Natasha Feldman shares recipes inspired by Memorial Day

Get ready for a festive Memorial Day feast with these creative dishes to make this weekend.

Natasha Feldman, author of “The Dinner Party Project,” joined “Good Morning America” ​​Friday to share a seasonal brew, vibrant salads, sides, and easy-to-prepare Memorial Day dessert.

Check out her full recipes below.

fresh water

ingredients

Six 8-ounce drinks

2 cups water, plus more to taste

4 cups of chopped fresh fruit (try watermelon, pineapple, mango, or cantaloupe)

2 tablespoons sugar, plus more to taste, depending on how sweet the fruit is

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste

a pinch of salt

4 sprigs of mint

Sparkling water for the table

appetizers: Fresh fruit piece, lemon slices, tagine spices on the edge, salt and sugar (50/50) on the edge

directione

Mix 2 cups of water, 4 cups of fruit, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and a pinch of salt in a blender. Strain the pulp while pouring the agua fresca into a pitcher. Add more water, sugar and lemon juice to taste. Just before serving, add plenty of ice and sprigs of mint into the pitcher and stir. Give everyone a cold glass garnished to taste, and put out the sparkling water in case people want to add any.

Tips and timing:

Pitcher drinks (without added sparkling water and ice) can be made up to 1 day in advance and kept in the refrigerator. Just before serving, stir vigorously and add sparkling water and ice. Cocktails should be prepared just before serving. But feel free to pre-measure all ingredients for ease!

No matter the cocktail, freeze the glasses for 10 minutes first. It will keep the cocktail physically (and figuratively) cold.

Crispy green salad

6 services

total time: 10 minutes

“I like this salad so much because it’s so incredibly bright and can really finish a meal, but it’s also so easy to pull together and enjoy. If you want to add other crunchy vegetables, or substitute herbs, go for it,” Feldman writes in the cookbook. “If you’re looking for a really simple meal, just add a grilled protein and call it a day!”

ingredients

sauce

1/2 teaspoon of lemon peel

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped dill

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped parsley leaves

authority

4 Persian cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)

2 ripe avocados, skins and pits removed, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 cups green cabbage, thinly sliced

1 head butter lettuce, cut into 1/2-inch slices

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

All the rest of the above herbs, coarsely chopped, to the very end

To prepare the sauce: Combine 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake like crazy to emulsify. . Add dill and parsley and shake again.

To prepare the salad: In a large bowl, combine the cucumber, avocado, cabbage, and lettuce and toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Pour the sauce over the vegetables and mix just to incorporate. Add salt to taste. Served with additional herbs on top

Tips and timing:

The dressing can be made up to 3 days in advance. Wash, prepare, and store all salad ingredients (except avocado) up to 1 day in advance. Store lettuce on dry kitchen towels in resealable plastic bags in the refrigerator. Place the cut vegetables in an airtight container with a damp paper towel on top to prevent them from drying out. Assemble the salad with the avocado pieces just before serving.

Garlic cabbage with whole grain mustard

6 services

the total: 25 minutes

ingredients

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

2 large garlic cloves, minced

3/4 teaspoon salt, divided, plus more to taste

1 small purple cabbage, halved and cut into 1/8-inch strips (about 8 cups)

2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon of unsalted butter

2 tablespoons of wholegrain mustard

1 tablespoon coarsely chopped parsley leaves

directione

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil is warm, add the minced garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant with small, happy bubbles, about 2 1/2 minutes.

Add cabbage and 1/2 teaspoon salt. cook, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is about half its starting size, about 6 minutes.

Stir in 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar and cook until most of the cabbage is tender and deep purple, about 10 minutes.

Mix 1 tablespoon butter, 2 teaspoons whole grain mustard, and 1 tablespoon chopped parsley until the butter is completely melted. Add more salt to taste.

Tips and timing:

Stores well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Remove 1 hour before serving.

Rainbow cookie ice box cake

serves 6 to 8; Makes 1 loaf cake

total time: 45 minutes + overnight refrigeration

ingredients

1 liter of heavy whipping cream

3 tablespoons of sugar

1/8 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Green, yellow and red food coloring

1 teaspoon of almond extract

2 tablespoons of seedless raspberry jam

1/2 cup (3 ounces) semisweet chocolate, chopped and melted

1 tablespoon of cocoa powder

2 boxes of our famous Nabisco chocolate chips (or another thin, crunchy chocolate chip cookie)

Flaky sea salt, to finish

directione

In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, beat 1 quart of cream with 3 tablespoons of the sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt to soft peaks. (If using a stand mixer, cover the top of the mixer with a large dish towel for the first minute to prevent splattering as the cream swirls around the bowl.)

Once soft peaks form, add 1 teaspoon vanilla and beat until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes.

Divide the whipped cream evenly into four bowls.

In the first bowl, add 6 drops of green food coloring, 2 drops of yellow food coloring, and 1 teaspoon of the almond extract. fold to combine.

In the second bowl, add 6 drops of red food coloring and 2 tablespoons of the raspberry jam. fold to combine.

In the third bowl, add 9 drops of yellow food coloring. fold to combine.

In the fourth bowl, add 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate and 1 tablespoon cocoa powder. You know what to do. (The chocolate layer may look a little marbled, and that’s okay!)

Line a standard loaf pan with plastic wrap. Make sure your wrap is long enough to cover the loaf pan once it is full.

Put a layer of wafers (use whole wafers and fill with broken wafers) in the bottom of the pan, then brush with a layer of half of the chocolate whipped cream.

Add another layer of wafers and half of the pink whipped cream, followed by another layer of wafers and the rest of the pink whipped cream.

We follow with a layer of waffle and a layer of yellow whipped cream and repeat, then a layer of waffles and a layer of green whipped cream and repeat.

We finish with a layer of wafer, a layer of chocolate whipped cream, and a final layer of waffle. Note: The loaf pan will be completely full and you’ll be done. Don’t worry. No one ever gets mad at eating so much icebox cake.

Cover tightly with extra plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Turn the pan upside down and use a butter knife to loosen the plastic wrap. Open, cut and serve sprinkled with sea salt.

Tips and timing

Prepare and refrigerate 1 to 3 days in advance. The cake should set at least overnight.

Don’t skimp on the whipped cream—the cookies will expand and you’ll want to see all those layers!

If you can’t find a thin, crunchy chocolate wafer, you can always use a chocolate wafer sandwich cookie or a split Oreo.

Recipes reprinted with permission from The Dinner Party Project by Natasha Feldman. Copyright © 2023 by Natasha Feldman. Reprinted with permission from Harvest, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.