A July 4th Summer Spread

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A July 4th Summer Spread

We are in gathering season – summer.  The long days lend themselves to calling up your bests for an impromptu get together. Any get-together, even an impromptu one – needs food. And for that, we need a plan.

Since July 4th (and July 1st for my Canadian peeps!) is upon us, I wanted to come up with a July 4th summer spread that would hit all the notes of a traditional summer shindig, but with a twist. You know how I love to twist up the traditionals. 

Zingerman’s Deli really came through for Cinco de Mayo, so for the impending long weekend I decided to hit up their  summer sale to see what I could find that would take my holiday menu over the top. Here’s what I came up with, which is really more app- and snack-like then heavy-meal like because that’s how I roll in these hot, hot days:

For bevvies:

For the sides and snacks and bites:

For dessert:

Today’s first recipe a twist on pasta salad, and is straight off the boat from my recent Italian holiday. Our Italian skipper made a variation on this for lunch one day, which we ate wrapped in towels as we sailed from Sorrento to Capri.  It only takes two ingredients (three, if you want to be American about it!) and can be eaten hot or room temperature.

I love this recipe because until this trip, I had always associated a pesto pasta as a heavyweight dish. This opened my eyes to it being the perfect meal for lighter, warmer occasions.

For a little more heft, add 1 pound cooked, ground Italian sausage (mild OR spicy) and 1 cup frozen, but thawed spring peas!

pesto pasta

 

Roi Pesto

Pesto Pasta

June 27, 2023
: 4
: 10 min
: 10 min
: 20 min
: Easy
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Easy Pesto Pasta takes store bought jarred pesto sauce and simply pasta water to make the most delicious and simple noodles a complete meal- cheese optional!

By:

Ingredients
  • 2 heaping TB ROI pesto
  • 8 oz dried pasta of choice (I used chickpea pasta for this iteration)
  • Parmesan cheese, to serve (if you’re being American about it!)
Directions
  • Step 1 Cook the pasta according to package directions. Once the pasta is al dente, drain and place in a large bowl, setting aside 2 TB of the pasta cooking water.
  • Step 2 Add the pesto to a small jar with a lid. Add in the pasta cooking water and give it a shake. Pour over the cooked noodles and coat thoroughly. Serve the Italian way as-is, or the American way with a shaving of Parmesan cheese.

Up next, a twist on potato salad. A classic summer staple if there was one.  But it can be a little tough for those days when it may be sitting out for a bit. I’ve taken the base of German potato salad -which is vinegar rather than mayo based – and lightened it up by using roasted cauliflower instead. 

German style cauliflower salad

A BIG win.

German-Style Cauliflower Salad

June 27, 2023
: 4
: 1 hr
: 1 hr
: Easy
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Roasted cauliflower gets a German twist in this German-style cauliflower salad with bacon and a vinegar and mustard dressing.

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Ingredients
  • 1 head cauliflower, chopped into small-medium florets
  • Olive oil, to coat (about 3TB)
  • 2 slices thick cut bacon, chopped into a medium sized dice
  • ½ sweet onion, diced
  • 1/3 cup white distilled vinegar
  • 2 TB whole seed mustard like American Spoon Whole Seed Mustard
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp coarse ground black pepper
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
Directions
  • Step 1 Preheat the oven to 375F.
  • Step 2 In a large bowl, place the cauliflower florets and coat with olive oil. Spread on a cookie sheet or baking tray and roast until golden and soft, about 1 hour. Set aside.
  • Step 3 While the cauliflower roasts, to a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the bacon. Cook until the bacon is crispy and the fat has rendered out.
  • Step 4 Remove the bacon bits from the pan to drain on a paper towel.
  • Step 5 To the bacon drippings, add the onion. Let cook about 5 minutes until translucent and soft. Add the vinegar, mustard, salt, sugar and pepper. Cook down until the liquid has evaporated, but the mixture is still liquidy (about 10 minutes). Pour mixture over the cauliflower, add the parsley and toss until all is fully combined. Serve hot, warm or cold.

And finally, is there anything that screams USA more than a PB&J sandwich?  Didn’t think so. So how about we turn that into a milkshake?

 

Disclaimer- I did not actually use jelly. The fresh strawberries were just too good and have a better (and dare I say slightly healthier?) effect.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Milkshake

June 27, 2023
: 1
: 5 min
:
: 5 min
: Easy
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A spin on everyone's favorite, this peanut butter and jelly milkshake combines natural peanut butter and fresh strawberries for a cool summer treat.

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Ingredients
  • ¾ cup milk
  • 2 cups vanilla ice cream or gelato
  • 2 heaping TB peanut butter such as Koeze (plus more to drizzle)
  • 5 fresh strawberries, stems removed (about 1/3 cup)
  • Whipped cream, to garnish
Directions
  • Step 1 Put all ingredients into a blender. Puree until smooth and pour into a cold glass. Top with whipped cream and a drizzle of peanut butter.

I hope this gives some mental fodder for your upcoming holiday weekend, or for any more that may arise this summer. And because Zingerman’s Deli’s summer sale extends through July 31st, you have more than enough time to stock up for the any impromptu shindigs that may arise.

(I also grabbed some lemon curd because guess who’s birthday is juuuust around the corner and you know what my favorite birthday cake is…)

This post was sponsored by Zingerman’s Deli. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support THB!

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