Have you seen Mel Gibson’s film, The Patriot? The movie was filmed entirely in South Carolina. It’s based on the life of Francis Marion, also known as The Swamp Fox, who was one of the great militia leaders of the American Revolutionary War. There’s a scene in the movie when Anne Howard stands up in church and declares herself an ardent patriot. “Half the men in this church, including you, father… and you reverend, are as ardent patriots as I. Will you now, when you are needed most, stop at only words? Is that the sort of men you are? I ask only that you act upon the beliefs of which you have so strongly spoken, and in which you so strongly believe.” I love that quote! Independence Day is right around the corner and we’re celebrating patriotism. It’s all about being red, white, and blue. We Beaufortonians are so blessed to live in a military community. We’re very proud of our ardent patriots, they’re our superheroes! (Photography by Susan DeLoach)
Red, White and Blue Salad with Bourbon Vinaigrette
For the vinaigrette:
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 tablespoons bourbon
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup vegetable oil
For the salad:
1 (5-ounce) container baby arugula
1 pint strawberries
½ pint blueberries
½ pint raspberries
½ pint blackberries
½ cup crumbled blue cheese
½ cup roughly chopped walnuts, toasted
Place vinaigrette ingredients in a small jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well to mix. Place arugula on a large platter; toss with vinaigrette. Slice strawberries. Top dressed arugula with sliced strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. Sprinkle with crumbled blue cheese and chopped walnuts. Serves 8.
Grand Old Flag Pizza
1 pound refrigerated pizza dough*
½ pound Italian sausage
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 (12-ounce) package mozzarella cheese
¾ to 1 cup jarred pizza sauce
1 (6-ounce) package pepperoni slices
Follow directions on the pizza dough package for preparation and oven temperature recommendations. Press dough into a prepared 9×13-inch baking pan to form a rectangle. Parbake crust for 10 minutes. Remove crust from oven. Remove sausage from casings and cook over medium heat until browned and cooked through. Drain well on paper towels. Squeeze-dry thawed spinach to remove excess moisture; divide into two equal portions and set aside. Cut a few slices of mozzarella cheese. Using a very small star-shaped cookie cutter, cut stars to decorate the flag. Shred the remaining mozzarella cheese and set aside. Spread pizza sauce evenly over pizza crust. Top with cooked Italian sausage and half of chopped spinach. Use remaining spinach to form a background for the cheese stars. Decorate with mozzarella stars. Top the rest of the pizza with shredded mozzarella. Use sliced pepperoni to make stripes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and pizza is warmed through. Makes 12 slices. *I used freshly made pizza dough from the Publix bakery. Pizza dough from the refrigerated section of the grocery store will work, too.
Sparkling Spritzers
Raspberries, blueberries and/or blackberries
Prepared fruit punch
Champagne, ginger ale or lemonade
Place a combination of berries in an ice tray. Top berries with fruit punch and freeze for 12 hours or overnight. Place fruit punch cubes in tall glasses and cover with champagne, ginger ale, or lemonade. Number of servings varies with size of glasses.
The writer owns Catering by Debbi Covington and is the author of three cookbooks, Celebrate Beaufort, Celebrate Everything! and Dining Under the Carolina Moon. For more great recipes and to view her cooking demonstrations, visit and subscribe to Debbi’s YouTube channel. Debbi’s website address is www.cateringbydebbicovington.com. She may be reached at 843-525-0350 or by email at dbc@cateringbydebbicovington.com.
