Nothing says cookout like Memorial Day, Father’s Day, and Fourth of July. Whether by the backyard pool or under the pine forests of Disney’s Fort Wilderness, this is a time of family celebration. These days, a burger can mean ground beef, ground turkey, or a vegetarian option, such as a black bean patty. What has changed over the last decade is that the toppings less likely to be ordinary. Ketchup, mayonnaise and mustard remain assumed condiments, but many restaurants, such as Green Truck Pub in Savannah, have made their name with a bold approach to toppings. Yesterday, we remembered our friends and family who served, and then celebrated Memorial Day with a cookout with some of our favorite people. This Epcot-inspired toppings bar was fun to make and was a culinary hit.

Each of the primary countries in Epcot is represented, along with a topping that is relevant to the cuisine of that country. Most of these are quite simple, but plan on three hours to make the entire board.

Mexico

Guacamole also showed up on my Epcot International Dip Board, and with good reason. It’s healthy and provides a spicy and creamy contrast to the burger. I used my Gaudy Guacamole recipe, but omitted the peaches.

Norway

Instead of the standard Swiss cheese often found on a burger, we used Jarlsberg. The mild cheese has holes like Swiss does, but comes from Norway.  Speaking of Norway, am I the only one who desperately misses the Maelstrom ride?  Just can’t seem to let it go.

China

I love a crunchy slaw on a burger or a hot dog. For this I made an Asian version with finely chopped napa cabbage, baby bok choy, and a grated carrot.  For the dressing I combined 2 tablespoons of sesame oil with 3 tablespoons rice vinegar, juice of 1 lime, 1 tablespoon of Blue Plate (or Kewpie) mayonnaise, and 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Stir in about half of the dressing to the cabbage mixture, adding more until it is to your liking (I like mine a little light on the dressing).

Germany

For many years, I made homemade apple sauce (so easy!) every Sunday night – usually to accompany some sort of baked chicken and mashed potatoes. This is the very first time, I’ve had a apple on my burger, and this is a keeper. I cored and sliced tart Granny Smith apples, and sauteed them in a little melted better for about 1-2 minutes on each side. Köstlich!

Italy

Sliced tomatoes – preferably fresh summer ones. It doesn’t get any easier than this, and no need to complicate one of earth’s most glorious gifts.

AMERICA

This is the second one that I also used on my Epcot Dip Board. I have a perfect recipe for Pimiento Cheese that is very similar to and just as good as that of Augusta National Golf Course.

Japan

We sauteed Shitake mushrooms, but Oyster mushrooms would work just as well. I’ve changed my approach to sauteing mushrooms, and am pleased that they are browning much more to my liking. After washing and slicing 1-2 pounds of mushrooms, we saute them over high heat with about 1/4 cup of water. Once the water is almost gone (about 5-8 minutes), add about 1 teaspoon of oil and turn down heat to medium. Cook another 5-8 minutes, while stirring occasionally.  Next add 1 tablespoon of butter, a little minced shallot or onions, and a pinch or two of oregano, and cook for another minute. If they are not done to your liking, add a little red wine (about 1/4 cup),  2 teaspoons of vinegar, and up to 1/2 cup of chicken stock. Cook another 2-3 minutes until liquid has evaporated. This topping goes quite well with the Jarlsberg cheese (Norway) and the sauteed leeks and onions (France).

Morocco

Moroccan cucumbers are prepared very similar to Thai ones. Slice one cucumber very thinly and place in bowl. Combine 3 tablespoons of white wine vinegar with 1 1/2 tablespoon of confectioner’s sugar. Add 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons of dehydrated thyme. Pour mixture over cucumbers, and let marinate at least 20 minutes. Drain most of marinade from cucumbers to serve. Top a burger with these, tomatoes, and a little slaw for a refreshing twist on a usually-heavy burger.

FRANCe

For France, we carmelized leeks and onions for one of my favorites on the board. We used three leeks and one Vidalia onion. Cut off almost all of the green leaf from the leeks, only the white and light green areas. Wash very well, and slice. Melt 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet. Add the leeks, and saute over low to medium heat for about 20-30 minutes. Stir occasionally in the beginning to give them a chance to start carmelizing. When they are browning up, you’ll need to stir more often. Add a teaspoon of water at a time if the pan becomes too dry. Once completed, I set these aside, and saute the onion separately. Simply slice one onion (not too thinly), and saute it in about 2 tablespoons of butter or oil over low heat. Leave them alone for a few minutes before you stir them. It will take about thirty minutes or so for them to carmelize properly.

ENGLAND

Cheddar cheese from the United Kingdom can be found in cheese shops and larger grocery stores (Publix). These cheeses are closer to white than the orange cheddar to which many of us are accustomed, the flavor is much richer (not sharper). This turned out to be one of the unexpected surprises on our board, and we will use English cheddar more often.

CANADA

O Maple Bacon! The meat-loving friends at our shindig devoured the Candied Maple Bacon, and it was the first item to deplete. I used 8 slices of regular bacon, and laid it across wire cooling racks atop a foil-covered backing pan. I brushed a mixture of 1/3 cup brown sugar, 3 teaspoons of Dijon mustard, and 2 tablespoons of Maple syrup on each side of the bacon.  Then we baked them at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes initially. It took another 10-15 minutes before they began to brown adequately. At the end, it only takes a very short time for them to go from done to burnt! They do stiffen up after being removed from the oven.

Putting it Together

This requires a large round platter. We layered green leaf lettuce (washed and dried) all over the platter, and then placed the items on the lettuce in order of their appearance at Epcot (starting with guacamole). For the center (earth), we hollowed out the top of a red cabbage and placed a tea light in it. We also cut off part of the bottom of the cabbage so that it would stand.

Related: An Epcot International Dip Board