I love celebrating the 4th of July! I have so many memories over the years of bike parades, money dives, and belly flop contests at the neighborhood pool. As well as helping my mom prepare for a big family cookout. At night, we would dress in our most festive red, white, and blue attire, stuff ourselves full of BBQ, and eagerly anticipate the main event – fireworks! Since coronavirus hit this year, many of those celebrations will be cancelled or socially distanced. Although the holiday will not be quite the same, there are still fun ways to celebrate our nation’s birth. Our family is planning a stay-at-home celebration with a backyard cookout featuring a festive red, white, and blue themed menu. There are fabulous options available this time of year with delicious seasonal produce. Posted are recipes for the starter and dessert along with ideas for an easy main menu. Enjoy!
MENU
For starters:
Burrata with roasted tomatoes
For the main course:
Blue-cheese burgers
BBQ chicken
Red skinned potato salad
Sliced watermelon
For dessert:
Pretzel Crust Key Lime Pie
RECIPES
Burrata with roasted tomatoes - serves 6-8
To make the roasted tomatoes:
2 pints cherry tomatoes, assorted colors, and sizes if available
4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 t. fresh thyme
¼ t. crushed red pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
¼ cup olive oil
1 t. balsamic vinegar
2 balls burrata cheese
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the first five ingredients in the olive oil and place in a small roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the tomatoes for about 25 minutes until they begin to soften and blacken in spots.
While the tomatoes are roasting, prepare the burrata. Place 2 balls of cheese on a large platter. When tomatoes are warm and bubbly, remove from oven and immediately pour over the cheese. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the top of the tomatoes and garnish with fresh herbs such as chopped thyme or basil.
Enjoy with crackers or a toasted baguette.
Note: Burrata cheese is also delicious for dessert with watermelon and fresh mint, roasted peaches with brown sugar or strawberries drizzled with balsamic vinegar. These options would be good with toasted bread or grilled pound cake.
Pretzel Crust Key Lime Pie – serves 8-10
Crust:
1 ½ cups finely ground graham crackers
1 ½ cups finely ground graham crackers
1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, melted
1 t. sugar
Key Lime Filling:
1 ¼ cups freshly lime juice (can use either Key Limes or regular limes)
1 T. finely grated lime peel
2 14 oz. cans sweetened condensed milk
2 large eggs
Whipped Cream:
2 cups heavy whipping cream, chilled
½ cup powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla
Fresh berries for garnish
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spray an 11 inch by 1-inch tart pan with a removable bottom with cooking spray.
Using a food processor, crush graham crackers and pretzels until finely ground. Add sugar and melted butter and pulse to combine. This mixture should resemble wet sand. Press the crumbs into tart pan, covering bottom and sides evenly.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sweetened condensed milk together. Add lime juice and lime peel until thoroughly mixed. Pour filling into prepared crust.
Bake pie for 35 minutes until filling is set and crust is slightly browned. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet to prevent spilling since the crust will be very full. Remove pie from oven and let cool before refrigerating. Chill for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Right before serving, whip the cream then garnish decoratively. Serve with a mixture of fresh berries – strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries.
Mother/Daughter Contributors
Mom: Lisa O’Connor and Daughters: Megan and Allie