Labor Day Menu

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(Menu Courtesy of Martha Stewart)
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Main
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Shrimp Boil with Tomato-Red Onion Salad and Garlic
Serves 4 (I double every recipe)
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2 lemons, halved, plus wedges for serving
3 bay leaves
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
1 large garlic head, halved horizontally
3 medium onions, peeled and quartered
1 dried red chile
Coarse salt or sea salt
8 sprigs fresh thyme, tied together with kitchen twine
1 pound new red potatoes, unpeeled, halved if large
4 ears corn, husked, halved crosswise
1 pound unpeeled large shrimp, shells slit lengthwise from top to halfway down back, deveined
Hot sauce, for serving
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Directions
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Fill a large stockpot with 4 quarts water. Squeeze lemons into water; add rinds. Add bay leaves, seasoning, garlic, onions, chile, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.
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Add potatoes; simmer 12 minutes. Add corn; simmer 5 minutes. Add shrimp; cover, and simmer until opaque, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer ingredients to parchment paper or a bowl. Sprinkle with salt; serve with lemon and hot sauce.
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Salad
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Tomato and Red Onion Salad
Serves 4
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1 1/2 pounds small to medium red and yellow tomatoes, halved if small and quartered if medium 1 medium red onion, quartered and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup good-quality extra-virgin olive-oil
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Directions
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Gently toss together tomatoes, onion, parsley, and salt in a large bowl; season with pepper. Drizzle in oil, and toss to combine. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
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Bread
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Warm Bread with Garlic-Herb Butter
Serves 4
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1 large garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon, freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 loaf crusty bread
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Directions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a mortar and pestle, crush together garlic and salt to form a paste. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add parsley, chives, lemon juice, and butter; stir with a wooden spoon until well combined.
Place bread on a baking sheet. Warm bread in oven until crust is crisp, about 10 minutes. Serve with the butter. Butter can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.
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Dessert

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Cherries on Ice
Serves 4
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1 pound sweet cherries, stems attached, rinsed and drained
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Directions
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Place cherries in a bowl; set aside. Fill a medium bowl with ice; add water. Set out a small bowl for pits and stems. To serve, have guests pick cherries from the bowl and dip them in ice water, then place pits and stems in small bowl.
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Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!!!
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