As summer kicks into high gear, roadside stands and greenmarkets are bustling with fresh produce.
Fresh herbs, cut just that morning, perfume the air: sultry thyme, sprightly parsley and rosemary for remembrance. Sweet onions tumble out of bushel baskets and into burlap bags. Piles of peppers fight for your attention in red, green, orange, yellow and even black. And who can resist fresh ears of satiny corn?
As you lug all of your fresh produce home, don't worry -- as always, we've got your back. Beyond the jump is an original recipe to use that corn, those peppers and those onions to make a quick, fresh corn relish.
This relish has a Southwestern twang, but it can accompany virtually anything coming off of your grill for Fourth of July barbecues, from juicy burgers and seared steaks to perfectly smoked chicken. And if the summer corn is too irresistible to resist buying a bushel, you can double the recipe and send some home with your guests.
With Independence Day just around the corner, we turn our attention to all-American wines for the all-American holiday. I combed through the Slashfood archives to find wines from all around our grand ol' country worthy of an American toast. Here are seven perennial favorites:
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.
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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 
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