Today’s tip is an easy, kid-friendly, guilt-free, handheld snack or dessert.

Ice cream cones filled with fruit are a way to bring the fun without the refined sugar, calories or drippiness of ice cream.

Simply cut up a fruit salad into a small dice (the size of raspberries). Blueberries and raspberries can go into the cone as is; blackberries and strawberries should be halved or quartered.

You can add a little ice cream or frozen yogurt as a topping, using a small scoop or a tablespoon. Or, top with:

 
GLUTEN-FREE CONES

We really enjoyed these gluten-free ice cream cones from Goldbaum’s.

The line is certified kosher by OU.
  

Stack slices of grilled polenta with your favorite fillings; here, crab salad and guacamole (photo © Costanero Cocoino Peruana).

While corn itself is a whole grain, polenta is refined: It is degerminated cornmeal, with the germ and endosperm (which contain the fiber and other nutrition) removed. As with all refined grains——the majority of the grains we consume—the protein, iron and vitamins are left on the factory floor.

But that doesn’t mean it isn’t a delicious addition to the table. We spotted this attractive starter at Costanero Cocoino Peruana, a Peruvian restaurant in Montclair, New Jersey. It reminded us of Caprese stacks, one of our favorite first courses to make with summer’s heirloom tomatoes (see photo below).

You can make polenta from scratch, or buy it in rolls, available in most supermarkets. The latter makes it easy to create stacked appetizers and sides. It’s available in plain plus flavors such as basil-garlic and sundried tomato.

STACKED POLENTA APPETIZER RECIPE

The most time-consuming part of this recipe is deciding what to layer in-between the polenta slices. Tips: Select different colors, and check out your leftovers to see what could work. You can serve the stacks with a lightly-dressed frisée or mesclun salad.

Ingredients

 
Then, select two fillings:

 
Preparation

1. SLICE polenta into desired thickness. Broil, fry or grill until edges become slightly crisp.

2. TOP first polenta round with first filling and top with second polenta round. Use a spatula to make the filling flush with the edges of the polenta. Repeat with second filling and third polenta round.

3. PLATE as desired, with pesto/sauce, fresh herbs and/or salad.
 
MORE RECIPES

There are two styles of polenta: creamy polenta, which is like cooked grits, and sliced polenta, in rounds or squares/rectangles. These recipes use rounds from purchased rolls of polenta. Start by slicing and grilling/frying the rounds.

Breakfast

 
 
MORE POLENTA IDEAS

Potatoes originated in the Andes Mountains of Peru, where more than 2,000 varieties still grow wild (there are more than 4,000 varieties of potatoes worldwide). They were first domesticated more than 6,000 years ago.

Don’t you wish you could buy some of these beauties, instead of the plain potatoes grown for the mass market?

If you look closely, you’ll see versions that look similar to what we can buy today. What we can buy is based on which varieties:

 
THE HISTORY OF POTATOES

Wild potatoes are indigenous to the Andes Mountains in Peru, and were cultivated by the Incas.

However, not everyone was enamored of the potato (or the tomato). They were feared at first, accused of causing leprosy and being poisonous. They were classified as a relative of deadly nightshade, because both contain toxic compounds known as glycoalkaloids, though the levels in domestic potatoes and tomatoes fall far short of being harmful to people.

Slowly, more countries realized the power of the potato. It could grow in any climate. It thrived in Ireland, so much so that when hit by a potato blight, Phytophthora infestans, three years in a row, more than a million people died of starvation and disease.

Potatoes were introduced to America in the 18th century. They were first planted in Idaho in 1836; the state now grows 25% of the nation’s potatoes.

Idahoan Luther Burbank developed the Russet Burbank potato in 1872, a more disease-resistant version of the Irish russet potato (there have been additional russet developments since).

And the rest is history—even if modern history is not as colorful as the original created by nature.
 
CHECK OUT THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF POTATOES IN OUR POTATO GLOSSARY.

Sure, you enjoy tequila in a Margarita, Tequila Sunrise or hundreds of other drinks that use the popular Mexican spirit.

But have you tried tequila on the rocks? That’s how the aged tequila expressions, Añejo and Extra Añejo, should be enjoyed (here are the different types of tequila).

Even if all you have is a bottle of Blanco/Silver tequila, you can pour it over rocks. Here‘s a refreshing tip for summer sipping from the folks at Milagro Tequila:

Serve Silver tequila on the rocks with a sprig of spanked mint.

Least you think that “spanked” mint is something kinky: Just crush the mint lightly in your hand to release some of the essential oil inside. It’s a tip to use with all fresh herbs, whether you’re adding rosemary to a marinade or basil to a sauce.

Tequila on the rocks: no mixing required. Photo courtesy Milagro Tequila.

A long, stick-like gadget (the muddler), similar to a mortar-and-pestle effect, is used for crushing.

You can exchange the mint for fruit and turn tequila on the rocks to red, white and blue tequila shooters.

Just add a spoonful of purée or fruit juice to the shot glass:

 
FOOD TRIVIA

While explorers of the New World brought much exciting food back to Europe (cacao/chocolate, potatoes, tomatoes and turkey, for starters), they contributed two pretty essential foods to the New World: distilled spirits (they taught the Aztecs how to turned the original fermented mezcal into tequila) and honey.

Check out the history of Tequila.

RECIPE: RED, WHITE & BLUE FRUIT SALAD

Ingredients For 4 Servings

*Whipped Topping Substitutes

Prepared whipped toppings typically have high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils, which we avoid. Instead, use crème fraîche, mascarpone, sweetened sour cream, vanilla frozen yogurt, whipped cream or miniature white meringue cookies.

Another beautiful dish of red, white and blue. Photo courtesy National Watermelon Promotion Board.

Preparation

1. MIX together the watermelon and blueberries. Divide among 4 sundae bowls.

2. TOP each with a dollop of topping and sprinkle with red, white and blue sprinkles. Serve immediately.

 
HOW ABOUT SOME RED, WHITE & BLUE COOKIES TO GO WITH THE FRUIT SALAD?

It’s essentially a chocolate chip cookie with added dried raspberries and blueberries. You can incorporate the red, white and blue into other cookies, including oatmeal. If you don’t like white chocolate, use macadamia nuts.

 
RECIPE: RED, WHITE & BLUE COOKIES

Ingredients For 24 Cookies

Preparation

1. PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Have ready two ungreased cookie sheets.

2. MIX together flour, baking powder and salt in a medium size bowl.

3. CREAM butter and both sugars together in a second bowl. Add egg and vanilla and beat for 30 seconds.

4. ADD flour mixture and stir with a mixing spoon until well mixed. Stir in all dried berries and white chocolate.

5. DROP by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 12-13 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

 
MORE JULY 4TH FOOD RECIPES