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Community Corner

Five Last-Minute Memorial Day Barbecue Recipes

Here are four easy side dishes and one not-so-easy pie recipe to consider bringing along to a barbecue today.

It’s time to scrub off your grill and dust off the beach chairs. Memorial Day is here. It began as a day to honor those lost in the Civil War and blossomed into a day for Americans to visit and clean up the graves of loved ones before having a picnic in the church yard.

These days, Memorial Day is synonymous with the onset of summer, and there is no better way to celebrate than with an all-day (or all-weekend) barbecue. Here is a list of relatively easy side dishes with which to accompany those sausages and veggie burgers that will no doubt be hitting the grills this weekend. Oh, and one pie too.

1. Tabouli Salad: This recipe comes from the Moosewood Cookbook and was first introduced to me when I was a child by my best friend’s mother, Jean Bronson. A fresh summer salad with a bulgur wheat base from Syria and Lebanon, tabouli is quick and easy to whip up. It also conveniently tastes best when it is cold or room temperature, so it’s a great salad to prep hours before the guests begin to arrive.

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Ingredients: 

1 Cup Dry Bulgar Wheat

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1 1/2 Cups Boiling Water

1 Tsp Salt

1/4 Fresh Lemon Juice

2 Cloves Crushed Garlic

1/4 Olive Oil

1 1/2 Teaspoon Dried Mint

2 Medium Tomatoes, Diced

1 Chopped Cucumber 

1 Chopped Green Pepper

1/2 Chopped Scallions

1 Cup Fresh Parsley Chopped

1 Cup Black Olives

1 Cup Crumbled Feta Cheese 

1/2 Cup Chick Peas

Directions:

Combine bulgur with water and salt, let stand 15 to 20 minutes until the bulgur is chewable. Add Lemon juice, garlic, oil and mint. Refrigerate two to three hours. Just before serving, add other ingredients. 

2. Peanut Sesame Noodle Salad: Another salad that is delicious served cold, you can improvise by adding snow peas, carrots, red peppers, cucumbers, chicken or tofu.

Ingredients:

1 Pound of Linguine, Udon or Soba Noodles

2 Cloves Garlic, Minced

1 Inch Piece Fresh Ginger, Grated.

1/2 Cup peanut butter

1 Tsp Spicy Mustard

1/2 Cup Sesame Oil

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

1/4 Cup Rice Wine Vinegar

1 1/2 Tbsp Brown Sugar

1/4 Cup Soy Sauce

1/3 Cup Warm Water

1/4 Cup Toasted Sesame Seeds

2 Sliced Scallions

A Few Splashes of Hot Chili Oil or Dried Hot Red Pepper Flakes

Directions: Puree or whisk together all wet ingredients and combine with the cooked noodles, scallions, sesame seeds and vegetables of your choice. Serve immediately warm or chill for a few hours.

3. Watermelon Salad: Perhaps one of the freshest tasting salads you can make this summer, the watermelon salad combines the unlikely flavors of sweet watermelon with salty feta and fresh mint. It is also a very pretty one that you can improvise with by adding fresh watercress or arugula greens.

Ingredients:

1 Five-Pound Watermelon

1 Sweet Yellow Onion

1/4 Cup Red or White Wine Vinegar

1/2 Cup Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

4 Ounces Feta Cheese, Crumbled

6 Mint Sprigs

5 Basil Leaves (optional)

Directions: 

Cube the watermelon and slice the onion into rings. In a separate bowl, whisk the vinegar, salt, pepper, olive oil and chopped mint and basil. Pour dressing over the watermelon. Fold in feta and onions. Chill until ready to serve, and garnish with basil or mint leaves.

4. Deviled Eggs: Deviled eggs are a picnic classic and they are another easy-to-assemble dish to bring to any barbecue gathering. There are tons of spin-offs to this simple dish, including adding different mustards, pickles and relishes. But really, the deliciousness depends on the eggs. Fresh organic eggs from pasture-raised chickens beat out any other type of egg you can buy, as far as flavor and texture. Consider picking up a dozen eggs from Fogline Farms at the Live Oak Market this Sunday morning, for the freshest deviled eggs in town. 

Ingredients:

6 Hard-Boiled Eggs, Peeled and Cut Lengthwise.

1/4 Cup Mayonnaise

1/2 Tsp Dry Ground Mustard

2 Tbsp Dijon or Stone Ground Mustard

1/2 Tsp White Vinegar

Salt and Pepper

Paprika to Garnish

Directions:

Boil the eggs and slice lengthwise. Pop out the yolks and mash in a bowl. Add mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper. Fill the empty egg white bowls with the yoke mixture and sprinkle lightly with paprika or cayenne powder. Cover and refrigerate for up to one day.

5. Strawberry Rhubarb Pie: If you have a little more time on your hands, why not try something sweet? This recipe is courtesy Sarah March and it does not include the pie crust, although pie crust recipes are easy to find. Or if you are in a pinch, just pick up a frozen crust to save time. You don’t have to tell anyone, and chances are they won’t ask because the filling of the pie is what this is all about.

A summer essential, rhubarb is tart and sweet, and strawberries have been in season for a few weeks, so they are guaranteed to be delicious. Serve with vanilla ice cream or alone. 

Ingredients:

2 Tsp Vegetable Oil

1 1/2 Pounds of Rhubarb, Peeled and Cut Into One-Inch Pieces—Five to Six Cups

1 Cup Sugar

3 Tbsp Arrow Root

Pinch of Salt

1 1/2 Pounds Strawberries, Hulled and Quartered

1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

2 Teaspoons Grated Orange Zest

Directions: 

Heat the oil in a large skillet until smoking over medium-high heat add the rhubarb and 1/4 cup sugar. Cook, stirring frequently, until the rhubarb has shed most of its liquid but is still firm (about five minutes). Transfer to a plate and refrigerate until cool.

Adjust your oven rack to the lowest height and place a lipped cookie sheet on rack. Heat oven to 500 degrees. In a small bowl, mix the rest of sugar, salt and arrow root, and toss together with the vanilla, rhubarb, strawberries and orange zest.

Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the top and combine. Spoon mixture into the pie crust and pack tightly. Cover with lattice crust or a whole crust, or bake open, placing the pie pan on the hot baking sheet. This will ensure a crispy bottom crust and catch any bubbling-over juices.

Reduce oven temperature to 425 and bake for 25 minutes. Reduce the temperature again to 375 and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. The pie crust should be a deep golden brown and the juices should be bubbling. Cool at room temperature for a few hours. 

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