July 4th Tortilla Chips & Salsa | The Nibble Webzine Of Food Adventures

JULY 4TH: Star-shaped Tortilla Chips With Red, White & Blue Salsa

June 22, 2020 at 10:30 am · Filed under July 4th/Independence Day, Recipes

We’ve made a lot of red, white and blue recipes for July 4th, and have cut out cake and pie decorations, cheese and cookies and with a star-shaped cookie cutter.

But this recipe, from Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, raises the bar:

Using that cookie cutter to make star-shaped tortilla chips.

It’s paired with a red, white and blue salsa made with Wisconsin mozzarella cheese from Burnett Dairy.

Ready to roll up your sleeves and make your own tortilla chips?

RECIPE: JULY 4TH TORTILLA CHIPS & SALSA

Ingredients For The Star-Spangled Salsa (3 Cups)

1 pint fresh blueberries

4 ounces mozzarella cheese, finely diced (about 1 cup—substitute perlini [photo #3])

1 cup finely chopped sweet red bell pepper

1 medium jalapeño chile, seeded and finely chopped

1/4 cup minced fresh basil

1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

Juice of 1 medium lime

Salt and pepper to taste

For The Star-Shape Tortilla Chips

2 packages (10 ounces each) yellow and red corn tortillas (6 inches)

1/4 cup olive oil

Salt to taste

Optional: paprika

2-inch-diameter star cookie cutter

Preparation

1. MAKE the salsa. Coarsely chop 1 cup of the blueberries.

2. COMBINE the chopped and whole blueberries with the next six ingredients in a medium bowl.

3. SEASON with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until serving.

4. MAKE the tortilla chips. Heat the oven to 350°F.

5. CUT the tortillas with star cookie cutters, about 2 inches. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Brush the stars on both sides with olive oil; season with salt to taste and paprika if desired.

6. BAKE for 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Serve the chips with the salsa.

THE HISTORY OF INDEPENDENCE DAY: JULY 4TH

On July 2nd, 1776, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence from England.

Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, and on July 4th, 1776, it was adopted by delegates from the 13 colonies.

Independence Day—popularly called July 4th—has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941.

But long before Congress made it official, celebrations began in the 18th century—during the Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 –to September 3, 1783).

Shortly after the signing, festivities began: concerts, bonfires, parades and the firing of cannons and muskets, along with the first public readings of the Declaration of Independence.

Philadelphia held the first annual commemoration of independence on July 4, 1777, while Congress was still occupied with the ongoing war.

Massachusetts became the first state to make July 4th an official state holiday.

However, John Adams of Massachusetts, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, believed that July 2nd was the correct date on which to celebrate the birth of American independence.

He would reportedly turn down invitations to appear at July 4th events in protest [source].