http://www.harvardcommonpress.com/bastille-day/

Cassoulet, salad, bread and wine. Bonus points if you can find berets in a mix of red, white and blue colors. :P

You should definitely start with gougères and champagne: http://eat-drink-garden.com/2010/12/gougeres-and-champagne/

For a summer menu, perhaps some ratatouille, socca, seafood, and rose wine. Go with southern French recipes to keep things lighter. For dessert, a free-form 'fruite des bois' galette.

Thanks francaisejolie-- we do have a Bastille Day menu to offer! From Wini Moranville, author of The Bonne Femme Cookbook: http://chezbonnefemme.com/menus/bastille-day-menu/

How about crepes? They are super fun for a party, easy to make ahead, and you can fill with either sweet or savory filling! Vive la France!

I second socca. I love it.

I'd search through Laura Calder's recipes. They're mostly French or French-inspired, all are simple and many are light (for summer.)

It's way to hot here to be in the kitchen, so we're doing Boeuf Bourguignon burgers on the grill!

For my celebration, I planning on making some petites croques monsieur. Pretty much, slice up a baguette, toast and butter each slice, then put some ham on each slice. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over low heat, sauté some minced garlic and shallots, add a splash of sherry, then throw in 3 tablespoons of flour. Cook just until the raw flour taste goes away, stirring constantly. Then, add a bit over a cup of milk, and allow to thicken. Finally, melt in some grated gruyere cheese. Spoon the sauce over the ham, top with more gruyere, and put under the broiler until they get all toasty. I've made these into croques madame by frying up some quail eggs and adding to the top of each mini sandwich, which is delicious.

I also made an onion tart, with some crème fraiche and chives on top. Yum!

Loving the gougères and bubbly idea from eat-drink-garden.

I also love a good bouillabaisse, and a soupe au pistou is seasonal and tasty and loaded with fresh summer vegetables.

For dessert, I'd recommend a cherry clafoutis (or another fruit of your choosing), a strawberry tart, or...a Chocolate Hazelnut Brownie Cake with Whipped Cream and Strawberry Coulis. Yum! Sprinkle some blueberries on the cake and you've got your red, white, and blue!

http://california49.wordpress.com/2010/06/04/something-sweet-for-the-weekend/

Oh, and don't forget some good cheese, crusty bread, and a bottle of red. A French meal is really lacking without those three things!

I was thinking of doing something similar and making a pissaldiere with some rose to help wash it down but a broken elbow in my 3yr old has waylaid my plans. Instead, I'll still be drinking the rose but instead will have it with some simply prepared eggs.