Will this make you happy?

Yes, obviously! Corn + avocado salad, with perks.

Please take a sec and hit share & the ♥️ if you enjoy Stories from Catbird Cottage! It helps get word out, and totally makes my day ☺️

Hello my friends! Welcome to today’s Stories from Catbird Cottage. Today I’m sharing something that I needed, and I hope that means it’s just what you need, too. After an incredibly rigorous set of weeks (even before the supper club and cottage guests, we’ve been doing a variety of reno projects on the sly… you know, just to keep it interesting…), I really needed food to show up for me instead of me showing up for it.

We’re at that stage in the year: sit back and be wowed, and let food show up for us.

But first - as promised - an excerpt of quickly captured images from last weekend’s supper club! It was an incredible night, starting with the weather. The menu gave and gave, and the people were a wonderful and raucous group. It was exhilarating serving out course-after-course, then seeing everyone rave about the varied, bold flavors. Thank you, you lovely people, who joined us on Saturday!

There will be a final supper club for the season, on July 19th. It’s a special collaboration between Catbird Cottage, Pogliani Select, and Edible Hudson Valley, and it will take place on our mossy hillside, 3-6pm. The theme: Summer Aperitivo Afternoon, with The Catskills Cocktail Club serving two curated sips just for the occasion! Tickets are first come, first served: Email or message me if you’d like to reserve / learn more - I’m finalizing the menu and it’s going to be outstanding….

Great food always shows up for us

Sometimes, exactly when we need it. Honestly, I was laid out after Saturday. Sapped of energy after the many feats to pull off the evening, I rested. A lot. I had the idea for this week’s installment already brewing, so when I regained my energy and was on set producing it, I knew it had the makings of “summer favorite”. With very few elements, it manages to be pretty incredible. Like any great dish, it relies on quality ingredients. Using crowd favorites corn and avocado also doesn’t hurt. This recipe pulls from a few “secret weapons” to send it over the top:

1. A refreshing, super lemony, mustard-flecked vinaigrette.

2. The sumac-walnut dukkah from last week’s post (it’s so good, let this be the nudge you needed and go make it). It is generously flecked with cumin and coriander, which pair perfectly with this dish.

3. Pickled red onions. So simple to make, they level-up dishes of every kind.

It may be obvious, but the whole combination is pure joy, and you just might eat the whole batch yourself (so make extra).

How to ripen an avocado

These didn’t get perfect for a photo shoot all on their own. I mean, they would, but that moment would be hard to predict, then capitalize on, without the fleeting nature of timing complicating things… The best way to achieve this is to first have the great fortune to have an armful of unripe avocados. Pop them in a paper bag with a ripe banana, fold it closed, then check on them over the course of 2-3 days. The ethylene from bananas acts as a plant hormone and ripens many fruits - I’ve done this with apples, papayas, mangoes, and kiwis. Once ripe, avocado skins darken and when gently pressed, the flesh has the slightest give - this is the time to transfer them to the fridge and slow the ripening down. From there, the avocados will stay in this stage for at least 3 more days. Voilà, how to achieve perfect avocados when you need them. ;)

The brand-new recipe for big bliss corn + avocado salad is below for paid subscribers. Thank you so much for supporting my work! For everyone, here are a few easy summer recipes that hit high marks ~

Salted cantaloupe is pure hydration

• Grilled corn with garlicky butter + herbs

• Crispy soft shell crabs with corn + avocado

• Garlicky paprika shrimp and avocado salsa tacos

Big bliss corn + avocado salad
With lemony vinaigrette, pickled red onions + crunchy bits