Friday, July 1, 2022

Homemade Bruschetta Sauce {New} + How to Make a Flag Cake, Best Burger Buns, Blueberry Cobbler & More July Fourth Recipes

Four years ago I published my most clickbaity-titled blog post to date: Trader Joe's Mind Blowing 3-Ingredient Lentil Salad.

I had tasted the salad at an end-of-school-year gathering and was immediately smitten. After a little digging, I learned that the woman, Gail, who had brought the salad to the party was married to the manager of the Albany Trader Joe's.

And when Gail told me the recipe — combine one tub of Trader Joe's bruschetta sauce, one box of Trader Joe's cooked lentils, and one tub of Trader Joe's crumbled feta — I drove straight to Trader Joe's to stock up on ALL the tubs.

After I made the salad and discovered the joys of throwing together three ready-to-go products and calling dinner's side dish done, I posted the recipe here, which prompted a number of questions from people without access to a Trader Joe's. Cooking lentils from scratch and finding feta were relatively easy tasks, but what were they to do about the bruschetta sauce?

Stay tuned, I said.

Well, four years later, here it is: a recipe for homemade bruschetta sauce. Its makeup is nearly identical to Trader Joe's, a combination of finely diced tomatoes, extra-virgin olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, garlic, sea salt, and basil, and it tastes fresh and bright with a nice acidic bite.

As it sits, the juices seep from the tomatoes and mix with the vinegar, producing what can only be described as tomato vinegar, the taste of summer, of long lazy nights at the dinner table, candles dripping, crickets chirping, the last of the bread, piece by piece, slowly disappearing through saucy dregs and dressings.

As a final quality control test, I mixed the homemade bruschetta sauce with from-scratch cooked lentils and my favorite feta, closed my eyes, and took a bite. The result, my friends, can I say it? Mind blowing. I hope you'll agree.

Homemade Bruschetta Sauce

Flag Cake, Best Burger Buns, Stuffed Peppers & More

I have a hard time not making pastry-crusted and biscuit-topped bubbling berry desserts for occasions such as the Fourth of July, but earlier this week, a flag cake materialized, and I don't think my children will allow the holiday to pass from here on out without one.

Read all about it and find the recipe here, along with many more of my favorites for the long weekend ahead:

simple and delicious grilled chicken breasts
mixed berry galette
the best no-knead brioche buns
blueberry cobbler
two favorite burger condiments
rhubarb custard cake
chicken souvlaki with tzatziki
broccoli crunch salad
stuffed peppers
simplest cabbage slaw and more!

Flag Cake + July Fourth Recipes

No-Knead Brioche Buns

The dough for these no-knead brioche buns takes 5 minutes to stir together, and once it's mixed, you can do one of two things:

Stick the dough in the fridge overnight; then shape and bake the following day whenever you are ready.
Let it rise in a warm spot for two hours; then immediately shape and bake.

I love using the refrigerator when I'm short on time and want to get one step out of the way. Regardless of which path you chose, the buns will be light and airy. If you wish, you can sprinkle the buns with everything bagel seasoning or sesame seeds.

Here's one recent review:

"I can't say enough good things about this recipe..I've doubled and tripled the recipe many times and it's perfect every time. If I'm making the same day, I hold back a bit of water – if refrigerating overnight, I make as written (cold dough is easier to work with). I've made these for hamburger buns a restaurant and received many compliments!"

No-Knead Brioche Buns

Veggie Loaded Stuffed Peppers