Fourth of July Party…

Try out this simple Fourth of July menu — works for 4 or 40.  And don’t forget the sparklers!

Despite the fact I come from a long line of pretty good cooks and bakers, I didn’t come to food preparation early or innately.  In fact, I didn’t spend much time at all in the kitchen except as a way to pass through it before running outside to play some game that left me bruised, my clothes dirty and my mother steamed.  But, I did love a good party.  The more people, the better.  Music, dancing and lots and lots of good food.

As time marched on, I found myself becoming more and more curious about the art of cooking. During college,  I worked as a waitress and bartender in a few restaurant, dated a guy who taught me how to make bechamel sauce (damn him!) and figured if I was going to feed myself, I better learn how to do it right.  So, I figured it out and realized it was one a great creative outlet.  But, how do you share the love with, say, 25 - 50 of your favorite friends?

 With Fourth of July looming and the summer party season in full swing, try out these 6 tips to keep you fresh and cool as a cucumber even in the midst of your biggest mob.

1.  Make sure you have enough food!  Nothing spells the end of a party faster than running out of these two essentials (add TP to the list if you have a lot of female friends).  Whether you’re making the food, having it catered or asking your friends to bring potluck, make sure you plan on enough variety for everyone.  If you’re party is planned for more than four hours and you’re pushing cocktails, make sure you’ve got something more substantial than chips or dip.  A good rule of thumb for hors d’oeuvres is 6 different selections at 4 pieces per person.  For a BBQ or buffet, plan for about a 1/2 lb. per person for your main course.  Pair that with at least one starch (a 1/4 lb. per person should do), a salad and a vegetable.  Be sure to have some small bites for people to munch on as soon as they get to your place:  nuts, cheese and crackers, olives, chips/dip.

2.  Make sure you have enough to drink!  Assess your crowd.  Do they like cocktails, are they beer drinkers, winos?  Do they abstain?  Make sure you have enough variety to keep everyone happy.  If you don’t want to break open a full bar, beer and wine are fine but consider one signature cocktail.  Prepare a pitcher or two just before everyone arrives and when it’s done, switch over to beer and wine.  To stock your basic bar for a party of 25, make sure you’ve got about a liter each of vodka, gin, rum, tequilia, bourbon and blended whiskey, 3 liters each of cola, Sprite/7-up, ginerale, club soda and tonic and 1 - 2 quarts of oj, grapefruit and/or cranberry.  If you’ve got a wine drinking crowd, figure 4 glasses to each bottle of wine.  Two cases of beer should be fine if the crowd sticks to cocktails and wine.  To be safe, buy extra cases of non-chilled beer and keep it on hand just in case.

3.  Shop and make ahead.  Don’t wait until the day of your party to go shopping.  Plan ahead!  Buy your paperware, serving pieces and decorations at least a week before the party.  You can also shop for your non-perishable items at least a week early.  Take a look at your least and make a note of anything that can be made ahead.  I like to shop for most of my groceries two days prior to the party and start cooking the day before.  Make all your dips, dressings and sauces one to two days before.  Most of my dishes take no more than an hour to prepare (plus clean up) so my rule of thumb is each dish on my menu takes an hour — 6 items = 6 hours.

4.  Clean as you go.  Don’t leave dishes stacked up in the sink until you finish all your cooking.  Keep your kitchen as organized as possible and you’ll feel less stress.  And, you won’t have a messy kitchen when your guests arrive.

5.  Decoration dilemma?  Don’t distress if you don’t have the perfect red, white and blue table top settings and don’t run out and spend money you could be saving for a great bottle of wine (or shoes).  Shop in your house.  You probably have everything you need right at home.  Use what you’ve got in different ways.  Use a terra cotta pot lined with a napkin to hold utensils or put salsa in a hallowed out pineapple.  Be creative!

6.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help!  It’s okay if everything’s not perfect!  These are your friends (presumably), they’re here to enjoy your company, not judge (presumably).  People feel important if you choose them to help you out a little in the kitchen.  If you’ve got some easy tasks or need something brought out to the table, they can help.  And you can enjoy your party!!

Fourth of July a great way to jump into the party-hosting scene.  It’s outside, laid back and practically error-free (unless you forget the charcoal and matches).  Vets and newbies alike will love this menu and following recipes for an easy-breezey celebration!

Fourth of July Menu

Serves 8 (can be doubled, tripled…)

Pineapple Gazpacho

Grilled Jerk Chicken

Roasted Zucchini & Corn Potato Salad

Watermelon and Cucumber Salad

Blueberry Basil & Nectarine Galette

Recipe:  Pineapple Gazpacho

Makes 2 quarts

2 cups pineapple, chopped

2 cups, cucumber, chopped and seeded

1 1/2 cup pineapple juice

2/3rds cup each, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1/2 medium red onion

1/2 cup garlic scapes, chopped or 1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped

1 jalepeno, seeded

juice of 2 limes (about 4 tbl.)

salt and pepper to taste

Finely chop first 9 ingredients by hand or in a Cuisinart.  In batches, transfer to blender and puree.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve in small bowls or as an appetizer on chinese soup spoons.  Can also be used as a salsa for corn chips, a dip for shrimp cocktail or topping for fish, pork or chicken.

Grilled Jerk Chicken

Serves 12

Ingredients

1 Vidalia onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 jalepeno (can also use Scotch bonnet peppers for extra heat), peeled and minced

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup soy

3/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

6 tbl. fresh lime juice

3 tbl. allspice

2 tbl. cinamon

2 tbl. nutmeg

1 tbl. ginger

salt and pepper

!2 boneless chicken breasts

Prepare

Mix all ingredients in Cuisinart or large bowl.  Can be made up to 3 days in advance.  Add chicken and marinate, turning occasionally, from one hour and up to 6 hours.  Prepare grill to medium, remove chicken from marinade and grill about 6 minutes each side (depending on thickness of chicken).  This marinade tends to burn so keep the heat low and be patient!  Serve with lime wedges.

Roasted Zucchini, Corn and Potato Salad is a light and tasty substitute for traditional potato salad with mayonnaise.  Quarter 2 large zucchini and shuck 3 ears of corn.  Coat with olive oil salt and pepper and grill or roast until cooked through.  Cut corn off the cobb and mix with zucchini in a bowl.  In the meantime, boil about 3 lbs. finger length or baby new potatoes until just done (about 15 minutes).  Cool and, if they’re large, 1/4 them and add to zucchini mixture.  In a small bowl, whisk together  1/2 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup white wine vinegar, 2 tbl. prepared dijon mustard and 1/2 cup chopped basil.  Add to potato salad.  Cool, garnish with basil sprig and serve.

Watermelon and Cucumber Salad.  This is a simple and tasty summer salad that will refresh and please a crowd of any age.  Mix 6 cups of seeded, chopped watermelon with 4 cups of seed, chopped cucumber.  Combine 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar and 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil.  Add 1/2 chopped mint and salt and pepper to taste.

Top off your party with this rustic blueberry basil and nectarine galette.  Check back Thursday for the simple recipe.

Special thanks to designer Nicole Facciuto for her help styling and photographing this shoot.  You can check out her new show on A&E this October to learn what happens when Nicole “crashes” a kitchen near you!!

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