Four Amazing Potato Salad Recipes for Your Fourth of July Cookout

Americans will be celebrating the Fourth of July this weekend, and that means loads of hot dogs, hamburgers, corn on the cob, watermelon, and, the perennial favorite, potato salad.


Patriotic Potato Salad

Although most people will be enjoying traditional American-style potato salad with mayo, I won't, and neither will anybody in my family. Why? Because when my brothers and I were kids, my mother wouldn't dream of letting us eat mayo-based potato salad at cookouts. After all, how could she know how long it had been baking in the sun? There was no way she was going to risk her brood getting food poisoning, so we either skipped the potato salad or had our own olive oil and vinegar based potato salad instead.


String Bean and Potato Salad with Prosciutto

Although it has been shown that mayo-based potato salad may not be as dangerous as once thought, I still prefer worry-free oil and vinegar based potato salads. If you're not sure which type of potato salad to make for this Fourth of July weekend, then I have four amazing potato salad recipes for you to try:

• Lemongrass and Ginger Potato Salad
• Arugula Pesto Potato Salad
• String Bean and Potato Salad with Prosciutto
• Patriotic Potato Salad

Arugula Pesto potato salad

Tips for making great potato salad:

• Use waxy rather than floury potatoes, such as Yukon gold, red bliss and fingerlings. They have a creamy texture yet keep their shape well when cooked. Although russet potatoes are exceptionally tender, they don't hold their shape well when boiled and tend to get mushy.
  

• Cut potatoes into equal-sized pieces so they will cook evenly.

• Don't overcook potatoes. Take them off the heat while they're still slightly firm. Drain and let cool before assembling the salad.
  

• With or without skins? It's a personal preference. If you leave the skins on, be sure to scrub them well before cooking. Peeled potatoes work especially well for absorbing sauces such as pesto.
  

• Season the potatoes while still warm to absorb the flavors more fully.

• Warm potato salads taste best the day they are made; however, cold potato salads often taste better the next day. If you're making potato salad ahead of time, hold off on adding raw onions or fresh herbs until just before serving. You'll avoid unpleasant pungency and keep your herbs looking fresh.

Lemongrass and Ginger Potato Salad

So here's wishing my fellow Americans a safe and spectacular Fourth of July weekend with lots of good friends, lots of sparklers, and lots and lots of potato salad.

You might also like these recipes for the Fourth of July:

The Southwest Hamburger





Chili Lime Fruit Salad





Elote, or Mexican Grilled Corn





Grilled Watermelon Slices with a Honey-Lime Syrup

Mom's Blueberry Sweet Rolls Taste Like Summertime

It's blueberry season. Glorious, juicy, sweet blueberry season.

If you're looking for one fabulous blueberry treat this summer, then you've got to make my Mom's Blueberry Sweet Rolls. She has been making them since I was a little girl, and my love for them has never waned.

Each bun has warm, juicy, cinnamon-sugar coated blueberries tucked inside of a pillowy soft sweet dough that is glazed with vanilla icing. There is something ambrosial about these buns: they're delicate and pretty enough for a ladies' summer tea party yet homey and comfy enough for a midday snack with a glass of milk.

So next time you go blueberry picking, save a pint of your best berries for Mom's Blueberry Sweet Rolls. Trust me, summer never tasted so good.


(You could eat these buns unglazed, but you wouldn't want to do that.)

Mom's Blueberry Sweet Rolls
Makes 9 rolls
Print recipe only here.

Mom's Blueberry Sweet Rolls are easy to make, but plan ahead since the dough has to be refrigerated overnight.

Dough:
2 packets of yeast
1/2 cup warm water
3/4 cup warm milk
1 cup melted butter
2 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups all-purpose, or as much as it takes

1 tablespoon melted butter for brushing over dough

Blueberry Filling:
1 pint fresh blueberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Vanilla Icing:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
a few droplets of milk

Sprinkle with chopped toasted pecans, optional

1. Place rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter or coat with cooking spray an 8-inch square pan.

2. Combine all of the dough ingredients in a processor, and process until the dough forms a ball. Or mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl, and knead lightly by hand until the dough comes together. Roll into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

3. In the morning, the dough will be hard. Let it rest on the counter until it's just cool or at room temperature. Roll it out into a large rectangle. Brush with 1 tablespoon melted butter.

4. In a medium bowl, mix the blueberries, granulated sugar, flour, and cinnamon, until well coated, and spread evenly over the dough. Lightly press the berries with your hand so they stick into the dough. Starting with the long side closest to you, begin rolling the dough as tightly as you can, tucking in any stray blueberries as you go. Place the end seam side down, and tuck the ends of the roll under so the berries don't escape. Place the roll in refrigerator for 5 minutes to make slicing easier. Using a sharp knife, cut the roll into 9 equal size pieces.

5. Place the rolls in a prepared 8-inch square dish. Cover with a clean dish towel, and allow to rest on the counter top for 45-60 minutes, until risen and puffy. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the dough comes out clean. Place pan on a rack, and cool.

6. To make the icing, whisk confectioner's sugar, vanilla, and milk until smooth, but not too thin-- it should cling nicely to the back of a spoon. Once the buns are cooled, pull them apart (it helps to run a blunt knife between the buns first). Place buns on a wire rack with a sheet of parchment paper underneath it. Drizzle with icing, and rest for about 1 hour, or until the icing has hardened. Serve at room temperature.

You might also like these summertime fruity desserts:

Peach and Blueberry Galette




Fresh Blackberry, Oatmeal, and Cashew Cake




Fresh Cherry and Peach Upside-Down Cake




Strawberry Cardamom Cake





Here are more delicious blueberry recipes you might enjoy:
Blueberry Cobbler from Melecotte
Blueberry Crumb Cake from Family, Friends, and Food
Blueberry and Strawberry Buttermilk Cake at Pinch My Salt
Blueberry Muffins at Obsessed With Baking

P.S. Congratulations to The Mama, aka Heather for winning the grilling kit from Fire and Flavor!

A Product Review and Give-Away for Cedar Grilling Planks

It's almost the 4th of July, and Americans are gearing up for cookouts. According to the National Retail Federation, 62.6% of Americans will host or attend a cookout, barbecue or picnic this year.

Everyone knows that any decent 4th of July cookout will have hamburgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob, potato salad, and watermelon. But if you want to add some panache to your cookout, then consider buying a cedar grilling plank.

Recently I was asked to do a product review for Fire and Flavor's cedar grilling plank. I was quite pleased with it. According to the company, the plank is made from all natural western red cedar and contains no additional flavorings. It was easy to use: I soaked the plank in water for the recommended 1 hour. (Don't skimp on the time, or the wood could burn too much when grilling.) I placed the salmon on the plank and set it directly on the heated grill racks. It cooked in about 15 minutes.

I really loved the fragrance of the wood while it was cooking. It had a sweet, woodsy aroma that definitely whetted the appetite, as was evidenced by the people near the grill asking, "Mmm... what's that wonderful smell?"

The salmon cooked evenly and maintained its shape perfectly. As for the taste, well, it was lovely. I can't say that it had a particularly woodsy flavor; it was more subtle. When I made beef on the plank, however, I detected a more discernible smoky flavor that was delicious. The meat was succulent and not overly charred as it tends to get when grilling.



The plank can be washed in warm, soapy water, air-dried, and reused 1-2 more times, if not overly charred. The plank comes with clear, easy instructions and several great recipes.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this product.

Now for the best part! Fire and Flavor is offering a lucky Food Blogga reader a chance to win a Fire & Flavor "kit," with goodies such as a cookbook, cedar grilling planks, and cedar papers. Click here for details, and leave your comment below by the end of the day, Sunday, June 28, 2009!

Orange and Ginger Glazed Planked Salmon
Makes 2 servings
Print recipe only here.

2 (4-6 oz) salmon filets
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon unseasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon orange zest, plus extra for garnish
salt and several cranks freshly ground black pepper
1 scallion, thinly sliced, for garnish

1. In a small bowl whisk all ingredients from Dijon through black pepper. Using a pastry brush, coat salmon filets with the sauce.

2. Preheat grill to medium low (350-400 degrees F), and set soaked plank on grill rack. Close lid, and heat for 3 minutes. Flip flank over, and place salmon on top.

3. Close lid. Cook for 12-15 minutes, or until salmon turns pink and the flesh is opaque in the middle.

4. Remove plank from grill. Sprinkle salmon with sliced scallions and serve immediately.


You might also these grilled dishes:

Grilled Watermelon Slices with a Honey-Lime Syrup




The Southwest Hamburger




Lamb Kebabs