The barbecue season launched on Memorial Day and reaches its zenith on the Fourth of July, which is less than two weeks away.
Even those who stay home for the holiday often fire up the grill to enjoy the pleasure of cooking outdoors and making picnic favorites. This is a day for nostalgia when we remember our nation’s history and cook up dishes we have enjoyed over past summers.
Seasonal eating is popular on the Fourth; we use blueberries from New Jersey for desserts and look to our local farmers markets for other fresh produce to incorporate in our holiday fare.
Fans of sweet corn are forever hopeful the crop will be ready for cooking on the Fourth, but probably will be disappointed this year. A lack of rain kept the corn plants small until recently, so local corn will be hard to find. Diehard corn on the cob lovers can get some at the supermarket that was imported from the South. Strides in cross-breeding have created corn that stays sweeter longer, even when it has to travel a distance.
But there will be plenty of lettuces for salads, herbs for seasoning, and radishes and cauliflower for crudites for dipping. Fresh peas should still be available, along with the first tomatoes of the season. I recently picked up some cherry tomatoes that came out of the greenhouse at Trauger’s Farm Market in Kintnersville, which were excellent and a promise of a great tomato season ahead.
When choosing proteins for your picnic, hot dogs remain the all-American favorite. More hotdogs are consumed over the Fourth of July holiday than any other time of year. That totals more than 150 million each holiday, probably because nearly everyone likes them and they are so easy to make.
Hamburgers are another favorite, with grilled chicken gaining ground. Sausages and fish also are gaining popularity, and vegetarian burgers are selling better than ever.
Don’t forget the deviled eggs and your family’s favorite pasta and potato salads when planning your picnic.
You can jazz up your picnic with a hot dog board like the one shown here from thebakermama.com. The bakeruses 16 hot dogs, a pile of blue tortilla chips and stars cut from American cheese to create a flag motif.
Here is an easy, hearty dip recipe to serve while the hot dogs are cooking. It comes from delish.com:
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
1 (8-oz.) block cream cheese, at room temperature or softened
1 cup shredded cheddar, divided
¼ cup buffalo sauce
1 tablespoon ranch dressing
Few dashes hot sauce
¼ cup crumbled blue cheese (optional)
Finely chopped chives, for garnish
Sliced baguette and carrot and celery sticks, for serving
Adjust an oven rack to center position, and preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine rotisserie chicken, cream cheese, ¾ cup cheddar, buffalo sauce, ranch and hot sauce.
Transfer mixture to an ovenproof skillet or baking dish, and top with remaining ¼ cup cheddar. Bake until warm and bubbly, about 20 minutes.
Top with blue cheese and chives before serving with bread and vegetable sticks.
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