Patriotic and Delicious Fourth Of July Recipes

A July Fourth celebration! Start the festivities by popping the cork of your favorite champagne or sparkling rosé. Make a toast to living in harmony, allowing personal independence and free will for everyone.

Pass smoked salmon canapés with the bubbly. Move on to grilled burgers served on a bed of baby arugula and topped with chunky fresh tomato and onion salsa. Add your favorite sides, sugar snap peas with blackberries, and serve patriotic red, white, and blue strawberry shortcakes for dessert.

Bon Fourth of July appétit!

Smoked Salmon Canapes(About 36 canapés)1 long hothouse cucumber, washed, scored, and sliced

About 8 ounces of pre-sliced smoked salmon, preferable Nova Scotia

About 1/4 cup crème fraiche or more to taste

Fresh chives for garnish, long spears and some snippedTo prepare:With a table fork, score the skin from end to end of the cucumber.

Cut into slices about one-quarter-inch thick.

Place cucumbers on a paper towel-lined sheet.

Cut salmon into about two-inch lengths. Arrange one end of the salmon on the cucumber.

With a small demitasse spoon, place a tiny dollop of crème fraîche on the salmon and fold over the other end of salmon, pressing lightly to allow the crème to show (see photo.)

Sprinkle with snipped chives and place the canapés on a plate lined with spears of chives.

Can be made ahead and refrigerated about one hour before serving.My Basic Juicy Burger(Serves 4)2/3 pound ground sirloin

1/3 pound lean ground chuck

1/3 cup finely minced onion, or more to taste

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or more to taste

4 cups baby arugula

Fresh chunky tomato and onion relishTo prepare:In a bowl, mix the sirloin and chuck with onion, mustard, salt and pepper.

Form a small patty, in a skillet over moderate high heat, sauté the “test patty” until done, taste and adjust seasonings, according to personal preference.

Form remaining meat into four or five patties, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to grill.

Preheat the grill to high; grill the burgers about three to four minutes per side or according to taste.

Transfer to a platter and keep warm if necessary before serving.Chunky Fresh Tomato And Onion Salsa(About 2 cups)6 to 8 firm ripe plum tomatoes (or 3 large beefsteak tomatoes)

1 large white or Vidalia onion, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

About 1 tablespoon good quality balsamic vinegar

About 2 tablespoons good quality extra virgin olive oil

Large fistful of flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped

Few basil leaves, cut into chiffonadeTo prepare:Coarsely chop tomatoes, discarding any white parts and excess seeds, transfer to a mixing bowl.

Coarsely chop onion and add to the tomatoes.

Stir in garlic, add salt and pepper, vinegar and oil.

Stir, taste and adjust the seasonings.

Let stand at least one hour before serving with burgers, or make ahead, cover and refrigerate.

Bring to room temperature and stir in herbs just before serving.Sugar Snap Peas 
And Blackberries(Serves 4)1 pound sugar snap peas, washed and strings removed

Coconut oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

6 ounces fresh blackberries

2 teaspoons honey

2 teaspoons raspberry infused white balsamic vinegar to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to tasteTo prepare:Coat the bottom of a large skillet over medium high heat with a film of oil and heat.

Add peas, sprinkle with salt, stir, add about three tablespoons water, cover briefly for 20 seconds, remove cover and cook stirring until water has evaporated and peas are bright green and crisp-tender, about two minutes.

Transfer peas to warm serving dish.

In the same skillet over medium high heat, add blackberries, honey, and vinegar to the pan, cook shaking the pan until vinegar has evaporated and berries are glazed, about one minute.

Scatter berries over peas and serve at once.

Pass peppermill at the table.Patriotic Blueberry Shortcake With 
Fresh Strawberries 
And Whipped Cream(Serves 6-8)For the shortcakes:

2 cups all purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup dried blueberries

3/4 to 1 cup heavy cream

For the strawberry topping:

6 to 7 cups fresh strawberries, washed, hulled, and drained

3/4 to 1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extractTo prepare shortcakes:Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

In a medium-mixing bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar together.

Stir in blueberries, and then add only enough cream to create dough.

Knead the dough on a floured board until it is smooth, about two minutes.

With a rolling pin, roll the dough to three-quarter-inch or one-inch thickness.

Cut dough into biscuits, about two-and-one-half inches in diameter.

Place the biscuits on a greased baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Cool on a rack until serving time, or serve them immediately while they are still warm.To prepare the topping:Reserve about one-and-one-half cups of perfect strawberries for garnish.

Place remaining berries in a bowl and with a potato masher or Foley food fork, crush/smash the berries until their juices begin to run. This will be a lumpy sauce, not a purée.

Sweeten to taste with sugar and set aside. Can be done ahead and refrigerated.

Just before serving add whole berries to half of the crushed sauce.To assemble: Whip the cream with sugar to taste until stiff peaks form.

Add vanilla.

Cut each biscuit in half horizontally and place it on a dessert plate.

Spoon crushed berry sauce in the middle, cover with biscuit top and spoon whole berry sauce over the whole affair.

Add a dollop of whipped cream and garnish with one perfect strawberry.