By Rachel Rappaport of Coconut & Lime

Photo by Dine and Dish

As July 4th nears, my thoughts always turn to patriotic foods. Cook-outs are a traditional way to celebrate our independence, but there are lots of other ways to celebrate.

One the most colorful ways to celebrate is with this 4th of July Trifle by Dine and Dish. It is super simple to make and would be perfect to take to a picnic or cookout.

Photo by C is for Cooking

Over at the Jew and the Carrot we find an interesting essay about the push farmers feel to get their corn crops to harvest in time for the 4th of July and the tactics some take to meet that deadline.
Stef at the Cupcake Project cleverly came up with All American BBQ Cupcakes with Sweet Corn Frosting. They look like Summertime in cupcake form. Firecracker Nachos from C is for Cooking is perfect for a 4th of July bash with an Asian flair.

If retro is your thing, try this 1936 recipe for Betsy Ross Cake or this recipe for Thomas Jefferson’s ice cream.

Photo by Stef
of the Cupcake Project

Americans are not the only ones to celebrate their heritage. Make this fourth of July more international and try out some patriotic dishes from around the world.
On Australia Day, Australians like to celebrate what makes Australia unique. Try this Australian inspired Watermelon and Coriander Salad with Fennel Risotto Stuffed Squid.
Did you know that orange carrots were bred to honor the House of Orange? Before that, carrots were most often white or purple. That’s a real case of patriotism changing food history. Read more about it (and check out an historical recipe) here.

Photo by My Recipes

Mexicans celebrates Mexico’s Independence from Spain by having feasts. One popular choice is the tasty mole poblano.

Sweden’s National Day isn’t as big of a deal as our Independence Day but this strawberry and almond paste pastry is beautiful and makes the most of in-season strawberries.

For more recipes perfect for Independence Day, try the Foodieview Recipe Search Engine.

Rachel Rappaport is a food writer and recipe creator who lives in Baltimore, Maryland. You can check out over 600 of her original recipes at her award winning food blog, Coconut & Lime.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 30th, 2008 at 9:23 am and is filed under Recipe Roundup. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.