Four Recipes For a Patriotic Fourth of July

About author / Amy Powell

World traveler; gourmet 30 minute meals; lover of exotic ingredients; winner on FoodTV's Chefs vs City; graduate French Culinary Institute. Her recipes will tantalize your taste buds.

The United States of America may be only in its early 200s (a toddler by most countries’ standards), but the fruit of the land has produced staple foods that are now eaten all over the world. The French wouldn’t dare celebrate Bastille Day without baguettes and cheese nor could you imagine a Mexican Independence Day without tequila and tacos. Thus it seem only natural that any patriotic Fourth of July celebration should feature the bounty of our land. The following are four foods native the Americas that will be sure to add some delicious history to your Independence Day spread.

Corn: a twist on the classic ear. Given the near worldwide ubiquity of corn it is hard to imagine a time when it wasn’t eaten beyond our shores. Corn was actually first cultivated in what is now Mexico and Central America during pre-historic times. The United States is now the world’s largest producer of corn yielding 13.2 billion bushels in 2009, the largest crop on record (note the largest portion of this production goes to feeding cattle, not humans). Despite its North American origins corn is now produced and consumed around the world in countries as far flung as Indonesia, China, and India.

Since corn was first brought to this part of the continent from our neighbors to the south, I don’t think it is in any way unpatriotic to pay tribute to this essential American crop by giving a grilled corn recipe a Mexican twist. In fact, Mexican style corn such as that served at Café Habana (in New York City and recently opened in Malibu, CA) is so beloved on this side of the border it is practically American. The concept is simple: grill corn and roll the charred ears in a dish with equal parts mayonnaise and sour cream. Then roll the ears in crumbled cotija cheese (available in Latin American markets and many supermarkets), sprinkle with chili pepper and salt and serve with lime wedges. The result is a sweet, spicy, tangy, salty take on an American classic.

Bison: it’s what’s for dinner. The American buffalo, species name bison bison, is an icon of North American history. Native Americans relied on bison meat for food, and fur and hide for clothing and shelter. European settlers and pioneers drove the bison to near extinction, at one point to around 300 remaining bison down from an approximate peak population of 60 million. Bison have rebounded in the last 100 years to a population of around 150,000, enough to earn its removal from the endangered species list. Bison are now being raised on private lands as an alternative to beef.

A relative of domestic cattle, bison is actually higher in protein and lower in fat with a rich, sweet, if slightly gamey flavor. Unlike most cattle, bison are allowed to roam freely for most of their lives feeding on grass and bison are not given hormones or antibiotics. For most of us bison steaks might be hard to come by but ground bison is becoming increasingly available, found in most supermarkets near the ground lamb. Ground bison makes for a healthier and tastier twist on the classic Fourth of July barbecue burger, complete with all the fixings.

Beans: more than good for your heart. Through malnutrition outbreaks, early American settlers found out the hard way that man cannot live on corn alone. A few thousand years of cultivating beans on this continent led to a more balanced Native American diet which eventually led to a style of planting called “Three Sisters,” whereby beans and squash were planted around corn stalks; the beans using the corn as a trellis and the corn receiving needed nitrogen from the beans. These three foods supplemented with meat and fish provided all the essential nutrients for proper nutrition.

Salads such the five bean salad composed of mixed canned beans are common additions to summer picnics and proper tribute the history of the legume on this soil. Try a twist this year with a mix of rinsed canned beans such as cannellini and garbanzo with fresh green beans livened up with some crumbled, crisp American bacon and fresh herbs.

Blueberries: a truly patriotic fruit. Berries may be found all over the world but if the Americas can lay claim to one species it is the “blue” one. Maine and Michigan lead the country in production, but these small round purple fruits are grown coast to coast from North Carolina to California, making it a real all-American fruit. More than just a decoration for the classic Flag Cake, blueberries deserve to be the focus of a Fourth of July dessert. Toss blueberries with sugar and chopped mint. Serve in bowls topped with sweetened crème fraiche mixed with Meyer lemon zest.

If this land is truly your land and my land, it seems only appropriate that a feast celebrating our country should feature foods native to these very lands. Bison and corn from the Great Plains, blueberries and beans from coast to coast, a celebration of our independence through our food is a respectful nod to our history and a proud look to the vast bounty that continues to emerge from our great land to this day.

Serves/Makes: 6

• 8 ounces green beans
• salt
• 1/4 pound thick cut bacon
• 4 cups cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 medium red onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
• 6 sage leaves, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• black pepper