Planet Cheese just celebrated its tenth anniversary. That’s 520 weekly posts, with no misses and no advertising. Thank you for reading this newsletter, commenting and sharing it. I know how much competition there is for your eyeballs these days.
If you’re looking for some fresh ideas for the Fourth of July—whether you’re the host or a guest—I hope you’ll find some inspiration in this recipe roundup. It’s heavy on ice cream because…ice cream. But you’ll also find a yummy dip, a famous potato salad, my favorite burger, grilled corn salad Mexican style and more. These tested recipes should have you ready to party all summer.
Accompany a platter of farmers market vegetables with this dreamy Goat Cheese and Fried Shallot Dip. Be patient when frying the shallots and you’ll be rewarded. Great with potato chips, needless to say.
My friend Julie Logue-Riordan’s Watermelon, Tomato and Feta Salad riffs on the Greek combination of watermelon and feta. Julie’s genius version includes tomato, arugula, mint and shaved radishes and a zippy lime dressing.
Gordon’s Red Potato Salad with Whole-Grain Mustard Dressing is famous in the Napa Valley. Chef Sally Gordon is retired now but the creamy potato salad she served in her beloved Yountville café lives on in many Wine Country recipe collections.
Since you’ve got the grill going, put some corn on it and make Esquites. I add lots of crumbled queso fresco, Mexican crema, scallions, cilantro, lime juice and chili powder. No disrespect for corn on the cob, but you can have that any day.
Now that Franklin’s Teleme is back in production, we can celebrate this beloved American classic on the Fourth. For performance on the grill, I would pit Teleme against halloumi any day. Wrap a slab in a lightly wilted chard leaf, grill until supple and serve on bruschetta.
I’m probably an outlier on this, but I would choose a lamb burger over a beef burger every time. Made with ground shoulder, Lamb Burgers with Grilled Red Onions and Feta (top image) are moist and juicy, scented with oregano and sumac. A departure from tradition, certainly, but a guaranteed hit for those who enjoy going rogue.
Greek Yogurt Panna Cotta with berry sauces meets the moment color-wise, but you can repeat this lovely dessert all summer with peaches, raspberries and figs. Leftovers make an excellent breakfast.
As for ice cream, some hard choices here. I’m a big fan of Ricotta Ice Cream scented with Sambuca or the harder-to-find Strega. When it’s almost frozen, fold in chopped pistachios, chopped chocolate or both.
Maple Ice Cream with Blueberry-Maple Sauce hits two all-American flavor notes, and farmers markets in some regions should have local berries. The candied walnuts are optional but not really.
Looking for a crowd pleaser for kids and adults? Strawberry Mascarpone Ice Cream Sundae is fun and festive. I wait until the ice cream starts to melt and mingle with the strawberries before I dig in.
Happy Fourth, everybody!