked eggs as a protein-packed garnish to please the vegetarians in the crowd. If you are planning a picnic or taking it to a friend’s home, pack the peeled whole eggs in a separate container with iceand add them at the event. Other potential add-ons include chopped, small gherkin pickles (cornichons), or finely diced red onion.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
INGREDIENTS
1 3/4 pounds small white potatoes, such as Baby Dutch Yellow potatoes, or small redpotatoes
Coarse salt
Vinaigrette: 1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, 1 1/2 teaspoons
Dijon mustard, 3 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons drained capers
About 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
About 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
About 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
Optional: 3 hard-cooked eggs, peeled, quartered lengthwise
DIRECTIONS
1. Place whole potatoes in large saucepan or Dutch oven and add cold water to cover. Add a good pinch of salt. Bring to boil on high heat; partially cover and reduce heat togently boil for about 10 minutes, or until potatoes are just fork tender. Drain in colander.
2. Meanwhile, prepare vinaigrette in large bowl. Whisk vinegar, salt, pepper and mustard until combined. Add oil in thin stream, whisking to combine.
3. When potatoes are cool enough to handle but still warm, cut each in half lengthwise and add to bowl with vinaigrette (stir vinaigrette before adding first potato). Toss (I use asilicone or rubber spatula to prevent breakage). Add capers, chives, parsley and dill; toss. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
4. Just before serving, add eggs and gently toss (or use the eggs as garnish). Serve warm or chilled.
Hearts of Romaine Salad with Beets, Apples, and Blue Cheese Dressing juxtaposes flavors and textures in irresistible ways. (Photo by Nick Koon)Hearts of Romaine Salad with Beets, Apples, and Blue Cheese Dressing
The flavor and texture combinations in this salad are irresistible. Romaine and creamy blue cheese dressing form perfect pairings with cooked beets and apples. The subtle bitter edge and crunch of toasted walnuts add a welcome contrast. I love the visual allure of a wedge salad presentation, but if you prefer you can coarsely chop the lettuce into large bite-size pieces to make a chopped salad.
Yield: 6 servings
INGREDIENTS
Dressing:
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper
6 ounces crumbled blue cheese
Salad:
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
3 hearts of romaine, each quartered lengthwise
1 cup cooked, sliced beets, see cook’s notes
1 crisp apple, unpeeled, cored, cut into 1/4-inch wedges
Optional for thinning dressing: 1 to 2 tablespoons milk
2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
Cook’s notes: Whole, steamed beets are available at many supermarkets packaged in boxes that contain about 8 ounces. They are generally stocked in the produce section.
DIRECTIONS
1. Place lemon juice, yogurt, olive oil, salt and pepper in blender. Whirl until smooth, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape down sides if needed. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Stir in blue cheese.
2. Place walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Toast until lightly browned in a 350-degree oven, for about 5 minutes. Watch carefully because nuts burn easily. Set aside to cool.
3. On each plate, place 2 romaine quarters or arrange all the romaine quarters on a large platter. Arrange beet slices and apple wedges next to romaine. Spoon dressing across plate from side to side, spilling dressing across middle of romaine and a portion of the beets and apples. If dressing is too thick, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons milk. Scatter walnuts on top. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Source: “Everyday Cooking with Organic Produce” by Cathy Thomas
July 4th Tomato and Cornbread Crouton Salad is a vibrant way to celebrate Independence Day. (Photo by Cathy Thomas)July Fourth Tomato and Cornbread Crouton Salad
Cornbread was always part of my childhood July 4th gatherings. Although we thought of it as a tasty bread that was slathered with honey-spiked butter, over the years I’ve grown to appreciate cornbread croutons, toasted cubes of cornbread tossed at the last minute into green salad. When time is short, I buy prepared cornbread at my local Albertsons. It’s stocked in the fresh bakery department.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
INGREDIENTS
3/4 pound cornbread, homemade or store-bought, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
Nonstick olive oil spray
Dressing:
1/2 cup good olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon minced shallot
Salad:
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes (not grape tomatoes)
3/4 cup marinated artichokes cut into thin lengthwise slices (with marinade still intact)
1 cup ( cut into 1/2-inch cubes) Manchego cheese or Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 hothouse cucumber, quartered lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch chunks
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 handful baby arugula, about 1 cup
DIRECTIONS
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Coat rimmed baking sheet with olive oil spray and spread cornbread cubes in single layer on sheet. Coat pieces with oil spray and bake until crisp and golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes, gently tossing pieces halfway through baking. (If you want them crisper and browner, turn on broiler and watch them closely until browned to your liking — be careful; they burn easily. Cool.
2. Prepare the dressing:. In a medium-small bowl, add all dressing ingredients; whisk to combine. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, add tomatoes, artichokes, cheese, cucumber, basil and arugula. Stir dressing and toss salad with enough dressing to coat the ingredients. Taste and correct seasoning as needed. Add cornbread croutons and gently toss. Serve.
One hack for making Fusilli Pasta Salad is to cook the pasta too soft, with the assumption that it will firm up as it cools. (Photo by Getty Images)Fusilli Pasta Salad
Pasta salad is an American invention. Vinaigrette coated pasta paired with ingredients such as salami, mozzarella and olives, makes a tasty side dish. America’s Test Kitchen’s version calls for cooking the corkscrew-shaped fusilli pasta until it is a little too soft, reasoning that as it cools it will firm up a little and take on a just-right texture.
Yield: 8 to 10 servings as a side dish
INGREDIENTS
1 pound dried fusilli pasta
Salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 anchovy fillets, rinsed, patted dry, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1 cup pepperoncini, stemmed, divided, plus 2 tablespoons brine
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
2 ounces (2 cups) baby arugula
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, quartered
8 ounces salami, cut into 3/8-inch dice
8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 3/8-inch dice and patted dry
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until pasta is tender throughout, 2 to 3 minutes past al dente. Drain pasta in colander and rinse under cold water until chilled. Drain well and transfer to large bowl.
2. Meanwhile, combine oil, garlic, anchovies, and pepper flakes in microwave-safe liquid measuring cup. Cover and microwave until bubbling and fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds. Setaside.
3. Slice half of the pepperoncini into thin rings and set aside. Transfer remaining pepperoncini to food processor. Add capers and pulse until finely chopped, 8 to 10 pulses, scraping down the side of bowl as needed. Add pepperoncini ring and warm oil mixture; process until combined, about 20 seconds.
4. Add dressing to pasta and toss to combine. Add arugula, basil, tomatoes, olives, salami, mozzarella and reserved pepperoncini; toss well. Season with salt and pepperto taste. Serve. (If making salad in advance, store covered in refrigerator — add arugula and basil just before serving.)
Source: “Big Flavors from Italian America” by America’s Test Kitchen
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