Red, White & Blue Recipes for the Fourth of July

Red Currant Chocolate Almond Muffns | Recipe below. 

This Fourth of July, get your red, white, and blue on with these delicious recipes from The Catskills Farm to Table Cookbook, Revised Edition from renowned chef Courtney Wade.

These farm-inspired recipes include fresh summer berries, healthy grains and other vibrant local ingredients.

Red Currant Chocolate Almond Muffins

Makes 12 Muffins

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups red currents
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Coarse sugar for topping

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease or line muffin tins.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt together. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk melted butter, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Pour over dry ingredients and mix to combine. Gently fold in the currents.

Fill cups of the muffin tin almost to the top with batter. Sprinkle with almonds and sugar. Bake for 25–30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Jumbo sized muffins will typically take longer to bake; check at 25 minutes and increase bake time in 5-minute intervals until fully baked.

Farro with White Beans & Kale

Serves 4

1 cup dry farro
3 cups chicken stock
1 (15-ounce) can white beans, rinsed
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
4 teaspoons olive oil
8 ounces baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup shallots, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chopped kale
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

In a medium saucepan, bring farro, stock, and bay leaf to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until grains are tender but still chewy, about 30 minutes.

Stir beans into hot grains. Add both cheese and stir until melted. Cover and keep warm. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook until browned on both sides, about 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Add the remaining olive oil to skillet and cook shallots and garlic, stirring, for about 30 seconds. Add the kale and cook, stirring frequently, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir the kale, mushrooms, and parsley into the farro and serve.

Blueberry Tart with Thyme Pastry
Serves 8

Crust
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup lard
2–4 tablespoons ice water
4 fresh thyme sprigs

Filling
4 cups fresh blueberries
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons lemon juice

To create one-crust pastry, combine flour, thyme, and salt in a medium bowl. Cut lard into flour with a pastry blender or fork, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle water over flour mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, while tossing lightly with a fork until dough is moist enough to form into a ball. Shape dough into a ball and flatten into a 1/2-inch thickness, rounding the edges. On a floured surface, roll lightly into an 11-inch circle. Place and form to a circular or rectangular tart pan.

Preheat oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, combine filling ingredients and mix. Spoon into pastry-lined pan. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.