Some part of my Saturday is usually spent watchng the PBS cooking shows. My favorite time of year is autumn and every year there are more and more intriguing recipes to try.

One of my favorite fall dishes to make is pasta with butternut squash. Just roast the squash until tender, mash with butter and perorino cheese and mix in your pasta of choice. I top the final dish with more pecorino cheese, a sprinkle of red pepper flakes and toasted pine nuts. Just delicious.

This year, Milk Street had a great recipe for a unique salad that pairs well with any meal and will be especially great with the holiday meals to come.

I’m going to be making it for Thanksgiving along with the other usual suspects and I think it will be a refreshing side dish.

Shaved Fennel Salad
Make the dressing first and set aside:
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup extra Virginia olive oil
3 minced garlic cloves
6 pepperoncini thinly sliced with 1 tbsp of the brine

Mix all together and set aside while you prepare the vegetables:

1 large fennel bulb, finely shaved on a mandolin or sliced with a knife
8 oz uncooked white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 oz Genoa salami, thinly sliced into strips
3 oz chunk of Parmesan cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler
2/3 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley

Mix vegetables and meat together, add dressing, gently mix and it’s ready to serve.

Jean Hecker has a BA in Home Economics Education from Rowan University and enjoys exploring all facets of the food and restaurant industry.