Your July 4th Ultimate Grill-Out Sides Roundup

[related-psots]This July 4th, we declare independence from goopy, mayo-choked potato and macaroni salads, uninspired vegetable dishes, and lame store-bought, frozen or canned versions of what should arguably be the second-most important part of your 4th of July barbecue: sides. Obviously the meat is the most important part, but it just hangs out on the grill. Or maybe fireworks are first, meat second, sides third.But pay attention to your side dishes, and you'll be greatly rewarded when somehow your ribeye tastes even better because you're eating it with goat cheese and asparagus macaroni salad and the char on your grilled chicken is charr-ier because there's a little grilled baby bok choy on that forkful too. No matter what your food creed, there's something in this mix for everyone.

Add some asparagus to your macaroni salad for a pleasant crunch.

You'll be lucky to have leftovers for tomorrow's lunch.

The flavor combination here works really well.

There's no vegetable that can't be grilled, though some take to the barbecue more readily than others. Lettuce's grilling potential is often overlooked because it's typically not cooked at all, but the slight wilt from a few minutes over high heat as well as the resulting smoky infusion make for a much more flavorful salad than leaves in a bowl.

It's like a little potato-y taco in a single bite. (Photo: Mark Shaw.)

These beans will get you excited to eat your veggies.

Fabio Vivani of Top Chef and Top Chef All-Stars releases his cookbook this week! We nabbed a couple of recipes from this awesome new addition to our food library, including this super-simple, rustic Sicilian eggplant caponata you can serve with any Italian meal. 

Add some porky goodness to your collard greens.

Pickle that feta then throw it in this salad.

We've been on a tomato bender. It's hard to resist ripe, juicy summer tomatoes that burst with flavor. Here's a recipe that won't let you down. All you need are a few ingredients to make this simple yet delicious tomato tart. 

See your grilled veggies in a whole new light.

These spicy, peanutty noodles will change your mind about vegan cuisine for the better.

Pinky up! Time to class up your potato salad with some French mayo.

A mountain of onion rings never looked so good.

A couscous fitting for a crown.

Add toasted pumpkin seeds to your potato salad for the ultimate crunch.

Traditional Brazilian cheesy puffs.

When the hot weather hits and the grills are smoking, there is most certainly a place for vegan cuisine. And, really, you don't have to be vegan to enjoy it. It's light, healthy and can be pretty easy to make. Blackened okra with red rice is an instant winner for any occasion. The recipe, after the jump.

Charred Padron or shishito peppers make a great summer dish to pair with wines from Spain's Rueda and Ribera Del Duero regions.

One of the most famous Ligurian recipes, traditional trofie pasta comes together with cubed potatoes, steamed beans and bright earthy pesto in this one pot dish. High quality ingredients make this simple dish shine. The recipe, after the jump.

Morgan's Barbecue is bringing the famous frito pie north to NYC. Their version is served old-school style in a slit-open Fritos bag, smothered with Texas red chili and topped with white onion, cheddar cheese, sour cream, scallions and Morgan's signature slow-smoked brisket.

Add some color to your summer dining line up.

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