For those of us who were present during the Bicentennial of 1976, the 250th anniversary celebrations are falling — shall we say — a little flat.
The country is sharply divided, and prices for gas, food and housing are soaring, while the Supreme Court issues rulings that reverse or counter longstanding traditions in this country.
On the bright side, however, the explosion of red-white-and-blue apparel is minimal. I have memories of classmates in polyester patriotic wear teetering on their wooden clogs and always late to a party because it takes hours to use a hair dryer to properly “feather” your coiffure.
However, prepping for this “Family Recipe Box” column, I’ve been asking everyone for weeks about family traditions when it comes to food. Of course, most folks grow up with hotdogs, hamburgers and various salads. Frankly, that all sounds delicious and appropriate.
But let’s get in the Way-Back Machine and learn about what the Founding Fathers and Mothers were dining on when America became independent. The story goes that John and Abigail Adams celebrated the new country’s independence on July 4, 1776, with a feast including: turtle soup, poached salmon with egg sauce, green peas and boiled potatoes.
If you don’t count the salmon, which is pink, there’s no red, white or blue in sight! They finished the meal with two classic New England treats: Indian pudding and apple Pandowdy.
After the Parade
In 1976, the July 3 edition of the Fitchburg Sentinel and Leominster Enterprise had a banner headline: “Independence Day: Parade, Fireworks, Highlight Events Here.” Ellen DiGeronimo, a familiar name to many in the region for her work in economic development was the chair of the Bicentennial Committee and noted: “After the parade, I hope that people will gather with their families and friends for picnics and ‘cook-outs’ for relaxation and enjoyment, and at 10 p.m. watch the fireworks illuminate the sky above Rollstone Hill.”
These days, the fireworks illuminate the sky on July 3, after Fitchburg’s spectacular block party (which was in its 16th year in 1976). And back then, as it does today, the parade commenced at Summer and Boutelle streets, and continued to the Upper Common.
Early American drinks
One popular drink in Colonial-era America was the “shrub” which began as a British alcoholic beverage back in the 16th century, but which became non-alcoholic in the New World.
Shrub is made from fresh fruit, apple cider vinegar and honey (or another sweetener). You create a base, which you then add to water or seltzer. Chances are good that the Adams family served a Shrub on a hot day, but more likely with alcohol, as our second president began his day with a “jill” (4 ounces) or a tankard of hard cider. (He believed this was medicinal as it was an “eye opener”).
Everyone loves a salad
For Leominster state Rep. Natalie Higgins’ family, a meal on the grill must have a salad or two. “We love a macaroni and a potato salad to complement anything on the grill,” she explains. “We used to get it from Lein’s Market on Pleasant Street.” But when the market closed in 2022, the family “had to figure out our own version.” And since Rep. Higgins is vegan, she and her mother worked to create a version that’s delicious with different ingredients.
“It’s evolved over time, but we all still love it,” she says. “It is probably the simplest thing I make. But it is a fan favorite.”
Historian Eunice Halbedel of Rindge, New Hampshire, recently researched all the Revolutionary soldiers buried in Fitchburg’s South Street Cemetery, for the recent “Revolutionary Paint-Out” event in Fitchburg. For her family the “Patriotic Charcuterie” “has become an annual favorite.”
I was delighted to see that Fitchburg storyteller Todd Goodwin’s family tradition came straight from the Adams cookbook (save for the turtle soup). When he was a child, “we had a sit-down dinner of fresh salmon with a white sauce with hardboiled egg slices, fresh peas, baked potato and fresh strawberry short cake.
“After dinner we rang my grandfather’s locomotive bell, which was mounted above his garage. As I learned our history, it reminded me of the Liberty Bell: let freedom ring!
“Later, in my teens, we developed the more modern hot dogs and burgers on the grill, potato salad routine but we kept the strawberry short cake part of the tradition.”
Whether your tradition is baking, broiling, boiling, or grilling, let us echo the Goodwin family’s words: Let freedom ring!
Higgins Family’s Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
1 box cooked Rotini pasta
1 diced yellow onion
1 diced green pepper
2 large spoonfuls of mayo
1 bottle Wishbone creamy French Dressing
salt and pepper to taste
Directions: Mix pasta and vegetables with mayo and dressing.
Notes: Rep. Higgins suggests “Always make a double batch!”
Eunice Halbedel’s Patriotic Charcuterie
Ingredients: pepperoni, cheese squares, raspberries, crackers, cut strawberries, yogurt-covered pretzels, blueberries
Directions: on a square or rectangular paper plate, place ingredients in shape of flag as illustrated. Save the blueberries representing the star field for last. It’s okay if you don’t have 13 “stripes”
Notes: Obviously, you can swap fruit for more pepperoni, and crackers for the yogurt pretzels. Happy 4th everyone!
Strawberry Basil Shrub
Ingredients
1 cup berries
6 fresh basil leaves
¾ cup white sugar
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
Directions: Macerate berries, basil, and sugar by pressing fruit gently with a fork. Cover bowl and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. This draws out the juices and blends the flavors. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to extract juice, and press on the mash. Add vinegar into fruit syrup. Seal and store in refrigerator for up to a month. Add at least two tablespoons to a 12 ounce or larger glass filled with ice cubes. Top off with seltzer or water.
Notes: You can mix berries (blueberry and raspberry) and substitute white wine vinegar for apple vinegar.
Sally Cragin would love to read your family recipes and stories. Write to: [email protected].
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