SUMMERTOWN, USA – It’s one of summer’s biggest holidays and not everyone is ready.
Looking for a last-minute fix?
SNO asked Facebook readers for their favorite easy items to share for summer parties and got a nicely varied response.
North Fork resident Sarah Crotinger says she relies on salsa de fruta, and even forked over her recipe.
Salsa de fruta translates from Spanish literally as fruit sauce but more readily could be compared with a delicious, summertime fruit salad.
Crotinger says to combine pineapple, orange, jicama, fresh jalepenos, red onions and fresh squeezed lime. She also suggests adding “other yumminess” at the chef’s discretion. Apparently just sharing the recipe has certain effects, as Crotinger quickly wrote something about being “such a foodie” and dashed off Facebook to “go make that right now.” We hope it turned out perfectly.
Along those same lines, Jamie Trippett in Coarsegold says she likes to make fruit kabobs. A quick online search of fruit kabobs shows that durable fruits in lots of pretty colors make the best showing. Yellow pineapple, red strawberries, green kiwis, melons including cantaloupe and watermelon all look fantastic on skewers and makes it really easy for hosts to pass around and guests to gobble.
One tip with kabobs, if you’re using wooden bamboo skewers on the bbq: soak the skewers in a pan of water for as little as 20 minutes or as long as a few hours. Soaking your bamboo skewers keeps them from torching right on the grill. If you’re feeling particularly industrious, you can soak an entire bag at once, then let them drip for a minute before placing the bunch in a plastic freezer bag in your freezer. They’ll be ready whenever you are.
Jerry Schoonover, also of Coarsegold, says taco salad is his to-go go-to. We don’t know about Jerry, but in our house taco salad is a mainstay. Romaine lettuce, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, onions and lots of avocado set the stage for a flavorful meat topping (turkey or beef) all served over tortilla chips. Some people prefer a tasty salsa and others like to go with ranch dressing on a taco salad. Can’t be beat!
Facebook friend Jack Fragaso says he likes to travel with “ghost chilis stuffed in jalapenos swimming in a Serrano sauce.” We thought he meant “roast” chili peppers, but research shows we were wrong. Also known as “naga bhut jolokia” (it has its own Wikipedia page) and lots of other names, this Indian chili pepper is rated “exceptionally hot” on the Scoville scale of spicy hotness.
So from what we gather, Fragaso likes a pepper-stuffed pepper swimming in pepper sauce. That’s hot!
Brad Gard brings pickles, just… pickles, which is perhaps one of the greatest simple ideas for pot lucks ever shared. If you keep a nice jar of cold pickles in your refrigerator you’ll always be ready for a last minute party.
We like to put little gherkin pickles in our segmented snack server, along with almonds, carrots and red peppers. This medley is pretty to see and healthy to eat, although the idea of bringing just a jar of pickles to a party is incredibly liberating for those of us who tend to over-prepare.
Steve Dooley likes a nice four-bean salad, which travels well and is both simple to make and delicious. Traditionally, Grandma’s recipe would include green, wax, kidney and garbanzo beans. You can make an updated version of this classic using just about any kind of bean, fresh or canned. We like black beans and even a little yellow corn for color.
Mariposa resident Kaye Potter’s perfect party pleaser is broccoli salad. The best broccoli we know how to make is steamed for about five minutes and then completely immersed in an ice-water bath long enough to chill the florets and stems completely. Make broccoli salad or just take the broc with a side of your-choice salad dressing in a little bowl for dipping. People will be happy to see something healthy.
Sandra Adelizi in Oakhurst recommends sour cream and bacon potato salad, which sounds ridiculously rich and fantastic and probably has no calories at all, because the sour cream cancels out the bacon, right?
Bernice Hawk in Tollhouse relies on an Oreo Ice Cream Cake. No one can argue with that. What time are you coming over, Bernice? We’ll be waiting.
Happy 4th of July. Stay safe and eat well.
