Happy Fourth! If you’ve been invited to a picnic — or are throwing one in your backyard — here are a couple of easy, portable, reliable, kid-friendly (for some) classic American salads to contribute to the table.

RED POTATO SALAD

Everyone needs a tried-and-true potato salad recipe and this is mine. It has nice celery crunch, just enough onion, and a pleasing hint of sweetness from the pickle juice. I love the flavor and color provided by chopped hard-boiled eggs but omit them if you want. To dress up the salad, present it on a bed of lettuce and garnish with tomato wedges and/or sliced radishes.

Servings: Six to eight

2 eggs

2 pounds red-skinned potatoes or other waxy potatoes, cut in 2-inch chunks

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3 tablespoons sweet pickle juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2/3 cup mayonnaise, plus additional if necessary

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons milk or cream

¾ cup thinly sliced celery

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½ cup finely chopped red or sweet white onion

2 tablespoons chopped gherkins or sweet pickles

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley or dill or a combination

Place eggs in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a rolling boil, cover, remove from the heat, and let stand for 10 minutes. Drain and run under cold water to cool. Peel eggs and coarsely chop.

Cook potatoes in a pot of boiling salted water over medium heat until just fork-tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well. When cool enough to handle, cut into ½-inch cubes. Some of the peel will fall off but try to leave some of it on. Toss in a large bowl with the pickle juice and about ¾ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Set aside to cool for about 15 minutes.

Whisk the mayonnaise with the mustard and milk in a medium bowl. Stir in celery, onion, chopped pickles, and chopped hard-cooked eggs. Pour dressing over the potatoes, stir gently to combine, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or for up to 24 hours.

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Before serving, stir again to redistribute the dressing, adding more mayonnaise if it seems dry, and adjust the seasonings if necessary. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and serve.

MANY-BEAN AND CORN SALAD

This American classic endures decade after decade for very good reasons. It’s attractive, easy to prepare, can be made well ahead, and is easily transported to a picnic. And it tastes great! Here is a slightly updated version of my mother’s tried-and-true recipe.

Servings: Six to eight

SWEET CIDER VINAIGRETTE:

¼ cup cider vinegar

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2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons grainy Dijon mustard

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon liquid hot pepper sauce

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½ cup vegetable oil or light olive oil

BEAN AND CORN SALAD:

3 ears of corn, husked

8 ounces fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1½-inch lengths

8 ounces yellow wax beans, trimmed and cut in 1½-inch lengths

1½ cups drained and rinsed cooked kidney beans

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1½ cups drained and rinsed cooked garabanzo beans (chickpeas)

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 cup chopped red onion

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

For the dressing, in a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, sugar, mustard, garlic, salt, pepper, and hot pepper sauce. Whisk in the oil.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook corn for 1 minute. Remove, cool, and cut kernels from the ears. In the same pot of water, cook the green and wax beans until just tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Drain into a colander.

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In a large bowl, combine corn and cooked beans with kidney beans and garbanzos. Pour dressing over and set aside for 15 minutes to cool. Stir in bell pepper and onion; cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or for up to 12 hours.

When ready to serve, stir to redistribute the dressing, and taste to correct the seasoning if necessary. Transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle with the parsley, and serve.

 

Brooke Dojny is author or co-author of more than a dozen cookbooks, most recently “Lobster!” (Storey, 2012). She lives on the Blue Hill peninsula, and can be contacted via Facebook at facebook.com/brookedojny

 


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