Chili-flecked fennel + feta salad

With cheery orange wheels + crushed hazelnuts

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Welcome to today’s Stories from Catbird Cottage. I’m currently straddling two worlds: I bid farewell to my sweet parents after a particularly special visit, and am now readying the cottage for weekend guests - and for whom I am serving a spring-infused luscious 4 course dinner, tonight. It’s a lot to juggle. It helps to remind myself that I am doing what I love. I feel a huge gratitude to be able to bring joy to people through connecting over soulful food. If we can all create a little more of that in our lives, we’ll be doing ourselves - and the whole world - a huge favor.

The last few days have been near constant rain, with temps locked in the 40s… That said, thinking about the upcoming long weekend and warmer days, I looked to my current stocks in the fridge and realized I had the makings of a very fine salad. It likely isn’t new or earth-shattering but it is extremely tasty, and there are a few flourishes that make this one special. This version is zippy, delivers punch and umami, and carries all the right textures.

This fennel + feta salad has a lot of personality on the plate and, it’s also versatile. Got a steak or spatchcock chicken on the grill? Perfect. Roasted fish or chicken? A no-brainer. Want to serve it as a main with other colorful sides? No problem - this juicy salad’s got you covered. Perhaps most importantly, it is unfussy. If you love feta, or fennel, or a throw-together juicy salad, this is for you.

Here are a few other Memorial Day-friendly dishes if you’re still putting together your plan ~ all of them are crowd pleasers, and perfect for the warmer days ahead…

Crab banh-mi rolls
The addition of grain mustard, fish sauce, and ume plum vinegar brings the umami factor to new heights on this snow crab version of a classic. You can swap shrimp or cod in for the crab, and use regular radishes for equally tasty results.

Cabbage, snap pea, date slaw
I’ve served this at multiple supper clubs and everyone raves about this slaw. Bright and zippy, earthy-sweet, and the perfect amount of funk thanks to a Nuoc cham-inspired dressing. Toss the ingredients with the dressing just 10 minutes before you plan to serve it for the right balance of saturation and crunch.

Spatchcock brick-grilled chicken + herb sauce
The char on this wonderfully juicy chicken - combined with a quick sauce infused with tarragon, parsley, lemon thyme, and capers - brings casual grill food to a whole new level. I love the sweet garlicky flavor grilled scapes adds to the experience, but feel free to use currently available spring onions for a similarly delicious option.

Crispy soft-shell crabs with corn and avocado mash
This dish is the epitome of summer food. I first came across this dish at a New Orleans-themed restaurant I worked at, and to this day the combination of garlicky, chili and lime-fortified avocado mash, sweet corn fresh off the cob, and crispy, tender soft-shell crabs remains one of my all-time favorites.

Chili-flecked fennel-feta salad