July Fourth Entertaining with Chef Jamie Gwen
As a chef, I love a festive patriotic table setting with a star-spangled mix of food and drink. My new favorite tool to get cookout-ready this 4th of July is Cricut Joy Xtra. I can add personalization to my grilling utensils or even craft custom seasoning jars and festive table décor like these customized mason jars. Cricut Joy Xtra is the ultimate tool for turning your backyard BBQ into a red, white, and DIY masterpiece. You can even cut 50+ materials such as vinyl, cardstock, and iron-on. It can also write, foil, and draw creating personalized, professional-looking, full-color stickers, labels, cards, tags, and even T-shirts. Click here to learn more.
I love recipes that scream USA, so I made a Patriotic Sheet Pan Cheeseboard. Just use your favorite red, white and blue snacks and don’t forget cheese stars!
And, my July 4th Party is not complete without this summery Antipasto Pasta Salad made with fresh mozzarella, garbanzo beans for protein, salami, sweet bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, and my favorite Pearls all-natural ingredient black ripe olives. It’s everything you love about the classic Antipasto salad, but with pasta and it’s delicious. The dressing is a simple vinaigrette, shaken in a Mason jar. And I love that now, Pearls black ripe olives have nothing added but sea salt and water. No artificial colors or preservatives — the way Mother Nature intended. Click here to learn more.
PEARLS SUMMER ANTIPASTO PASTA SALAD BY CHEF JAMIE GWEN
This pasta salad has everything you love…and it’s perfect for Summer BBQ menus, picnics and beach days!
Ingredients
| Qty | Unit | Ingredient |
|---|---|---|
| 1/2 | pound | fusilli pasta |
| 1 | garlic clove, minced | |
| 1 | tbps | Dijon mustard |
| 3 | tbps | red-wine vinegar |
| 1 | tsp | honey or agave nectar |
| 1 | tbps | dried oregano |
| 2 | tbps | dried parsley |
| 1/3 | cup | extra-virgin olive oil |
| 1 | can | Pearls All-Natural Black Ripe Olives, drained |
| 1 | cup | small fresh mozzarella cheese balls, cut in half |
| 1 | cup | garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed |
| 1/4 | pound | sliced hard salami, cut into thin strips |
| 1/2 | red bell pepper, diced | |
| 1 | yellow or orange bell pepper, diced | |
| 2 | cups | ripe cherry tomatoes, halved |
| 2 | tbps | grated Parmesan cheese |
| Salt & freshly ground pepper |
Cook the pasta in boiling salted water. Stop the cooking process by placing the drained pasta under cold running water. Drain well.
In a mason jar, combine the garlic clove, mustard, vinegar, honey, oregano, parsley and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Shake to combine.
In a large mixing bowl combine the cooked pasta, Pearls Olives, fresh mozzarella cheese, garbanzo beans, salami, bell peppers, tomatoes and Parmesan cheese. Add dressing and toss to coat well.
Chill the salad, covered, for at least 2 hours before serving or up to overnight, to meld the flavors.
This is a totally fun and super simple way to serve fruit or dessert, or both, at your backyard party. Just fill waffle cones with fresh berries or cut fruit and sprinkle in some bite-sized cookies or candy and you have a handheld treat that’s totally edible!
