Summer Shortcuts for an Easy Breezy 4th of July

I always have great foodie plans for a fantastic Fourth of July celebration the likes no one has ever seen.  I create sketches in my head of tall trees dripping with tiny white lights and an shabby chic chandelier hanging from old sailors’ rope over a perfectly mismatched collection of faded, painted chairs and a table so enticing guests would linger for hours.  I create menus that’d make Martha mad with envy featuring the best picks from the local farmer’s market and pitchers of specialty cocktails that would bring a tear to your eye.  I may even start early and whip up a tasty sauce, a basil-infused simple syrup or finally source that bottle of Creme de Violetta for which I’ve been searching forever.  At the very least, I’ll throw my trusty 12-gauge fresh cherry pitter into my bag because I know someone will ask for my special cherry and hot pepper crostini with fresh goat cheese.  I prep my notes bring the latest copy of Fine Cooking for inspiration and I head off to the North Fork of Long Island with dreams of taking over L’s kitchen to create nothing less than perfection.

Ah, to dream.  The reality of the long weekend is we get into a pleasant routine of visiting, boating, beaching, cocktailing and general lounging that spending the time in the kitchen to create my dream scenario above is just not going to happen.  I credit my college buddy, C, for teaching me the best cooking lesson of my summer share days:  KISS it (Keep It Simple, Stupid!).  Rambling weekends on Shelter Island taught me to stick to the basics so I could whip up a delicious meal in a snap.  Keep it fresh and local, stock up on good condiments that you can doctor up (see tips on mustard below), marinade meat in the morning so it’s ready to go when you return from your day and GRILL, GRILL, GRILL!

For this year’s 4th celebration, I’m going with a plethora of grilled pork, chicken, veal and lamb sausages paired with interesting almost homemade mustard and pairing them with great beers and baguettes.  Offer up some roasted red peppers and carmalized onions for people like me who will make a sandwich out of anything.  For dessert, I’m going with a classic:  watermelon wedges skewered and “arranged” in a mason jar mug ($4 Pottery Barn).  I may also get a little creative with Strawberry Shortcake featuring strawberries macerated with tequila.  You can buy the shortcakes at any grocery store, macerate in moments and whip up some fresh cream in no time — just freeze a bowl and paddles from the electric mixer for an hour.  Add a cup of heavy cream and a table spoon of sugar to the frozen bowl, and beat on high until stiff peaks form (about 5 minutes).

Move over hot dogs and hamburgers, this Fourth is all about the beer, sausage and mustard pairings.

Try a few of these combos out this weekend…

Grilled Italian Sausage and East India Pale Ale, Brooklyn Brewery
    Mustard: Roasted Red Pepper

Weisswurst (mild white veal sausage) and Hefenweizen (say that 5 times fast!)
    Mustard:  Raspberry & Wasabi

This delicious Belgian-style Tripel Bock was crafted by B at the wonderful Brewer’s Apprentice in Freehold, NJ. Photo:  Bruce Winland

Merguez (Morrocan Lamb) and Tripel Bock (I’m loving B’s Boxcar Tripel!)
    Mustard:  Honey Mustard with Orange and Ginger

Pork Sausage with Truffles and Havre Rouge, a spicy/fruity Belgian style from my new fav, Greenport Brewery (pick up a Growler!)
    Mustard: Cognac Mustard

Chicken Sausage with Broccoli Rabe and Feta with Black Duck Porter from Greenport
    Mustard: Madras Curry

Blood Sausage (not as gross as it sounds!) and Guiness
    Mustard: Maine Maple Champagne from Stonewall Kitchen

Hot Dogs and kingfisher Premium Lager (upstate NY)
    Mustard: Whole Grained if you must, but I prefer relish

It’s easy to make mustard from scratch (check out Sunset’s 6 DIY recipes) or, doctor up a nice simple dijon.  I added 1 Tbl. pureed raspberries and 1 tsp. of wasabi to a 1/2 cup of Grey Poupon.  For the madras curry, I added 1 Tbl. of the spice to the dijon.  The honey mustard orange ginger took 2 tsp. of orange zest, 1 tsp. ginger and 1 Tbl. honey.  And the roasted red pepper mustard for the Italian sausage pairing was simple: a couple of red pepper strips and basil pureed with the mustard.  Adjust for taste and add in your own seasonings.  Be creative, go wild!

Start with fresh picked strawberries for the craziest shortcake topping ever.  Skip the tequila if you’re serving kids (that’s a special note to MY family!) or teatotalers.

Recipe:  Macerated Strawberries

Serves: 8 on shortcakes

Ingredients

1 lb. fresh strawberries, washed and hulled and halved

1 vanilla bean, split and seeds removed

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup water

3 Tbl. tequila

1/4 tsp. lime zest

Prepare:

In a medium saucepan, combine strawberries, vanilla bean, sugar, lime zest and water.  Bring to a simmer and stir until the sugar dissolves.  Stir in tequila. Remove from heat and serve warm.

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