Crunchy winter salad with fennel and celery

Since reading the article by Mark Bittman in the current issue of Bon Appetit about recent changes he's made to his diet, calling it 'vegan until six,' which I love, I've been obsessing over the recipes on his web site. I was already a fan of the Minimalist column and especially love the charm of his how-to videos. But now I'm seriously hooked. The recipes truly are minimalist and the fresh flavor and crunch of this salad will perk you up plenty on a cold winter's day. 

Fennel and Celery Salad

Adapted from Mark Bittman

1 medium fennel bulb
2 celery ribs, trimmed and peeled
1 Tb extra virgin olive oil
2 Tb fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, more to taste
Freshly shaved Parmesan cheese

 

Trim fronds and end from fennel bulb and cut into quarters lengthwise, discarding outer layer if exceedingly tough. Slice fennel and celery as thinly as possible (a mandoline would be nice, though by no means necessary).
 

Whisk together olive oil and lemon juice in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.  Combine fennel and celery in a large bowl and toss gently with dressing. Season with salt and pepper and top with plenty of Parmesan, freshly shaved with a vegetable peeler. 

 

But wait — don't throw away those fronds! Reluctant to just toss the beautifully frilly fronds (fennel's not cheap, friends!), I did a quick search online and found plenty of people turning them into pesto — aha! Why not? I turn pretty much every other leftover herby green into pesto, so why not fennel fronds? The fronds have a more delicate flavor than the bulb, so  while I am a garlic freak, I would tread slowly with the garlic in this pesto — it can quickly overwhelm the lovely anise flavor. I added the peas for an extra bit of creaminess and veg,  but that is completely optional. So here's how it goes…

 

Fennel Frond Pesto

Makes about 1 cup.

1 cup fennel fronds (from 1 medium bulb), chopped

1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons pine nuts, pistachios or slivered almonds
1/2 tsp Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup frozen peas, defrosted slightly (optional)
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Combine fronds, garlic, nuts, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a generous grind of pepper in a food processor or blender and process until finely chopped. Add peas (if using), olive oil and cheese and continue to process until smooth. Season with more salt to taste.

Hearty dinner salad

We eat a lot of salads around here — they're quick and easy, and there's usually something in the house to throw in there. To celebrate the change in weather, I decided to mix it up a bit and go for a fall-inspired salad. I combined a couple of different recipes to get this tasty treat:

Hearty Potato, Chicken and Beet Salad

For dressing
• 2 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1 Tb plus 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp sugar
• 6 Tb olive oil
• 2-3 Tb minced dill
• 1 1/2 tsp caraway seeds crushed in mortar & pestle

For salad
• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 3-4 cups chicken broth
• 3 medium beets, stems trimmed to 2 inches
• 1 lb. small red potatoes
• 1 tsp olive oil
• Dash of salt

• 4 oz. baby spinach
• 1/2 medium cucumber, peeled, quartered and sliced
• 1 scallion, sliced

Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 425°F.
Wrap beets individually in foil and roast on a baking sheet in upper third of oven until tender, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Once beets have roasted for 30 minutes, toss potatoes with oil and salt in a small baking pan and roast in lower third of oven, shaking pan occasionally, until potatoes are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Carefully unwrap beets and cool slightly, then slip off and discard skins.

Meanwhile, bring chicken broth to boil in medium saucepan. Add chicken breast, reduce heat and simmer until chicken cooked through, 18-20 minutes. Remove and let cool. Shred with two forks.

Make the dressing:
Mix together white wine vinegar, dijon mustard and sugar. Whisk in olive oil in steady stream and then add dill and caraway seeds.

Assemble salad:
Cut beets into 1/3-inch dice and put in a large salad bowl. Cut potatoes into 1/3-inch-thick slices and add to beets along with chicken. Add enough vinaigrette to coat evenly. In a separate bowl, combine the spinach, cucumber and scallions and toss with remaining vinaigrette. Serve greens topped with potato, chicken and beet combo.