Dining In 

Enjoy a Safe and Festive Fourth 

 

By Karen Schulz 

 

Somehow June is already coming to a close, and the Fourth of July is just around the corner. As we emerge from quarantine isolation, it is important to figure out how to entertain, celebrate, and enjoy, while also maintaining safe social distancing habits.  

 

Individual servings and contact-free bites are an easy way to stop the spread of germs without getting in the way of any festivity; and as a matter of fact, their small and casual nature openly invites the use of colorful props and creative presentations. 

 

As far as outdoor, low-contact, delicious, and festive foods go, it is difficult to find any quickly made snack that checks these boxes like a bruschetta. While the classic garden tomato–and–basil variety never disappoints, if you’re looking to mix things up, this heartier, sweeter, and more intricate peach and prosciutto bruschetta is a delicious alternative. Grilling fruit brings out its sugars in an intense way, and even aside from the peaches in this recipe, a trick I love is grilling halved limes before squeezing them onto things like grilled fish or fish tacos. 

 

When serving anything during this re-entry period, keep a lot of space between items, or, if possible, pre-plate things so friends can just grab and go. The peach bruschetta can be served on smaller toasts, making it better suited for an appetizer, or can be left on a whole slice of bread for an actual meal. 

 

The filet skewers are usually best served on a platter, but for Covid-19’s sake, they can also be prearranged, with three to four in small cups with a splash of horseradish sauce at the bottom. Whichever way you choose, toothpicks and skewers provide great opportunities for decoration, especially with a red, white, and blue, color-coded celebration like the Fourth. I made them for a summer–themed party last year, and found the greatest tropical flower toothpicks (which, by the way, looked amazing with bright pink lilies). 

 

While moving forward alongside this pandemic is a bit worrying, it is also exciting. More than anything else, we need human connections in this world, so stay safe, while you enjoy the holiday, the summer, and your long–lost friends.