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It’s hard to believe that the 4th of July is this weekend. Where did June go?
Continuing our theme of eating local foods for the holidays, here are my thoughts on a locally-sourced Independence Day cookout:
For the main dish, I personally am partial to burgers and will get the beef from Wolf Creek Farm when they’re at the farmers’ market this weekend. The buns will come from one of the local bakeries. For condiments, I still haven’t found local ketchup and mustard, so I’ll just get the organic versions from an organic grocery store.
For vegetarians, I love the idea of pasta from Mona Lisa Pasta or Pasta Valente tossed with a little olive oil, toasted walnuts, and chunks of grilled zucchini.
For veggies, wandering around the farmers’ market this time of year is so fun, as there is just so much available. In addition, my own garden is producing food like crazy. So my holiday cookout is going to include corn on the cob, zucchini, and lots of other veggies.
Since I just dug up Yukon Gold potatoes from my garden, I’ll make fries to go with the burgers. Home fries are super easy — just chop potatoes into wedges, toss with olive oil and salt, and bake at 400 degrees until done, about 40 minutes.
And of course, there are tomatoes. Ahhhh, glorious tomatoes. I’ve been waiting for months and now they’re here. For the burgers, I’ll just slice the tomatoes to layer in with the cheese and condiments. For the pasta, I’d probably keep things simple and make a side dish of chopped tomatoes, fresh mozzarella chunks, and fresh basil tossed together and then drizzled with a little olive oil.
Since there’s so much fruit available, I’ll definitely have some sort of fruit salad or even just plain fresh fruit, such as mixed berries or sliced peaches.
As for dessert, there are so many possibilities. Maybe I’ll make angel food cake and vanilla ice cream topped with berries. Or if I don’t feel like making dessert, I’ll get some festive cupcakes from Cappellino’s. Frank and Dotty are sure to have cupcakes decorated with wee flags, patriotic edible glitter, and more.
For drinks, I’ll serve Starr Hill beer, wines from one of the many local vineyards, and frozen blueberry lemonade for everyone to enjoy.
These are just my ideas, based on what my family likes and what I’m in the mood for. Luckily, this time of year, there’s just so much to choose from! What are your favorite things to eat on the 4th of July?
The author is not employed by any of the businesses mentioned.
