With the Fourth of July coming tomorrow--I am sure you are planning lots of fun with family and friends.  In our little village of Corrales, we have a great Fourth of July parade which used to be called the Pet Parade.   

We still have lots of pets, many of them all "duded" up in costumes and some just marching along.  There's the usual--lots of marching bands, antique and special cars, reenactments of various kinds and such.  The turnout is amazing and it is always great to see so many enjoying the fun.

I don't know about you, but we have been really blessed with pretty good weather until this past weekend when we had an electrical storm and flood. The thunder was so loud and dramatic, my little Otis (miniature Dachshund) was frightened "to death" and had to be comforted.  We did not escape unscathed.  We had roof leaks, which we had not ever had to such an extent and hail damage to our walls around the yard.  We were lucky though to have escaped with such little damage.  Some were terribly flooded.

I am looking forward to conducting my full participation cooking classes.  Next week and for the rest of the month, I will be conducting three of our most requested classes.  They are the--

       Green Chile Fiesta on Thursday evening at 5 PM, July 11

Grilling on Thursday evening at 5 PM, July 18

Taco Party on Thursday evening at 5PM, July 25

I look forward to cooking with you.  You may register on line or by calling me at 505-243-2622.

Below are two of my favorite 4th of July side dishes--

Buttery Potato Salad

This recipe came to me by the way of my sister-in-law, Addie. Once you try it, you’ll never go back to your old recipe…’cause this one’s fantastic!

 Yield: 4 to 6 servings

4 medium-sized baking potatoes (Idaho or Russet), peeled and quartered 

2 teaspoons salt

2 large eggs

2 Tablespoons vinegar

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

¼ cup finely  chopped Spanish onion

1/3 cup finely  chopped sweet gherkins (pickles)

3Tablespoons juice from the sweet gherkins

½ cup mayonnaise

1 whole canned pimiento, sliced into 1/4 –inch strips

1 whole sweet gherkin

1. Bring about 2 inches of water with 1 teaspoon salt added  to a boil, using  medium heat .  Add potatoes and cover.  Cook until they are fork tender, about 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, drain the potatoes, and  cut in the butter cutting the potatoes into about 1/2 inch dice and replace the lid, allowing the potatoes to steam for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook the eggs with the vinegar and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt in water to   cover, until just done, about 10 minutes.  Drain and run cold water over them to cool. Peel, slice and dice eggs.
3. Off the heat, add the diced eggs, onion, diced gherkins, gherkin juice, mayonnaise and all but 5 slices of the pimiento; chopping the pimiento you are adding to the salad into ¼ inch squares, mix thoroughly.

 Transfer the mixture to your favorite bowl, garnish with the whole pickle sliced halfway up into thin slices  and separated into a fan shape and place centered on top of the salad. Add the pimiento strips evenly spaced around the pickle, creating a sun ray effect.

Barbecued Baked Beans

The combination of flavors makes this a favorite baked bean recipe of all times.

Yield:  4 servings

4 slices lean bacon, cut crosswise into thin strips
1 cup finely diced Spanish onion
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 pound cooked navy or pea beans, or one 16-ounce can brick-oven baked beans
¾ cup ketchup
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 Tablespoon pure ground mild red chile

1. Preheat oven to 325F.

2. In a heavy skillet, sauté the bacon strips over medium-high heat until crisp. Add the onion and garlic, and continue cooking until the onion is transparent but not browned.

3. Transfer the bacon, onion and any fat that may have accumulated to mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and combine well. Pour the mixture into an ungreased 2-quart baking dish and bake uncovered at 325F for 2 ½ to 3 hours if using freshly cooked beans, 20 to 30 minutes if using canned.

Note: The beans will keep up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator, but don’t freeze them; freezing tends to change the texture and make the beans mushy.