A Patriotic Picnic for Fourth of July

The Fourth of July is always such a fun time of year with barbecues, fireworks and the waving of the flag. Why not add to festivities by putting together a picnic that has a definite patriotic theme? Use all or just some of the suggestions to come and your guests will be treated to a meal with an obvious nod to the love of the USA.

Start things off with a barbecue appetizer that doesn't require firing up the grill. I like to add to my small slow cooker a bottle of barbecue sauce (flavor and brand is entirely up to you) and a package or two of small cocktail weenies. If you can find the ones with cheese in the middle, include some of them as the warm cheese oozing out after the meaty crunch is a sure fire winner!

Another idea is to serve red, white and blue fruit on a white platter. Arrange slices of banana, strawberries and whole blueberries on the plate in a flag pattern or simply in alternating colors. As a side for dipping, offer dishes of fresh plain or vanilla yogurt or sour cream mixed with a bit of sugar. With any appetizer, it is always appreciated to have small paper plates, napkins and toothpicks in abundant supply so guests don't have to dirty up a bunch of dishes. This will save clean up time for you later- which is always an added bonus. Other colorful fruits include chunks of watermelon, cherries and boysenberries. Use whatever you have in season and most importantly of all, whatever is the freshest.

Don't think the leafy greens in salads leave them out of the running for patriotic fare. Dress up a bowl of torn spinach with jicama chunks, tomatoes and raspberries. Offer a simple vinaigrette dressing or make one by mixing equal parts red wine vinegar, olive oil and seasonings to finely minced garlic and shallots. The tart of the berries balanced by the sharpness of the vinegar will be a crowd pleaser. Substitute whole cherry tomatoes or chunks of red pepper for added crunch. Also note that strawberries can be a star in a spinach salad; they marry well with warm bacon and chopped garlic. If you are leaning toward a potato salad, consider using blue potatoes. Their color will keep with your theme and although they won't look like traditional potato salad fare, their taste will definitely be a showstopper.

The Fourth of July traditionally equals food time on the grill and if barbecue is your main course, fantastic! Serve your grilled meats on white platters with blue napkins and the theme will hold true. If you want to make a side dish to go along (or if you are just not in the mood to grill) why not consider tossing some pasta with bacon, tomatoes and olive oil, then serve it in a blue bowl? You can also chunks of blue cheese with short tube pasta (like rigatoni) and diced red peppers for a pretty presentation. Varieties on side dishes can be endless so use your imagination and let the patriotic colors be your guide to your ingredients. Once you get going, the possibilities just continue to grow.

Desert time is where your creativity on the USA theme can really shine through. One of my favorite sweet treats is to use store bought pound cake sliced in half. I "frost" each half with whipped topping and then create a flag on top using sliced strawberries and whole blueberries. You can also create stars by piping some white frosting through a star shaped frost tip and dotting them on top of the blueberries. Chill this desert until just time to serve and consider dusting white plates with bottled strawberry syrup before laying down a slice. It adds color and a bit of presentation to this simple cake.

Another variation of this same idea my family enjoys is to make (or buy) a plain cheesecake and then decorate it with berries. You can also use red raspberries or use fruit syrups to skate lines of color over each slice and the plate. The presentation is very pretty and it keeps with your Fourth of July theme. Scatter a couple of raspberries and maybe some mint leaves across the plates for an added touch.

The most important thing to keep in mind when planning a theme menu is to have fun with it. If one course wont' work with the theme due to lack of ingredients or time, who cares? Let the rest of the courses hold up the theme and indulge in colored paper plates, napkins and matching cups. Dress up your picnic table with blue and red streamers, white tablecloth and sprinklings of confetti. Enjoy your company and have a wonderful holiday expressed through great patriotic foods.