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Get Patriotic with Duke Staff’s July 4 Recipes

From appetizers to dessert, try these recipes for the holiday

Red, white and blue cupcakes are just one recipe submitted to Working@Duke by staff across campus. The cupcake recipe and photo were provided by Sabrina Carr, an IT analyst with the Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy.
Red, white and blue cupcakes are just one recipe submitted to Working@Duke by staff across campus. The cupcake recipe and photo were provided by Sabrina Carr, an IT analyst with the Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy.

Grab some sparklers, light the grill and prep the kitchen. We’ve got some special summer recipes for you just in time for the Fourth of July.

With help from staff across campus, Working@Duke has compiled a series of favorite summertime recipes made by staff.

Whether you need appetizers, a main course of dessert, these dishes cover the needs of any empty stomach.

For novice cooks, we’ve got a series of easy recipes and cooking tips passed down to Kathleen Miller, administrative manager with the Duke Clinical Research Institute Academic Affairs. If you’re a more seasoned culinary whiz, you may want to try Debrah Suggs’ watermelon “cake,” a dessert built around the sweet, red flesh of the fruit.

“The key is finding a watermelon that looks more like a basketball than one that grows like a football,” said Suggs, senior IT analyst with the Office of Information Technology. “The toughest part is making the whipped cream, because you may want to whip it by hand, but you’re better off using an electric or upright mixer.”

For those who want to get festive, there’s also “patriotic potato salad,” a recipe by Gary Lehew, a research and development engineer with Duke Neurobiology. He likes to source the ingredients for the dish from the Duke Farmers Market.

“Besides it being delicious, the colors add to the occasion,” he said.

Here are some recipes to try out this July 4 from chefs in Duke Dining and colleagues across campus:

Recipes from Duke Dining chefs

Grilled rib-eye steak with parsley and garlic hotel butter, Fruited couscous pilaf and Watermelon and tomato salad with fresh mintSubmitted by Darelle Bey, production worker at Duke Marketplace

Low-sodium meatloaf burgers and cast iron skillet potato hashSubmitted by: Wallace Burrows, lead food service worker at Duke Marketplace

Carolina-style BBQ pork baby back ribs and BBQ sauceSubmitted by: Gloria Daniels, line production worker at Duke Marketplace

Recipes from Duke staff

Red, white and blue cupcakesSubmitted by: Sabrina Carr, IT analyst, Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy

Hot weather hummusSubmitted by: Kelly Deal, associate in research, Duke Global Health Institute

Low-carb cauliflower salad, aka “faux”-tatoe saladSubmitted by: Christie Gardner, senior claims specialist, Workers' Compensation Administration

Patriotic potato saladSubmitted by: Gary Lehew, research and development engineer, Duke University Neurobiology

Assorted simple recipes and cooking tipsSubmitted by: Kathleen Miller, administrative manager, Duke Clinical Research Institute Academic Affairs

Vegetarian barbecue sandwichesSubmitted by: Leslie Pardue, program coordinator for professional studies, Nicholas School of the Environment

Chocolate-zucchini Bundt cake with chocolate glazeSubmitted by: Becky Pendergraft, administrative liaison, Medical Student Education

Slow cooker beansSubmitted by: Kathy Peterson, administrative coordinator, Information Initiative at Duke

Angel food dessertSubmitted by: Trish Smith, clinical data assistant for follow-up services, Duke Clinical Research Institute

Watermelon "cake"Submitted by Debrah Suggs, senior IT analyst, Office of Information Technology