4 Garden-To-Grill Recipes For Independence Day

When it comes to Fourth of July barbecues, you’ve gotta go all out! Plain burgers and dogs aren’t going to cut it—you need to step up your game with some summer recipes that really wow the crowd. After all, it’s the biggest summer party of the year! And with all the amazing summer vegetables that are ripe and ready for harvest, you’ve got loads of creative menu options for a next-level Independence Day backyard cookout. 

Looking for some crowd-pleasing recipes and sides to accompany your standard barbecue fare? Try these awesome garden-to-grill recipes to enjoy on the Fourth of July.

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers

Pretty much anything is better when you wrap it in bacon, and jalapeno poppers are already in a league of their own, so these spicy, smoky, extra cheesy appetizers are sure to satisfy. They’re pretty simple to prepare, and the flavor is totally out of this world.

Start by washing your jalapenos, slicing them in half lengthwise, and removing the stem, seeds, and white bits. In a separate bowl, mix cream cheese with the seasoning of your choice. Cajun spice or taco seasoning are usually your best options, but you can get creative! 

Fill up your jalapeno boats with the cheese mixture, wrap it up in a piece of bacon, and secure it with a toothpick. Once all of your poppers are prepped and ready, pop them on the grill, making sure that the open face of the jalapeno boat is facing upward, so the cheese doesn’t leak out. Grill them until the bacon is thoroughly cooked, and they’re ready to serve!

Easy Grilled Corn

Cooking corn on the barbecue couldn’t be easier! The trick is to soak the cobs in cold water for half an hour before placing them on the grill, so they stay juicy and don’t get dried out. All the natural sugars in the corn will caramelize beautifully, creating that smoky, sweet crunch that’s totally incomparable. Just pop them on the grill, turn them every couple of minutes, so they don’t get too charred, and voila! Good to go.

To jazz things up a bit, serve your grilled corn with some fancy flavored butters or other toppings. If you’re into Mexican Elote corn, mix butter with some ancho chili spice and cotija cheese. Alternatively, you could add some cilantro and lime juice to some butter for a tangy twist. Wanna get really decadent? Serve it with a drizzle of chili con queso and crumbled bacon. You’ll have no trouble convincing the kids to eat their veggies this way! 

Fajita Vegetable Skewers

There are so many summer vegetables that are perfect for grilled skewers! Peppers, zucchinis, onions, cherry tomatoes, eggplant, and even corn, if you slice the cob into thin pieces. You can use pretty much any marinade you want, but for a backyard summer bash, some spicy fajita butter definitely fits the bill. 

Simply melt some butter, add in some fajita seasoning and lime juice, and mix it all up. Grill your skewers for 10-15 minutes until they’re almost cooked, but not quite charred. Place them on a plate, pat them down with some paper towel, coat them with the fajita butter mixture, and then pop them back on the grill for another five minutes!

Low Carb Eggplant Bruschetta

This keto-friendly recipe totally satisfies your Italian food craving, without the hefty helping of bread and starch. It’s an easy way to make use of the massive amounts of tomatoes our plants seem to spring upon us all of a sudden, and if you’ve got any fresh garden basil, that’s even better! Dice up two cups of tomatoes, add a big handful of minced basil, a few cloves of minced garlic, a drizzle of olive oil, and some salt and pepper to taste. Let that sit for a few hours in the fridge, so the flavors mingle together. 

Next, take a big garden eggplant and slice it into ½ inch thick rounds. Sprinkle them with some salt, then let them sit for half an hour. When they’re ready for the grill, simply cook them on either side for five minutes each, so they get a bit of a crispy char. Remove them from the grill, brush them with a little olive oil, add a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and then top them with the tomato mixture. Serve hot or cold!

Did all this talk of fresh garden peaches kinda make you want to grow your own? You’re in luck because we sell plenty of fruit trees at Plants For All Seasons, and while we recommend planting fruit trees in the fall, we can help you plant them if you’re new to this sort of thing. Remember, we have curbside pickup and home delivery options available, so when you’re ready, we’re happy to process your new tree purchase over the phone.