July 4th Food

We spent yesterday evening at MIL's for the 4th and, as usual, she had a good food spread. Sausage sandwiches with peppers (yellow! not traditional green) and onions in a tomato sauce, hot dogs on the grill for the kids (both with bakery fresh cut-your-own rolls), crudites (cauliflower, celery, grape tomatoes and baby carrots with dip), *red potato salad, *bow tie pasta salad (with big strips of red pepper, slices of summer squash, and black olives among the veggies), chips, and several drinks including pink lemonade.

Dessert was a display of cupcakes decorated like an American flag (cute!), *cherry pie, and bite-sized brownies.

*These are variations on a couple recipes MIL served since hers were all store-bought.

Red Potato Salad
Printable Recipe

10 red bliss potatoes (that means the small ones!) cooked and cubed
1 c mayo
1 clove garlic,minced
1t dried dill
1/2 small onion-finely chopped
2t grainy brown mustard
1t sugar

Combine mayo and seasonings-blend well. Add to potatoes
and toss until well combined. Thin with milk if
necessary.


Bow Tie Pasta Salad
Printable Recipe

1 lb box bow ties-cooked and drained
1 large yellow pepper-cut into strips
1 large red pepper-cut into strips
1 large green pepper-cut into strips
1 large summer squash (yellow) cut into thin slices
1 can ripe black olives-drained-each cut in half
1 bottle of your favorite Italian dressing

Mix it all together and let sit in the refrigerator for several hours. That's it! You can definitely add whatever else you'd like to this--salami and cheese chunks, other veggies, etc.


Basic Cherry Pie
Printable Recipe

Pastry for 2-crust pie
1 egg
water
4 cups fresh pitted sour cherries
OR 2 -1 pound cans tart cherries, drained, with 1/3 cup juice reserved
2-3/4 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons butter, cut in little cubes

Combine egg and 1 tablespoon water to make egg glaze. In 9-inch glass pie pan, place 1 piece of pastry. Brush with egg glaze. Keep pie crust in refrigerator while making filling.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Combine fruit, tapioca, salt, sugar and extract. (If using canned cherries add reserved fruit juice. Stir and let mixture stand for 5 minutes.
Spoon mixture in prepared crust. Dot with butter cubes. Use egg glaze to moisten rim of pie. Roll-out top crust to 1/8-inch thick. You may either cut crust into 1/2-inch strips or put pastry on as is. Just be sure to cut vents into the top. Make sure pastries are pinched together. Either brush top crust with egg glaze or milk. If using milk, sprinkle top with sugar.

Bake for 20 minutes and then use foil around the crust edges to protect from burning. Bake for 20 more minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Serve plain or with whipped cream.