Two fast, gorgeous recipes everyone will love

Add them to your holiday table

Hello, and welcome to today’s Stories from Catbird Cottage! Checking the calendar, there is just shy of a week to pull together your list of beautiful, satisfying, *and achievable* dishes! Without question, you will create a memorable experience for everyone, and these two dishes are going to help make that happen.

Knowing that time is at a premium and striking a balance between limited bandwidth and things that will appeal to everyone, I thought these two recipes would resonate. The salad is stunning, thanks to heirloom chioggia beets. You only need the oven to roast the fennel, which can be done three days in advance.

The pear + shallot tart brings a sweet-savory experience, and the combining effect of grain mustard and fennel seeds creates a delightful surprise. Both recipes are vegetarian, another important consideration to include. And honestly, both are beautiful. I always develop recipes with that in mind because we eat with our eyes first (and if it ain’t good looking, folks are less inclined to make it). We live in a moment - like it or not - where people will snap pics of the array at the table, and knowing you’ve supplied these beauties will have everyone talking, *especially once they’ve eaten them*.

The roasted fennel+chioggia beet salad is for all subscribers, and the caramelized pear+shallot puff pastry tart is for paying subscribers. Thanks so much if you can upgrade to paid! Your support directly helps me to consistently create meaningful content. As a supporter, you’ll receive two additional newsletters each month that delve deeper into my process, with additional behind the scenes and more knockout recipes.

Without further delay, here they are….

Roasted fennel + chioggia beet salad with whipped ricotta and pecans

salad
3-5 smallish chioggia beets, skins peeled, sliced very thinly on a mandoline
1 medium fennel bulb, stems and ends trimmed, sliced into inch-thick wedges, reserving a handful of the delicate fronds
1/4 cup chopped parsley 
1 tsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
1/2 cup pecans
flaky salt

ricotta
1 1/2 cups whole milk ricotta
1 small garlic clove, finely grated on a mandoline
2 tbsp pecan oil
finely grated zest from 1/2 orange (about 2 tsp)
1/4 tsp kosher salt
generous grinds freshly cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Place fennel wedges on a sheet pan and drizzle them with a generous tablespoon of olive oil. Toss to coat and season with salt. Lay the wedges flat on the sheet pan (with any especially thick pieces at the perimeter) and roast for 35 minutes or until softened and golden, turning after 25 minutes. 

While fennel roasts, toast pecans on a small tray until fragrant, 5-7 minutes. Coarsely chop them once they are cool enough to handle.

Whip ricotta with a fork or whisk, along with the salt, pepper, orange zest, garlic, and pecan oil until uniform and creamy. Taste and add more salt and pepper, as needed.

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the white wine vinegar, along with a pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

On a serving platter, make a base layer of a few small spoonfuls of the ricotta, followed by layers of beets and some of the parsley. Spoon the remaining ricotta into the center and nestle fennel wedges around it. Add the rest of the parsley and sprinkle all with pecans. Drizzle the oil and vinegar mixture, cracked black pepper, and flaky salt to taste. Best eaten dragging the vegetables through the ricotta in hearty forkfuls.

ps - once you have pecan oil in your pantry, make my skillet cake from the book and infuse holiday cookies and cakes with its fragrant aroma…

Ah, this tart. It is SO good. If you’re like me and always keep a package of puff pastry in the freezer - you never know when you’ll need it - once it’s thawed, you have the makings for an outstanding lunch, snack, or show-stopping appetizer to bring to that holiday gathering. Just like this!

The key to making it really *wow*?