4th of July Picnic

We had a terrific party yesterday. Jim’s cousin, their children and grandchildren. I bought a fun sprinkler that wiggled all over and a slip and slide where you end is a pool of water. Max enjoyed the pool part at the end of the slip and slide. I made July’s Bon Appetit’s Fourth of July Picnic. It was a great make ahead meal and we added things like Mac n cheese, hotdogs and popsicles for the grandkids. The meal starts with fresh veggies and blue cheese dip. I went to Kroger and bought a tray of veggies and a ranch dip. I also had Costco guacamole and blue chips. We had drinks and these snacks under the umbrellas watching the kids play with the water toys. It was very hot out so we came in while Jim was grilling the hot dogs and steak.  We set up the dishes buffet style. We had adults in the dining room and kids in the kitchen. I bought festive 4th plates and napkins and a plant with flags for the dining room. For the kids table I had a red bunny and a 4th of July dressed bunny in the middle of the table. I should have taken photos. The recipes were all easy to follow and most could be done or started the day before. The tomato salad for the steak I made the morning of, and finished the pea salad that morning also.
Flank Steak with Bloody Mary Tomato Salad, (all recipes listed today serves 8-10)
Ingredients:
(2) 1 ½ # flank steaks
Kosher Salt
2 tsp. (packed) light brown sugar
1 t paprika
¼ t cayenne pepper
¼ t freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil for the grill
Directions:
1. Place steaks on a large rimmed baking sheet; season with salt.
2. Mix sugar and next 3 ingredients in a small bowl and rub all over the steaks.
3. Cover and refrigerate at least 1-3 hours. Mine were overnight and I removed from the refrigerator about 2 hours before Jim grilled.
4. Jim grilled 7 minutes per side and we let it rest covered with foil for 10 minutes before he sliced on the diagonal.
Tomato Salad
Ingredients:
1 C finely chopped red onion
3 T Sherry vinegar, divided
2# cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 C chopped celery hearts (inner stalks and leaves)
½ C chopped brined green olives plus 2T olive brine (I found it easier to buy pimento stuffed and remove the pimento than to buy with the seed in and have to remove it.)
2 T prepared horseradish
1 T Worcestershire Sauce
1 t celery seeds
¼ C EVOO
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
1. Mix onion and 1T of vinegar in a large bowl. Let macerate 10 minutes, tossing often. Add tomatoes, celery and olives. Whisk remaining 2T of vinegar, olive brine, horseradish and the next 3 ingredients in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in the oil. If you have a mini Cuisinart or blender this process is very easy.
2. Add to the tomato mixture and toss. Season with salt and pepper.
3. The recipe says to make 4 hours before; I made mine the morning of.
4. The tomato salad serves a a sort of salsa for the beef.
Fingerling Potato Salad
Ingredients:
3 ½ # fingerling potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1” pieces after cooking
1T kosher salt plus more for seasoning
9T EVOO, divided
2T brown mustard seeds
3 medium leeks, white and light green only, halved and cut crosswise into ¼” slices (about 5C)
1 T Dijon mustard
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
1. Place potatoes in a large pot. Add enough cold water to cover by 3”. Stir in 1T salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10-12 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet and let cool before cutting.
2. Heat 3 T oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add mustard seeds to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally until the seeds start to pop, about 2 minutes. Pour oil and seeds in a large bowl.
3. Heat the remaining 2T of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add leeks, season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 10-12 minutes.
4. Wisk remaining 4T EVOO, vinegar, Dijon mustard, and 1T water into the mustard seed oil. Add potatoes and leeks; toss to coat and season with salt and pepper.
5. Make a day ahead and refrigerate. Return to room temperature before serving.
Zucchini Cornbread
This was moist and delicious. Everyone loved this bread.
Ingredients:
1 stick of unsalted butter plus more for the pan
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
½ C buttermilk
1 large zucchini, about 10 oz.
1C all purpose flour
1 C whole wheat flour
½ C sugar
1 t baking powder
¾ t fine sea salt
½ t baking soda
¾ C medium grind cornmeal
Directions:
1. Position a rack in the middle of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 x 5 baking pan. I use Pam butter spray.
2. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking until butter solids at bottom of pan turn golden brown, about 3 minutes. Scrape butter into a medium bowl. Set aside and let cook. Whisk in eggs and buttermilk.
3. Trim zucchini ends. Thinly slice 5 1/8” rounds from 1 end of the zucchini and reserve for garnish. Coarsely grate remaining zucchini. Add to bowl with butter mixture and stir until well blended.
4. Sift all the remaining ingredients together and add to the zucchini mixture. Fold jut to blend. Transfer to prepared pan and smooth top. Place reserved zucchini slices atop batter down the center in a single layer, zig- zaging if needed.
5. Bake bread until golden and a tester inserted into center comes out clean, 55-65 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes; then turn out on a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Make the day ahead and wrap air tight. Slice before serving.
Sugar Snap Salad
Directions:
1 ½ # sugar snap peas, trimmed, stringed, cut in half on diagonal
Kosher salt
3 T EVOO
1 T fresh lemon juice (1/2 lemon)
1 t white wine vinegar
½ t Sumac (order through Penzeys Spices)
1 bunch radishes (about 6 oz) trimmed, thinly sliced
4 oz feta cheese crumbled or if you can fine it in your area ricotta Salata.
Freshly ground black pepper
2 T coarsely chopped fresh mint for decorating.
Directions:
1. Fill a very large bowl with ice water; set aside. Cook peas in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Drain; transfer to bowl with ice water to cool. Drain peas again; transfer to a kitchen towel-lined baking sheet to dry.
2. Dressing. Whisk EVOO, 1 T lemon juice, vinegar, and ½ t sumac in a small bowl. Toss peas, radishes and cheese in a large bowl.
3. Make each separately the day before. Add dressing to salad and toss to coat the morning of the party. Salt, pepper and more lemon juice if desired. Garnish with mint and sprinkle with sumac. I did not garnish because, I did not anyone to ask about the red sumac berries. Ever since Socrates drank poison sumac, it does not have a good reputation.
Dessert! Cherry Hand Pies makes 9
1 ½ T cornstarch
2 C fresh cherries, stemmed and pitted or about 12 oz frozen pitted cherries, unthawed. ( I used frozen Bing cherries and the pkg. was 14 oz.
2/3 C died cherries
½ C sugar
1 t vanilla extract
1 14 oz pkg. all-butter puff pastry thawed in the refrigerator
Flour (for dusting)
1 large egg white
1 ½ t raw sugar
Directions:
1. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Stir cornstarch and 1 ½ t cold water in a small bowl to blend.
3. Combine fresh cherries and next 4 ingredients in a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until cherry juices are released, about 5 minutes. Add cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil, stirring often. Removed from heat and let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
4. Here I deviate from the directions as I have what is called the pocket gourmet. It is a tool that cuts a perfect circle. “Then you take the took and turn it over, place the circle on the top and fill the middle with the filling and take the two ends of the tool together and it seals the pocket.
5. So I dusted the counter with flour, and whisked my egg white with 1 T water slightly in a small bowl. I pieced both pieces of the pastry together and cut 9 circles. I filled each with 3T of filing and one at a time sealed them with the tool, brushing the edges with the egg white before sealing If you do not have this amazing tool.
6. If you do not have this tool, roil out the pastry into a 18” x15” rectangle and cut into 9 squares that are 6”x” and make rectangular pockets.
7. Bruch the tops with the egg wash and sprinkle on the sugar.
8. Preheat govern to 375 degrees. Bake until tops and bottoms are golden brown, 30-40 minutes. Let cook for 10 minutes on the baking sheet. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.
9. Can be made the day before and do not refrigerate.
I also made brownies, don’t tell anyone, but they came from a box.
Jo brought baked beans, Jody made the Mac n Cheese, and Brandy brought a bowl of mixed fruits. Found out we have a perfect match in the family. Clint picked out all the blueberries in his fruit and his daughter, Madeline, loves blueberries. No waste!
We had all different drinks and wine available, but for dinner we suggested, per the magazine article, Rose. We had a dry French Rose. Make sure you buy a true Rose, not a blend of red and white wine. The French do not allow blending so you are always safe.
We divided up all the leftovers and guess what we are having for dinner tonight?