Snap! Crackel! Pop!

For dessert how about a Fruit Tart? To fit in with the theme I chose to limit my fruit to Strawberries, Raspberries and Blueberries, but you can use whatever fruits you enjoy. I must confess on this one: this dish has intimidated me in the past, so I always chickened out and wound up purchasing it from the grocery store. Between the homemade pastry dough and the sweet pastry filling I didn’t think I would be successful at making something that folks would want to consume. So, this year I decided to face my fear and give this a try; and you know what, it turned out beautifully and tasted even better. I simply followed the directions in the recipe I found on The Joy of Baking website, and in no time, I had a dish that did not last long on the table. I even had folks taking pictures of it.

So the moral of the story: if there is a recipe out there that you “think” you can’t do, muster up the courage and give it a try and you will more than likely be pleasantly surprised at the results.

Next to Christmas, the 4th of July is my favorite holiday. I will admit I am a fireworks junkie! I look forward to late-June each year as it is when the fireworks stands start popping up throughout the neighborhoods. There is a rush of excitement that comes from the anticipation of being able to purchase my favorite fireworks and getting to purchase new, unknown fireworks. The snap, crackel, and pop heard in random bursts, throughout the late evening hours leading up to the 4th of July, provides me comfort that I am not the only fireworks junkie in the neighborhood.

As much as I look forward to planning our family fireworks display, I also look forward to planning and preparing the food that we will enjoy. This year, I thought I would put a little Snap, Crackel and Pop into our Red, White and Blue 4th of July dinner celebration. I selected three simple recipes that provide a healthy balanced meal: Grilled Rock Lobster Tails, Grilled Potatoes and Onions with Herbs (Foil Wrapped), Blue Cheese and Dried Cranberry Tossed Salad. The 'Grilled Rock Lobster Tails' provide the meal with the snap, crackel, pop and a bit of fireworks for the grill. The lobster tails are marinated in an oil oil (or butter) based sauce with several spices which enhance the savory flavor of the meat while grilling. The 'Grilled Potatoes and Onions with Herbs (Foil Wrapped)' provide the white, starchy and filling portion of the meal. In addition to the fresh red potatoes, herbs and sweet onions, I added white corn on the cob to the recipe. The foil packets made preparation and clean up a breeze as the potatoes and corn cooked at the same time the lobster was grilling. The 'Blue Cheese and Dried Cranberry Tossed Salad' provides the meal with a nice cold dish to balance out the meal. The Blue Cheese, dried cranberries, glazed walnuts (or pecans) and balsamic vinagrette provide an explosion of sweet and tangy flavours.

May you and your family have a Snap, Crackel, Popping 4th of July celebration and meal.