GFR: Fourth of July Classics

In my family, the Fourth of July is a thing. Each year, we gather at my grandmother’s cottage on a lake in northern Minnesota for some of the best days of the summer. We fill our time with family, boating, swimming, and of course, good food. On the day of the actual holiday, the whole family pitches in to make a huge spread of amazing, classic summer time food.

This week’s Good Food Reads is all about Fourth of July Classics. I’ve put together a list of some of our family favorites as well as some new classics to round out your holiday menu. What are your summer holiday hits? We’d love to hear from you!

As everyone is coming in and out of the water, snack foods are a must. I’m definitely a salty snack girl so I love chips and dip, especially this Simple Guacamole from Mexican food guru, Rick Bayless. I usually serve it along side a batch of fresh pico de gallo – check back here next tuesday for our pico recipe!

A recent addition to our family Fourth celebration is this Street Corn Salad. I usually double the recipe at a minimum. It’s totally addicting. And a totally fun twist on corn (off) the cob!

If you want to make some corn on the cob, give this version a try: Parmesan Corn on the Cob. I actually like to make it on the grill though this specific recipe roasts it in the oven.

Need some burger inspiration? The geniuses at Food Lab have a whole collection of burger recipes to choose from. I’m thinking these Pimento-Jalapeño Cheeseburgers might be just the thing to spice things up a bit!

I’m obsessed with Roseanne Cash’s potato salad recipe. It’s got pickles (pickles!), egg, celery, and fresh dill all mixed in with red potatoes, vinegar, mayo and mustard for a potato salad that has texture and great flavor pops! Give it a try this Fourth of July. You won’t regret it.

If you’re looking for a more classic take on potato salad, here’s a traditional style recipe sure to please even the biggest purist: Lunds and Byerly’s Original Potato Salad.

My sister in law always makes this amazing Greek Panzanella Salad. While the name of the recipe may not scream “American!,” it is the perfect summer salad. I love having a bright veggie option in the midst of sometimes heavy food.

Each year, we make a batch of my grandma’s Maple Nut ice cream. We do it the old fashioned way – -with a hand crank, bucket style ice cream maker. Everyone gets put to work churning (it’s a lot of work!) and I’m pretty sure it tastes even better because we had to sweat for it. While I can’t share my family’s recipe just yet, if you want to a start an ice cream tradition of your own, why not try this Cinnamon Apple Cheesecake Ice Cream? And don’t worry, you can definitely use an automatic ice cream maker!

Not sure it gets any more Americana than this: Ina Garten’s Fourth of July Flag Cake. You’re welcome.

Also, if you want to check out the American flag pie as seen on our Facebook account – here’s a link to our take on it from a few years ago as well as the original recipe!

Well friends, that’s it for this week’s Good Food Reads. I’m off to start some holiday prep. Here’s to a great weekend and a great holiday. Happy Birthday, America!