At my farmer’s market over the weekend, I lucked into a lovely bulb of fennel. It had just been picked that morning according to the vendor. Have you ever tried it? It’s a funky looking vegetable – I can’t think of anything else quite like it! It looks like a cross between celery and an onion. It has a whitish bulbous bottom that’s sort of flattish with green stalks that jut out from it in a spray and fine fronds that feather out from there. It looks like this…
It tastes a little like anise or licorice, but subtle and fresh. It’s crunchy like celery. It is fantastic chunked up and roasted or thinly sliced and raw. Either way, it goes great with other root veggies. I decided to make a simple shaved salad using my mandolin to go with tonight’s supper and it was definitely a winner! Here’s what I served…
Fennel and Carrot Salad
- 1/2 fennel bulb very thinly sliced (reserve the other half and top for something else, or make double batch)
- 2 carrots, scraped and thinly sliced
- 1/4 Vidalia onion grated
- 1 Tbs fresh dill, chopped
- 2 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon prepared horseradish
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- splash of apple cider vinegar
- pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper
Prepare the veggies and herbs and toss in a bowl together. Separately mix all of the remaining ingredients to create a dressing, taste and adjust to your liking. Once satisfied with the dressing, mix with the vegetables to coat.
I served this with chicken marinara, pasta, and roasted zucchini. It would also be perfect with beans or nuts as a filling vegetarian option, or with chopped chicken. Enjoy!
