4th of July: Shrimp Po' Boys, Potatoes, & Peach Salad

Our first official holiday in our new home.  Our first holiday in the PNW!  Feels kinda special, but as we are still in the mode of staying busy while trying to settle in and manage home projects, we are headed into this year's holiday quite exhausted.  Where I am used to starting my day with a Bloody Mary and preparing to party poolside all day long, I'm kicking off this holiday with a workout and snuggling under a blanket in our living room.  I mean it goes without saying that a summer holiday in Washington looks much different than one in the desert.   I have become accustomed to celebrating the 4th of July with a poolside bbq, patriotic swimwear, & afternoon beers, and I can confidently say that some version of said combo has been the makings of my 4th for the passed decade.  But this year I'm trading in my bikini for a sweatshirt, a big party for a more intimate BBQ at home, and trading in the usual sparklers for a full on waterfront firework show.  So all around a new change of pace this 4th of July, & I'm prepped and ready for it with a truly American sweatshirt that will likely make an appearance on all patriotic holidays to come.  ​

I will say that the firework game in Washington is next level.  I mean I've played with fireworks on the 4th of July  before - some sparklers, roman candles.....the smaller stuff.  But holy balls everyone here is like "MORTARS, MORTARS, MORTARS!!!!"  I'm pretty sure some of our neighbors are full blown pyros since lighting off fireworks started the day the fireworks stands opened.  Even when taking our dogs for a walk we saw one kid just lighting off mortar after mortar at like 3 o' clock in the afternoon, so not even dark enough to see he big bang.  Pyro for sure sure!  We BBQed at our place and then headed to a friends home in Browns Point to watch the Freedom Fair fireworks at night, but unbeknownst to me our friend loaded up on his own mortars and built his own launching pad to have his own personal firework show.  Our end of the night chant to egg this guy on was "Smash the tips."  I mean fun to watch his firework display, but he did catch the brush in front of his home on fire which caused like 5 minutes of panic.  But hey - thank god for fire extinguishers.

Anywho, despite us being literally pooped and giving off couch potato vibes during the day, I was committed to making sure we had our own little backyard picnic to celebrate the 4th.  At around 1pm, I made the decision to peel myself off the couch, get out of my leggings, actually comb my hair, and declare "It's time to have some fun."  So we did - we got the dogs ready for the day, took them for a nice long neighborhood walk, and then the 4 of us hunkered down in the yard with food & tunes.  Now that we are so close to the water, I'm upgrading our good ol' American 4th of July BBQ from hotdogs to seafood!  So we cooked up a summer fave - Shrimp Po' Boys.  I started experimenting with these sandwiches last summer in a quest to master fun meatless meals, and these sandwiches are truly one of my faves.  In making these, I found the key to a perfect Po' Boy is 2 things: 1) get the best shrimp you can find (easy enough) & 2) a delicious sauce.  & holy balls this mayo spiked with a heavy dose of herbs & dill pickle is too die.  So good I would even dunk a shrimp straight in & have a bite as an upgrade from the usual tartar sauce.

The sides were an easy pick.  These crispy potatoes are a go to favorite around my house when I have a hankering for the traditional French fry.  They are comforting, feel very American, and sure fire hit every time.  Crispy and piping hot and just delish.  In addition to making one of my at home favorites, I experimented with a peach salad that was solely inspired by the fact that I happened to have 3 peaches lying around.  These three lonely peaches were the highlight of this 4th of July because this peach salad is soooo good! Such a good summer side for any BBQ, and pairing the red onion & basil with peaches just screams refreshing.  I am a big fan of pairing herbs and bright veggies with summer fruits, so this season I'm gettin' crazy with it! ​

For the Po' Boys
1/2 c. good quality mayo
2 tbsp minced parsley
1 dill pickle spear, minced
juice from 1/2 a lemon
1 french baguette
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 lb to 1.5 lb shrimp, peeled, de-veined, and tails removed
1/4 c. buffalo sauce
Salt & pepper
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
Shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix

For the Peach Salad
2 tbsp EVOO
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon
1 tbsp honey
3 peaches
2 tbsp minced basil
1 quarter of a red onion, mandolined
1 heaping tbsp of crumbled feta
Salt and pepper

For the Potatoes
1 bag or about 2 lb of multi-colored fingerling potatoes, halved
​Salt and pepper
EVOO

Start by making the peach salad.  Cut the peaches into 1/4 inch thick segments and set in a large serving bowl.  In a smaller bowl, whisk together the EVOO, vinegar, mustard, and honey.  Pour over the top of the peaches along with a pinch of both salt and pepper, and stir to coat the peaches in the sauce.  Top with the basil, onion, & feta.  Place the salad in the refrigerator until you're ready to eat.

Now move to making the potatoes.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil and place it in the oven.  In a separate mixing bowl, toss the potatoes with enough EVOO (about 2 tbsp), salt, and pepper, to coat the potatoes.  Remove the hot pan from the oven and spread the oiled and seasoned potatoes over the foil.  The foil should be hot enough to make the potatoes sizzle once they hit the pan.  Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, or until browned.

Get to making your sandwiches.  Start by making your sauce.  In a small bowl, combine the mayo, parsley, pickle, and lemon juice.  Stir to combine, and then set it in the fridge.  Halve your baguette and cut into sandwich size portions.  Scoop out at least 50% of the inside of the baguette to kind of hollow-out the bread and make rooms for all the po' boy fillings.  Trust me - crucial step to be able to bite into the sandwich.

​Heat a large skillet over medium heat and melt the butter in pan.  Once melted, add in the garlic, shrimp, and a pinch of both salt and pepper.  Stir every 2 minutes, cooking for a total of 6 minutes.  Then add in the buffalo sauce, and cook for an additional 2 minutes.  Turn off the heat.

Toast the bread in the 400 degree oven you cooked the potatoes in for 2 minutes.  Once lightly toasted, slather a thin layer of the mayo on both sides of the bread.  On the bottom piece, add a couple pinches of your cabbage on top of the mayo sauce, and top that with the shrimp and a spoonful of the sauce the shrimp has been cooked in.  On the top piece, layer the cucumber slices over the mayo.  Put the top slice of the bread over the shrimp and the sandwiches are ready.  Place your potatoes and peaches in serving bowls to eat picnic style alongside the sandwiches.  You're ready to dig in!!

***I also halved a handful of cherry tomatoes that I tossed with a drizzle of EVOO, salt and pepper, and a minced clove of garlic to have another light, veggie element to go with lunch, & that was also totally perfect*** ​