A red, white and blue salute to Flag Day

    Flag Day, a day to celebrate the origin of our American flag, is coming up and it offers the perfect chance to acknowledge the efforts of Bernard Cigrand, the father of Flag Day.
    Cigrand, a longtime proponent of a day to celebrate the flag, taught at Stony Hill School in Waubeka and is said to have begun the annual celebration by placing a flag on his desk, teaching his students about it and assigning them essays to do on what the flag meant to them.
    Although Cigrand started his campaign in the 1880s, it wasn’t until 1916 that President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation establishing June 14 — the day the Second Continental Congress adopted the flag — as Flag Day.
     To celebrate, incorporate the colors of the flag in your meal.
    Try using red peppers in your pasta salad or make some patriotic potato chips using russet and purple potatoes and beets. Slice them thin and fry in a pot with 350-degree oil, then drain and salt them.
    Desserts are an even easier canvas for colorful Flag Day foods.
    Make a sheet cake, for example, and use white frosting. Decorate it with blueberries and either strawberries or raspberries to resemble the flag. Or layer a red velvet cake with white cake, then frost and top with blueberries or blackberries.
    Skewer cubes of red and blue gelatin separated with marshmallows, or make some patriotic ice pops.
    Following are other red, white and blue recipes from geniuskitchen.com and foodnetwork.com.

www.familyfoodonthetable.com

Red, White and Blue Appetizers

For mini fruit and cream cheese sandwiches:
4 slices whole wheat bread, crusts removed
1/4 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup sliced strawberries
About 1/4 cup fresh blueberries
For popcorn:
4 cups popcorn
3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup dried blueberries
For fruit and cheese skewers:
12 strawberries, halved
24 fresh blueberries
12 mini mozzarella balls, halved (packed in water
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

    For the sandwiches, spread half the bread slices with cream cheese. Add sliced strawberries, then top with the other bread halves. Cut sandwiches into triangles, top with a blueberry and a toothpick and serve.
    For popcorn, pop the corn, then add butter and salt and stir to combine. Add dried cranberries and blueberries and stir to combine.
    For fruit and cheese skewers, place a strawberry half on a plate. Use a toothpick or skewer to add and secure a mozzarella slice and blueberry on top. Repeat until all the fruits and cheese balls are used. Serve on a platter with a bowl of balsamic vinegar for dipping.

geniuskitchen.com

Stars and Stripes Forever Dessert

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 to 2 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon coarse sugar
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1-1⁄2 cups raspberries
1 cup fresh blueberries
1⁄4 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1⁄2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup sour cream

    On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut with floured star-shaped cookie cutters. Place one inch apart on parchment-paper lined baking sheets and bake in a 400-degree oven for eight to 10 minutes, until golden brown.
    Remove and place on wire racks. Brush lightly with water and sprinkle with sugar. Cool.
    In a large bowl, combine berries and 1/4 cup sugar. Set aside.
    In a small mixing bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add remaining sugar and beat until soft peaks form.
    Place sour cream in a small serving bowl, then fold in whipped cream.
    Place bowl on a serving platter. Spoon berries onto platter and top with pastry stars.

Patriot S’Mores

1 sheet graham cracker, broken in half
2 pieces milk chocolate candy bars
1 marshmallows
6 to 8 fresh blueberries
2 thick strawberry slices

    Arrange the chocolate on half of the graham cracker. Set blueberries on top of the chocolate and melt over coals or in the microwave, being careful not to lose the berries.
    Roast marshmallow and place on top of the berries, being careful not to lose the berries.
    Top with strawberry slices and then the second graham cracker.
    Makes one s’more.

Red White and Blue Berry Salad
 
2 cups mixed salad greens
1⁄4 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons candied or toasted walnuts
4 strawberries, sliced
1⁄4 cup blueberries
Raspberry vinaigrette dressing

    Lay the greens on the plate. Pile the feta and walnuts in the middle of the greens, then scatter strawberries and blueberries on top.    
    Serve with dressing on the side.