I’ve also got a fennel salad recipe from Christi Hansen of Hungry Heart Farm. She and Matthew Bagshaw are farmers who lease space from Mary Rigdon of Decimal Place Farm. But Christi is also a nutritionist who does lots and lots of recipe demos. She gave us this recipe for the AJC back in early winter. And there are still beets available from some local farmers. But that dressing is so good that you might just use your fennel and then cut kale in thin slivers, or add thinly sliced cucumber. It will all work. She was using Meyer lemons from a friend, but any lemon will do.
Ingredients:
3 pounds beets 1 large or 2 medium fennel bulbs, fronds removed (from 1 to 1 1/2 pounds) Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette (see recipe) Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette: Zest and juice of 1 organic Meyer lemon (about 1/3 cup juice) 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup white wine vinegar 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/4 teaspoon salt
Preparation:
Prepare the beets by trimming them leaving about an inch of stem on top. Put the beets in a large saucepan and cover with two inches of water. Bring water to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cook until beets are easily pierced. This will take 15-30 minutes depending on the size of your beets. Keep beets covered with water during the cooking. Once beets are tender, drain and rinse with cold water. Skins should slip off easily at this point. Cut the beets into halves or quarters, depending on size, then cut into 1/4-inch slices. Put in a medium bowl.
Cut off fennel fronds (the slender stems with feathery leaves) and trim the bottom. Cut the bulb in half lengthwise. Arrange flat side down on a cutting board and slice the bulb into 1/4-inch strips. If using a large bulb, you may want to cut the strips down further to about an inch long. If you have a mandolin, slice the fennel starting from the bottom side. Add fennel slices to beets. Chop the fronds and add them to the bowl. Add vinaigrette to taste. May be served immediately or refrigerated up to 3 days. Makes: 8 cups
Per cup, without vinaigrette: 62 calories (percent of calories from fat, 3), 2 grams protein, 13 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, trace fat (no saturated fat), no cholesterol, 104 milligrams sodium.
Vinaigrette:
In a jar with lid, combine Meyer lemon juice and zest, olive oil, vinegar, mustard and salt. Shake until well combined. Makes: 7/8 cup
Per tablespoon: 41 calories (percent of calories from fat, 92), trace protein, 1 gram carbohydrates, trace fiber, 4 grams fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 39 milligrams sodium.