Fennel Salad

So I had this massive brown fennel growing out back on my VEG.  It was so big that Mark even tweeted about it - so I figured I had to start using it more.

So into the kitchen to see what I had.  Apple, onions, fennel, orange, tomatoes.  Okay - I have an idea.  This is what my wife envies about me, I have never had any cooking training, but I like to cook based on  what I have and what I am in the mood for.

This is what you need:

medium fennel bulb

1/2 red onion

6 small cherry tomatoes

1 small orange

1 red apple

1 cucumber

dijon mustard

balsamic vinegar

EVOO

The dressing:

I use this on a lot of salads.  It is easy to make, tasty and you can add to it or change it by using different oils or vinegars.

1 Tbsp dijon mustard, 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar and 4 Tbsp EVOO and whisk together until it emulsifies.  I add a bit of fresh ground pepper, too.  Set aside.

The salad:

Get out your mandolin.  This is a great gadget, so if you don't have one - go get it.  I slice the following about 1/8 inch thick - fennel, red onion, apple and cucumber.  I halved the tomatoes and cut the orange so I was left with some tiny slices.

Into a bowl goes the sliced fennel, onion, cucumber and apple and I drizzle a little bit of orange juice, a pinch of salt and toss.

Plate the mixture then place the tomatoes and orange bits around and drizzle a bit of the dijon vinaigrette dressing over top.

Sit back and enjoy.  This goes with a nice white wine - if you are interested I like Spanish Verdejo's, it goes well with the crispness of the salad.

The Un-Gluten Guy