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Montclair, NJ, 07042
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2019601323

Adventures in food for curious cooks.

4th of July Recipes

Holidays

4th of July Recipes

Lynley Jones

It’s the height of summer, with the longest days, the hottest nights, and now a party complete with fireworks. YES!

The 4th of July must include the following four elements: flags, fireworks, fresh air and food. And the last two must be combined. MUST, people!! This is not optional. (Listen, I know it’s hot out there, but I don’t make the rules.) So turn on the sprinkler, hand out squirt guns, do what you have to do. But rev up that grill, and for goodness sake, serve something cold.

Here are my fave recipes to get you ready for this sweaty and patriotic holiday. Happy birthday, America!

The Must-Haves

It wouldn’t be the 4th of July without a little star-spangled flag-waving and watermelon. So these three recipes can get you started with that:

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Watermelon-Lime Granita
Watermelon-Lime Granita

Watermelon and lime blended into a frosty-cold dessert that’s simple to make, and sophisticated enough for any dinner party. (Double win!)

Easy Patriotic Tart
Easy Patriotic Tart

Frozen puff pastry dough, filled with creamy honey-mascarpone and fresh fruit. The quick and easy way to pull together a beautiful fresh-fruit tart.

Star-Spangled Blueberry Pie
Star-Spangled Blueberry Pie

An all-American pie classic, bursting with blueberry flavor and bedecked with stars. You can make this any time of year with blueberries either straight from the freezer or fresh.

The Main Event

Show off your independent streak by serving up something a little different on the Fourth.

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Halloumi Cheese "Burgers"
Halloumi Cheese "Burgers"

A vegetarian burger where the cheese IS the burger. Halloumi cheese stands right up to browning directly in the griddle or on the grill, so you can skip the meat entirely. Slathered with garlic-mayo and topped with all the fixins, so you’re good to go.

Stuffed Burgers with Gochujang Mayo and Scallion Curls
Stuffed Burgers with Gochujang Mayo and Scallion Curls

Burgers stuffed with melty cheese on the inside, topped with red cabbage and scallion curls and a slather of gochujang mayo. Full Korean flavor on a stuffed burger. (Seriously, is there anything else to say?)

Mexican Stuffed Burgers
Mexican Stuffed Burgers

Burgers stuffed with melty cheese on the inside and topped with chiles, grilled onions, avocados and crunchy cilantro-cabbage. Get ready to party!

Asian Chicken (or Turkey) Lettuce Wraps
Asian Chicken (or Turkey) Lettuce Wraps

Shredded chicken or turkey and veggies drizzled with a coconut-peanut sauce, spiked with Sriracha and wrapped in a lettuce leaf.

Carnitas
Carnitas

One of the simplest things you'll ever make.  And also drop-dead delicious. (How is that possible?)

Tostadas with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
Tostadas with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Crispy fried tostadas with hot, creamy beans and crunchy cold toppings. Like a gourmet party-salad on an edible plate - easy and delicious casual dinner, lunch or snack.

Grilled Summer Veggie Tacos
Grilled Summer Veggie Tacos

Tacos filled with grilled summer veggies for your next party - or for dinner tonight.

Grilled Ratatouille Pizza
Grilled Ratatouille Pizza

Grilled pizza topped with grilled summer veggies - zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, onions, peppers and herbs - strewn over herbed goat cheese that's been slathered onto crisp pizza crust.

Grilled Swordfish with Blistered Grape Tomatoes and Sea Beans
Grilled Swordfish with Blistered Grape Tomatoes and Sea Beans

Grilled swordfish with a topping of grape tomatoes and sea beans, a fresh, crunchy-salty seaweed found at farmers markets and specialty shops. See recipe notes for more about sea beans, and how you can still make this if you can’t find them.

Grilled Scallops in Brown Butter with Green Sorrel and Spring Onions
Grilled Scallops in Brown Butter with Green Sorrel and Spring Onions

Grilled sea scallops drizzled with a green garlic-infused brown butter sauce and topped with spring onions, fresh sorrel and a squeeze of lime.

Grilled Pizza with Beet Greens and Goat Cheese
Grilled Pizza with Beet Greens and Goat Cheese

Crispy grilled pizza crust, topped with goat cheese, greens and tomatoes. No party trick here, just really great food.

The Life of the Party

Let this seasoning bring the awesome to your celebration:

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Grilled Ratatouille Pasta Toss
Grilled Ratatouille Pasta Toss

Grilled zucchini, eggplant, heirloom tomatoes and red peppers seasoned with Sumac and Sage seasoning, tossed with pasta and showered with grated pecorino-Romano and minced herbs. You can follow 101 Ways to Use Sumac and Sage Seasoning for more ideas at adventurekitchen.com.

Sumac and Sage Paneer Kabobs with Grilled Chard Leaves
Sumac and Sage Paneer Kabobs with Grilled Chard Leaves

Vegetarian kabobs made with Indian paneer cheese, which grills without melting! Macerate everything in a Sumac and Sage blend sauce with Aleppo pepper, then dollop more sauce on the finished kabobs before serving. You can follow 101 Ways to Use Sumac and Sage Seasoning for more ideas at adventurekitchen.com.

Sumac and Sage "Street Corn"
Sumac and Sage "Street Corn"

Grilled corn on the cob dressed with Sumac and Sage seasoning and other spices, then topped with shredded parmesan and minced parsley. You can follow 101 Ways to Use Sumac and Sage Seasoning for more ideas at adventurekitchen.com.

Sides and Snacks

Summery stuff to nibble, drizzle, dip or nosh.

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Aleppo Pesto-Chimichurri
Aleppo Pesto-Chimichurri

A little bit pesto, a little bit chimichurri, and lots of flavor! Spoon it over grilled meats or veggies, toss it with pasta, slather it over crostini or dribble it onto your pizza. Made with lots of fresh herbs, garlic and shallots, plus toasted pine nuts, mixed together in olive oil with a splash of lemon juice and a little Aleppo pepper.

Roasted Turmeric-Spiced Cauliflower
Roasted Turmeric-Spiced Cauliflower

Roasty-toasty cauliflower with turmeric and other warming spices, tossed with parsley and basil.

Salsa de Molcajete
Salsa de Molcajete

Salsa made from garlic, roasted tomatoes and serrano chiles, ground together in a molcajete (mortar and pestle) and served warm.

Mexican Black Bean Dip
Mexican Black Bean Dip

Addictively tasty Mexican dip for chips, or spread for veggie burgers or sandwiches.

Mexican-Style Ceviche
Mexican-Style Ceviche

Fish marinated in lime juice and tossed with chiles, onions, tomatoes, avocados and orange juice.

Classic Guacamole
Classic Guacamole

Guaranteed to disappear the minute it's served. Check out the recipe notes for tips on how to achieve guacamole awesomeness in your kitchen.

Pico de Gallo
Pico de Gallo

A fresh, raw salsa that adds a burst of flavor to almost anything, from tacos to scrambled eggs.

Originally created for our Mexican Cooking Fiesta class, this recipe was featured in our Mostly Plants series.

Charred Cauliflower With Brown Butter Scape Sauce
Charred Cauliflower With Brown Butter Scape Sauce

Cauliflower grilled crispy and brown, then dressed in a rich garlicky-buttery sauce.

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Tomatillos and chiles roasted together and blended with onions and cilantro. This green salsa is cool, crisp, spicy and a little tangy, perfect on tacos or tostadas, or dolloped on fried or scrambled eggs.

Creamy Goat Cheese Dip
Creamy Goat Cheese Dip

Mild, creamy dip with a hint of goat cheese tang. Perfect for crudite or chips, as a spread on sandwiches or to dollop on veggies.

Tomato and Grilled Corn Salad
Tomato and Grilled Corn Salad

Juicy tomatoes, grilled corn kernels, red onions and cilantro, with a squeeze of lime and just a hint of mild pepper. Simple to make and full of flavor (plan to lick the bowl).

Simplest Grilled Corn on the Cob
Simplest Grilled Corn on the Cob

Quick and easy way to cook corn on the grill.

Basil-Peach Toasts
Basil-Peach Toasts

Sweet, juicy peaches with basil and a hint of cinnamon, mounded onto mascarpone-slathered sourdough toast.

Lemon-Kale Chiffonade Salad with Summer Fruit
Lemon-Kale Chiffonade Salad with Summer Fruit

Cutting the kale into thin chiffonade helps it to mingle with all the other flavors and textures of this delicious salad. 

Drinks and Dessert

Grilled fruit, cold drinks and frozen treats to get you ready for the fireworks.

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Summer-Thyme Peach Lemonade
Summer-Thyme Peach Lemonade

Lemons, peaches and thyme combine to fill every glass with the flavors of summer.

Grilled Peaches with Aleppo-Tequila Honey Sauce
Grilled Peaches with Aleppo-Tequila Honey Sauce

Grilled peaches drizzled with a tequila-honey sauce infused with Aleppo pepper and a punch of lime. It’s like a party for your peaches! (And for you, of course.)

Sumac-Basil Vodka Lemonade Cocktail
Sumac-Basil Vodka Lemonade Cocktail

Super-refreshing, fizzy and fun lemonade cocktail infused with basil and sumac.

Frozen Sumac-Basil Lemonade Spice Pops
Frozen Sumac-Basil Lemonade Spice Pops

Lemony-sweet basil frozen ice pops. Flecked with sumac, to bring nuance to the tartness and gorgeous pink color to your Spice Pop.

Frozen Hibiscus-Mint Lime Spice Pops
Frozen Hibiscus-Mint Lime Spice Pops

Frozen ice pops made from hibiscus-mint syrup blended with lime juice, frozen into a sweet summer treat.

Frozen Aleppo Chocolate Spice Pops
Frozen Aleppo Chocolate Spice Pops

Ice pops made with semisweet chocolate, Aleppo pepper, Mexican piloncillo sugar, cinnamon and cream. Chocolaty and slightly spicy, with a cinnamon twist.

Fizzy Mint Limeade
Fizzy Mint Limeade

Cool, fizzy and refreshing drink, perfect for a summer day. Or any day. Add a little gin for a grownup twist.

Mucho Mango Tart
Mucho Mango Tart

Miles of mangoes and flaky puff pastry make for a fairly simple but impressive dessert, especially when topped with homemade Cajeta de Leche.

Peach-Pecan Crumble with Whiskey-Cream
Peach-Pecan Crumble with Whiskey-Cream

Juicy, ripe peaches, crumbly topping studded with pecans, all drizzled with sweet whiskey-cream. Oh yeah.

Grilled Nectarines with Basil-Wine Honey and Ricotta Salata
Grilled Nectarines with Basil-Wine Honey and Ricotta Salata

White wine-honey sauce is infused with basil, then drizzled over grilled nectarines. Crumbled ricotta salata is then sprinkled on top for a creamy, slightly-salty finish.

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Bring to a Backyard Party

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categories 4th of July
tags fruit, burgers, dessert, fish, beef, vegetables, tacos, grill, seafood, pizza, shellfish, 4th of July, Independence Day, Flag