I spent most of June anticipating the 4th of July. It's not that I harbor a particular love for fireworks, crowds or parades. I was looking forward to it because it was was a Friday off from work that I could use to go berry picking. I got up early and drove out to rural New Jersey to Mood's Farm Market to pick blueberries. Sadly, the berries weren't quite as ripe as I would have liked (I imagine they are absolutely perfect today) but I still managed to pick 8 pounds of sweet, spicy and tart berries.
While at the market, I also picked up 2 quarts of tiny plums, half a dozen super-fresh ears of corn, several pounds of new potatoes (destined for a quick trip through the oven with rosemary and garlic), a dozen fresh apple cider donuts (possibly one of the best treats ever created), a whole mess of Kirby cucumbers and half a bushel of small, sweet white peaches. Details about how I used all this wonderful, fresh abundance is after the jump.
Happy 4th of July, Slashfood readers! In honor of today's holiday, I bring you a patriotic dessert from blogger/photographer Lelonopo for you to really feast your eyes on. She's created a blueberry and raspberry treat that isn't as aggressively red, white and blue as that famous flag cake, but is still appealingly thematic for the day.
I hope that everyone has a wonderful day today, filled with delicious food, awe-inspiring fireworks and safe, happy times. We look forward to seeing pictures of all the tasty things you created today, so make sure to take photos and upload them to the Slashfood Flickr pool!
Philadelphia Magazine writer Jason Fagone spent one year profiling some of the most divinely outsized personalities in the world of competitive eating. While Akron house painter Coondog O'Karma makes a midlife grab at glory via rapid-fire pizza consumption, Bill "El Wingador" Simmons attempts to reclaim Wong Bowl supremacy from 90lb Sonya "Black Widow" Thomas, and day trader Tim Janus dons the mantle of the mysterious Eater X, it all comes down to one shared hunger. They all want to win the Mustard Yellow Belt of International Hot Dog Eating Supremacy back from the Japanese who'd dominated the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest nearly every year since 1997.
Back in July of 2001, that would mean beating the record of 25 1/8 set the previous year by Kazutoyo "The Rabbit" Arai.
The 4th of July weekend is a time designed perfectly for picnics and cookouts. There's really no better way to celebrate the nation's independence than by firing up the grill and cooking up some burgers, dogs, chicken drumsticks or ribs. I personally don't have big plans to do much in the way of grilling (not having any outdoor space will do that to a person), I have been invited to a couple of picnics and will be throwing together a red potato salad with an olive oil and vinegar dressing, and a creamy coleslaw with purple and green cabbage.
I want to know what the rest of you are cooking this weekend. What's going on your grill, in your picnic baskets or out on the buffet? How do you handle vegetarian and gluten-intolerant guests? And most importantly, how are you ending the meal?
We are just hours away from a national holiday, and nothing ushers in a summer celebration better than a cool, fruit-based drink. This sparkling beverage, with bits of watermelon floating throughout and a matching straw, begs to be imitated for your Independence Day festivities (there's no recipe on the photo page, but watermelon would go nicely with any number of fizzy drinks).
Wednesday is the Fourth of July, and we continue to bring you some recipes that you might want to try if you're having a cookout or party that day. AOL Food has a recipe from Steven Raichlen for Hamburgers with Herb Butter. There are a couple of more steps than you're probably used to when cooking burgers.The pancetta and white cheddar cheese sound like really nice touches.
I don't know who this "Herb Butter" guy is, but this sounds great. Full recipe after the jump.
I think one of the reasons I hate summer, besides the whole HUMIDITY factor, is that I don't like all the typical summer things. Beaches, cookouts, parades...all of these things mean pretty much nothing to me. And you can add fireworks to that list. I have never in my life set off any type of fireworks, and I don't think I've been around anyone who has either.
But I'll happily eat them! Here's a recipe for Chocolate Haystack Fireworks from Elizabeth LaBau at about.com. It's a very easy recipe to make and there's no cooking involved except a microwave, so your house won't get any hotter.
After I made my Jello pie, I wanted to do more Jello desserts - by which I mean that I had an extra package of Jello left over. I decided that I would try my hand at making a layered dessert because some of them just look too interesting to pass up and I've never actually attempted one before.
As it turns out, they're very easy to make. Gelatin doesn't set up at room temperature, so the layers-to-be can sit out while you wait for things to set up. The initial time involved is about 2 minutes, after which you can do household things (or blog) while you wait to pour on the next layer.
Fruit pies made our list of the eight best desserts for the 4th of July because there is such a wide variety of fantastic, fresh fruit available right now. But just because it's a good dessert for the 4th doesn't mean you have to wait until then to make one. Cathy, at My Little Kitchen, diligently pitted an entire batch of sour cherries in preparation for making a sour cherry pie. The combination of warm cherry filling, flaky crust and vanilla ice cream is one made in heaven - though in this case it was made in Maryland. Anywhere there is a good pie is close enough.
Unfortunately for us, Cathy didn't share her recipe, but you can always try your hand at Barbara's Sour Cherry Lattice Top Pie, which is sure to produce an outstanding result.
Don't spend all your time thinking about what you're going to barbecue for the 4th of July – what about dessert? After all, you're going to want more than just a beer to wash down all those hot dogs and potato chips when you are out with friends and family, waiting for the fireworks display to begin.
Anything with Jello – as one of the few foods that actually comes in the color blue, Jello is the perfect choice for making red, white and blue desserts, not to mention that it's always a kid favorite. Try a patriotic Jello pie, red white and blue terrine or an All-american trifle.
Shortcake – there is something classic about shortcake after a barbecue. You can use almost any fruit, but opt for strawberries, blueberries or raspberries on the 4th. For the cake, make a traditional biscuit base or just use a slice of pound cake. Try this recipe or this one.
Chocolate chip cookies – maybe the expression should have been "as American as chocolate chip cookies," because not only were these invented in the US, but they're a favorite with everyone. And you can't go wrong with the famous Tollhouse recipe, which started it all.
Some 
Wednesday is the Fourth of July, and we continue to bring you some recipes that you might want to try if you're having a cookout or party that day. AOL Food has a recipe from Steven Raichlen for 
I think one of the reasons I hate summer, besides the whole HUMIDITY factor, is that I don't like all the typical summer things. Beaches, cookouts, parades...all of these things mean pretty much nothing to me. And you can add fireworks to that list. I have never in my life set off any type of fireworks, and I don't think I've been around anyone who has either. 
Don't spend all your time thinking about what you're going to barbecue for the 4th of July – what about dessert? After all, you're going to want more than just a beer to wash down all those hot dogs and potato chips when you are out with friends and family, waiting for the fireworks display to begin.
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