So I couldn’t resist this gorgeous head of organic fennel at the market the other day. It was hot outside and I felt like a cool, refreshing salad, so here’s what I came up with, riffing on the 101 Cookbooks recipe, but with fewer ingredients. Rinse and pat dry the fennel. Start slicing the bulb crosswise, as thinly as you like, then cut the slices in half. Once you get up into the frond area, continue slicing thinly a good part of the way, so you get some of the feathery stuff in the mix. (If there’s leftover fennel, chop up finely and throw into a vegetable soup another time.) Toss the fennel into a bowl, and zest one lemon over it, mixing it through. Add about 3/4c. diced cuke, if you like. Season well with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. Squeeze the juice of that lemon over the bowl, and drizzle a couple of tablespoons of good olive oil over it. Toss the fennel well to coat. Now, top with some toasty pine nuts and crumbled feta cheese, and toss them through a bit when you’re ready to serve. In all honesty, my kids wouldn’t touch this salad, but I will try them again next time I make it. My husband and I agreed that it was delicious.
