Happy 4th of July

[mayumithrasher]

Just wondering what everyone else is eating on Wednesday?

Our 4th of July menu is fairly typical, although I want Brats instead of hot dogs this year, steak, beans, greens.

Does anyone know of a good brand of canned vegetarian baked beans? My father was a southerner so I expect salt pork or a ham hock in my beans and have NO IDEA who makes good vegetarian beans.

I guess I could make beans but I'd need a recipe that doesn't require the beans to be cooked for a long time since I'd have to do the prep work at my apartment but take it to my friends' for the actually cooking.

~Mayumi

[BillP]

Canned baked beans are loaded with corn syrup and salt -- way more than what you'd put in to make yourself. Dried beans sound like a pain, but it's more time consuming (unattended) than difficult. If you have a crockpot you can skip the soak part altogether. Maybe a bean salad instead?

I almost always end up bringing the Southwestern Potato Salad that is in Bobby Flay's first book, Bold American Food. It is a real winner. Even people who generally don't like mayo-based potato salad like it.

You could also bring homemade lemonade, or sangria.

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mayumithrasher wrote:
Just wondering what everyone else is eating on Wednesday?

Our 4th of July menu is fairly typical, although I want Brats instead of hot dogs this year, steak, beans, greens.

Does anyone know of a good brand of canned vegetarian baked beans? My father was a southerner so I expect salt pork or a ham hock in my beans and have NO IDEA who makes good vegetarian beans.

I guess I could make beans but I'd need a recipe that doesn't require the beans to be cooked for a long time since I'd have to do the prep work at my apartment but take it to my friends' for the actually cooking.

~Mayumi

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[BillP]

Here in NYC we had dark clouds and rain, so no BBQing. I still made my potato salad, though, and it's just as good indoors. Anyone else have any highlights?

[mayumithrasher]

We had a sunny and hot 4th here in LA. I decided to make a 3-bean and corn salad. It went over pretty well with the meat & non-meat eaters. Also, threw together a "relish" of bell peppers and onions sauteed in butter. It came out very rich and added a nice sweet touch to the brats.

We had a fairly low key meal rounded off with a cool glass of riesling and DOVE ice cream bars for dessert. Clean up was so easy this year, which is usually not the case with our get-togethers.

-Mayumi