The 4th of July may still be a week away, but it is not too soon to begin thinking about this special celebration. We love to see our American flag wave in the worn hands of veterans as they march in parades, as well as in the hands of the children who line the parade route.
The DVO family is “Proud to be an American”. We love this great country and we salute all of the men and women who have served and continue to serve, these United States.
Red, White, & Blue Potato Salad Recipe
By Peggy Trowbridge
The beautiful colors of this red, white, and blue potato salad come from the potatoes themselves. If you cannot find blue potatoes, purple ones will do, or simply use all red and white. This recipe is obviously perfect for the 4th of July due to the coloring, but you can enjoy it year-round. Red, White & Blue Potato Salad is even better at room temperature than cold.
1/2 pound baby red rose potatoes (new potatoes)
1/2 pound baby white rose potatoes
1/2 pound small blue potatoes (see notes)
1/8 cup mayonnaise
1/8 cup ranch dressing
1/2 Tbsp champagne vinegar (or white vinegar)
1/4 tsp dried dill weed
Pinch of sugar (optional)
1/4 cup thin-sliced green onions, tops included (see notes)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Grape tomatoes for garnish
Simmer red, white, and blue potatoes, skins on, in salted water until tender, but not mushy. Let cool until easy enough to handle, but still warm. Cut into 1-inch pieces.
Combine mayonnaise, ranch dressing, champagne vinegar, dill weed, and optional sugar. Pour over warm potatoes and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate 2 hours or more to let flavors meld.
Let come to room temperature to serve. Garnish with grape tomatoes. Recipe may be easily doubled.
Yield: about 6 servings
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Strawberry Short Cut Cake
From Foot Network Kitchens
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Strawberries and Cream:
2 pints strawberries
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the cake: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch round cake pan, line it with parchment paper, butter the paper, and dust the pan lightly with flour.
Whisk the flour with the granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Lightly whisk in the butter, egg, milk, and vanilla, just until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then turn it out of the pan, flip upright, and cool completely on the rack.
For the strawberries and cream: Set aside 1 pint of the best-looking whole berries for topping the cake. Hull and thinly slice the rest of the berries and toss with the granulated sugar. Set aside. Whip the cream with the confectioners' sugar and vanilla to soft peaks. Refrigerate until ready to use.
To assemble the cake: Cut the cake in half horizontally with a serrated knife. Place the bottom layer cut side up on a cake stand or serving plate. Drizzle the juices from the sliced berries over the cut sides of both halves. Fold a couple tablespoons of the whipped cream into the sliced berries and spread over the bottom layer. Top with the other piece of cake, cut side down. Spread the remaining whipped cream on the top of the cake and top the cake with the whole berries.
Know-How: Cutting a cake into layers is easy as saw-spin-separate: Begin to saw the cake in half horizontally. Just before you reach the middle of the cake, give it a quarter turn. Continue to saw almost to the center, then give it another quarter turn and saw again until you reach your original point of entry. Saw completely through the cake's center and separate the layers.
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Blueberry Cream Cheese Tarts
From Paula Deen
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
12 vanilla wafers
1 (21-ounce) can blueberry filling, or other pie filling
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place a paper cupcake liner in each cup of a muffin pan.
Beat cream cheese with a handheld electric mixer until fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Place a vanilla wafer, flat side down, in each muffin cup. Spoon cream cheese mixture over wafers. Bake for 20 minutes. Allow tarts to cool completely. Serve with blueberry filling on top, or pie filling of your choice.
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