Patch Picks: 5 Family Favorite Fourth of July Barbecue Recipes

The Fourth of July celebrates America's birthday and the freedoms we have fought to sustain as a country. Americans everywhere will be celebrating this weekend with family, friends and a lot of great food.

In honor of the great American BBQ, Patch found five recipes that will be appearing on picnic tables all across Geneva.

Tessa Wagner of Geneva shared two of her family's favorite Fourth of July BBQ recipes with Patch. "My mother-in-law, Joan, makes this all the time for family get-togethers. It's so easy, and really refreshing," she said.

Marinated Tomatoes

• 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon of Sugar
• 1 Teaspoon of Yellow Mustard
• 1 Clove of Chopped Garlic
• 1 Tablespoon of freshly chopped Italian Parsley
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 6 Beefsteak Tomatoes- Sliced

Directions:

1. Mix all the ingredients except tomatoes in a large bowl to make a salad dressing.

2. Add tomatoes and toss to coat.

3. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

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"This recipe is my family's for Spring Salad. My mom would make it for cookouts growing up," said Wagner. "It sounds really weird, but it's delicious and fresh."

Nancy McCloud's Spring Salad

• 1 pound of large curd cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup of Miracle Whip
• 1/2 pint of whipping cream
• 1 bunch of sliced radishes
• 1 green pepper-diced
• 1 bunch of diced green onions
• 1 peeled and seeded cucumber
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Combine all the wet ingredients in a large bowl

2. Toss vegetables with the creamy dressing

3. Add salt and pepper to taste; chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour

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Maggie Ogden has lived in the Geneva area her whole life, and she loves to entertain. It's not uncommon to find the Ogdens cooking out in the dead of winter on their charcoal barrel-smoker grill.

While her husband, Tom, is considered the grill master of the family, Maggie's hors d'oeuvres are what keep her guest surrounding the kitchen table.

Here is her recipe for a cold vegetable pizza appetizer:

Crescent Roll Crust Veggie Pizza

• 2 (8 ounce) packages of refrigerated crescent rolls
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon of dried dill weed
• 1/4 teaspoon of garlic salt
• 1 small onion-finely chopped
• 1 stalk of celery, finely sliced
• 1/2 cup of halved, thinly-sliced radishes
• 1 1/2 cups of chopped broccoli
• 1/2 cup of halved, thinly sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 halved, thinly sliced carrot
• 1/2 cup of sliced black olives

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a jelly roll pan or lipped cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Pat crescent roll dough into pan and let stand for 5 minutes. Pierce the dough with a fork.

3. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine sour cream, cream cheese, dill weed, and garlic salt. Spread the mixture on top of the cooled crescent roll crust.

4. Arrange the onion, carrot, celery, broccoli, radish, mushrooms, and olives on top of the cream cheese mixture.

5. Cover and let chill in refrigerator. Once it has been chilled cut into squares and serve.

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No Fourth of July celebration would be complete without something from the grill. Hot dogs and burgers are staple BBQ fare, but if you're thinking about something spicy, Tom Ogden's "Firecracker Chicken" is a great option.

Firecracker Chicken Thighs

Serves 6 to 8

• 4 pounds of bone-in chicken thighs
• 2 16 ounce jars of hot style picante sauce (reserve 1 cup for basting)

Directions:

1. Marinate chicken thighs in picante sauce for at least 4 hours.

2. Grill chicken for approximately 30 minutes, flip pieces over and marinate with reserved picante sauce. Grill for another 15 minutes.

3. Thighs are done when the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees.

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For a festive finish to your Fourth of July celebration, the traditional Flag Cake will bring smiles from guests of all ages. This recipe uses prepared ingredients, so there's no heat from the oven on a hot July day.