Let’s talk pasta salads. There are delightfully creamy versions with mayo and there are garlicky ones with pesto. There are pasta salads made with couscous (tiny pasta!) and ones with tortellini. But pretty much any way you bring a pasta salad together, it’s guaranteed to be great. Picnic-ready and coming soon to a cookout near you, here are our top 15 pasta salads for 4th of July party.
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Nothing offends me like an unripe tomato. And I’m not referring to a green tomato, which can be transformed into a delicious, fried delight. The tomatoes that get me all worked up are pink, hard and usually served alongside an otherwise decent salad or burger. These pink travesties are particularly offensive in South Carolina in the summer. We grow tomatoes here like nobody’s business, and there’s no excuse for a bad one.
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If you think about it, isn’t it strange that we’ve nominated pie as our iconic summer dessert? Do understand, I say this as someone who frequently daydreams about going around the country and teaching people to make pie with a bare minimum of fuss, because I think the only thing standing between you and someone who effortlessly throws pies together because you heard someone was coming over is someone talking you through it once or twice… But I will also fully admit: pie is a pest. It requires very cold fat to be carefully worked into a floury mix until the pieces are exactly the right size. Too small, your crust is flat and crunchy. Too big, butter pools out and burns, leaving sad, tough flakes for crust. Too warm, the bits go small and absorb into the flour. Too cold, good luck rolling it out! And before you even know if the trouble will be worth it, you’ve got to roll out your crust with no holes or tears or your fruit filling will leak through and permanently glue pie-to-pan. And the fruit! Too thick, your pie cuts freakishly like Jell-O; too thin, it spills out everywhere, leaving a hollow crust in its wake. And don’t even get me started on lattice-tops. They’re for really sick people.
Given all of these high stakes, it’s a wonder we don’t all spend our summers, exclusively extolling the virtues of fruit crisps and crumbles, because they’re pie’s laid-back, easy-breezy sibling, the one whose arrival always brings applause. They give you nothing to carefully roll out; you just messily sprinkle the so-called “crust” over the top of the fruit, which can be thickened or not at all because if you’re not slicing it, who cares if it slumps? (And if the thought of fruit that sighs and puddles out onto a plate isn’t more appealing to you than fruit that stands up straight when you slice it, well, I beg to differ.) And the fat! Instead of asking butter to do the thing it would very least like to do on a hot day — that is, to try to stay cold — you begin by melting it.
… Read the rest of peach and pecan sandy crumble on smittenkitchen.com
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permalink to peach and pecan sandy crumble | 22 comments to date | see more: Peach, Photo, Summer, Tarts/Pies
Summertime is all about picnics and potlucks, so if you’re still in search of the ultimate dish that guarantees return invites and recipe requests, this Mexican street corn salad is for you. Not only will the fresh flavors please any palate, but it’s just as easy to make a double (or triple) batch and it’s equally delicious served hot, cold, or at room temp. Sounds like a winner to me!
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4.48 / 5 Stars | 22 Reviews
by Tenille Wasemiller
“This recipe makes a large quantity of fiery hot salsa: whole peeled tomatoes are seasoned with a variety of hot peppers, lime juice, and lots of cilantro.”
It’s early on a summer’s morning and I’m sitting out back with my first cup of tea. The air is cool, my tea is hot and bracing, and the birds are outdoing themselves with delight over the sun’s arrival. An old friend, The List of Things to Do, is rather large today and persistent, too, like a scruffy sheep dog that wants to be walked and is nagging for attention by consistently and methodically placing one of its saucer-sized paws in my lap.
But I’m strong (who is in charge here?) and I resist. I’m on my first cup of tea and my rule is that there’s no planning, scheming, list making or worrying while drinking my first cup. This is my meandering, creative, daydreamy time, when I can indulge in crazy thoughts and ideas with no self-censoring. Just let it all unravel and follow wherever it wants to go.
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4.14 / 5 Stars | 218 Reviews
by NICOLELYN
“Garlic, along with a little parsley, is baked right into this delicious bread. Slather it with butter or enjoy it plain.”
Happy Saturday! Popular posts this week on The Kitchn include a George Orwell essay on the perfect cup of tea, 10 meals you can make straight from the farmers market, an All-American beer bottling party, a lovely tour of a Seattle kitchen, and more. Enjoy, and have a great weekend!
15. What Happens When Monsanto Buys the Patent To Your Favorite Tomato
14. 5 Summer Breakfasts to Beat the Heat
13. Why Having a Toddler Made Me Eat More (and Not Better)
12. Summer Treat: Vanilla Milk with Chocolate Ice Cubes
11. Essential Recipe: Italian Salad Dressing
10. George Orwell’s 11 Golden Rules for Making the Perfect Cup of Tea
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4.5 / 5 Stars | 5 Reviews
by Rio Fantasia
“This refreshingly tart salsa, with just a touch of heat, will pair deliciously with your favorite fish or chicken dish.”
An All-American Beer Bottling Party | Gatherings from The Kitchn
It’s been a summery sort of week around here, as our kitchens heated up and we plotted our menus for Independence Day. What are you planning this weekend in your kitchen? Is grill heated and ready? Are you planning front-stoop picnics? What are you cooking? (If you’re making any recipes from The Kitchn, tag them @thekitchn on Instagram! We’d love to see!) Happy cooking, and happy weekend!
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