Fennel
*image from theherbspiral.com
While I was at the Piedmont Triad Farmers Market on Saturday, I came across one of the indoor grocers selling organic fennel for $1.75. It’s something of a wonder that I like fennel. Its taste is most often compared to licorice or anise, both of which I hate. But I’ve really enjoyed the times I’ve eaten fennel—though it’s only been raw in salads.
I’d never used fennel at home before, but I think it’s fun to try new ingredients in my cooking from time to time. (Though it can lead to a disaster or a waste of food, such as the first time I tried cooking a whole artichoke.) Plus, I still have visions of that wondrous pear-and-fennel salad from Eclipse de Luna in Atlanta. So I bought a bulb of fennel plus an organic red pear and decided to try re-creating the salad.
Pear-and-fennel salads work best, I think, with a mild, creamy dressing. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any at home that I thought would complement the ingredients (creamy Italian and peppercorn-parmesan just didn’t seem right), and I was too lazy to make my own. So I went with a pomegranate viniagrette, which turned out to work surprisingly well. Here’s what I put in the salad, which turned out delicious, if I do say so myself. Proportions of ingredients are up to your taste:
Pear-and-fennel salad
Organic salad greens
Half a bulb of fennel, thinly sliced
One pear, thinly sliced (should be firm and slightly underripe to get the crispness)
Red onion, thinly sliced
Avocado
Parmesan cheese, shredded or shaved
Sliced almonds
Really, it tasted better than it looks in this picture:
