Fennel and green apple salad recipe

 

fennel and green apple salad | pamela salzman

I just adore fennel and its hint of licorice (that’s the black kind, not the red).  When I was a child, after a big Sunday dinner, my Aunt Maria would pass around a platter a raw fennel wedges along with a bowl of tangerines and unshelled nuts.  We would chomp happily on the fennel the way my kids munch on celery today.  Fennel is an amazing digestive aid and the perfect way to end a big meal in the fall and winter when it’s in season.

fennel and green apple salad | pamela salzman

fennel and green apple salad | pamela salzman

 

 

I started playing around with fennel and green apples last winter and loved the combination for a salad.  The flavors go so nicely with poultry and fish and even better, my kids tend to eat more salad when there’s fruit in it.   I knew this had to be a part of our Thanksgiving dinner, no doubt the biggest meal of the year.  To dress it up a bit, I added greens and my favorite fall/winter salad add-in, pomegranate seeds.  While the salad was a huge hit on Thanksgiving, the green and red colors were a natural for Christmas.

Whether you are serving fish, pork, turkey or chicken this Christmas, I’m sure a salad would add some balance to your meal.   You can serve it with or without the greens, but the pomegranates are a must.  The little red seeds are like rubies or ornaments on a tree!  The walnuts were another last minute add-on, but provide some extra crunch and nutrition.

fennel and green apple salad | pamela salzman

 

Because I have a juicer, I can make pomegranate juice easily for the dressing, but fresh squeezed orange juice would be a perfectly delicious substitute.  I’m sure if you wanted to, you could add some goat cheese, but don’t overcomplicate this.  The best salads are the simplest.

fennel and green apple salad | pamela salzman

fennel and green apple salad | pamela salzman

 

 

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fennel and green apple salad recipe
Author: 
Serves: 6-8
 
Ingredients
  • Dressing:*
  • 1 small shallot, finely chopped
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 Tablespoon fresh pomegranate or orange juice
  • 2 teaspoons maple syrup
  • a few grinds of freshly ground pepper
  • 6-7 Tablespoons unrefined, cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
  • 8 ounces mixed greens or 1 head of frisee (optional), washed, dried and leaves separated
  • 1 -2 bulbs of fennel, cut in half, cored and sliced thinly
  • 1 large (or 2 small) green apple, cored and sliced thinly
  • 1 large handful of pomegranate seeds
  • 1 large handful of walnuts, chopped
Instructions
  1. Make the dressing: in a small bowl, combine the shallot, salt, lemon and pomegranate juices, maple syrup and black pepper to taste. Pour the oil into the bowl slowly, whisking constantly to emulsify. Reserve until ready to use.
  2. Place the salad greens on a serving platter and drizzle with a small amount of dressing. Toss gently to coat. Add the fennel and apple slices and drizzle with dressing. Scatter pomegranate seeds and walnuts on top.
Notes
*An alternative dressing:

1 small shallot, finely chopped

½ teaspoon sea salt

a few grinds of black pepper

1 ½ Tablespoons sherry vinegar

6 Tablespoons unrefined, cold pressed extra virgin olive oil

 

Welcome winter

Hello Winter!

Whether we want to be or not, we are part of nature.  One reason it is important to eat seasonally is to stay balanced and connected with nature.  In the same way that we clothe ourselves differently for each season, we should also eat differently during each season.

The energy in nature starts to retreat during the fall and by the time winter comes around, the energy has contracted and further decreased and moved inward.  Winter is the time for reflection, restoration and nourishing our energy reserves. Therefore the winter diet should be the most warming and typically the heaviest of all the seasons.  It is important to eat more cooked, warming foods to satisfy our body’s need for heat.  The diet is more calming, and combined with the cold air and lack of sunlight, we are encouraged to relax and hibernate, thereby restoring our energy for Spring.

If you are not sure what to eat during the winter, pay a visit to your local Farmer’s Market and see what is available.  Nature provides us with the foods that are appropriate to eat at the correct time of year.  What can you get excited about in Winter?  Winter squash (too obvious?), beef and lamb, quinoa, oats, buckwheat, root vegetables and leafy greens.   Fantastic seasonings of the winter can include cinnamon, ginger and garlic.

If you notice that watermelon is not available right now, that is a good thing.  Melons are very cooling foods and perfect to hydrate and refresh ourselves in the summer.  Overeating cooling foods like melon during the winter stresses the digestive system and thus the immune system, which are forced to work extra hard to maintain warmth in the body.   This does not mean you shouldn’t eat any cool or raw foods in the winter, but rather you should adjust your diet to include more cooked food in the winter than in the other seasons.

Check out the many great recipes on my site that will keep you warm and balanced this season!