Fennel Citrus Salad

This week we’ve been developing recipes based around citrus. It has been more of a challenge then anticipated, as I did not want to solely depend on desserts and sweets to fill in the blanks. At the same time, I wanted to avoid obvious choices such as Duck a l’Orange or Orange Glazed Chicken. So, where to start? When recipes become a struggle or you find yourself with cook’s block (it’s real, I swear), sometimes it is best to simplify. Cut back on ingredients or decide on a raw meal. This will eliminate the pressure to constantly create something extraordinary or overly complicated. In this case we did both, ditching  ingredients and choosing a raw meal when creating a mouthwatering Fennel Citrus Salad. 

Fennel Citrus Salad is a fantastic summer side. The salad is built on crisp, crunchy lettuces and fragrant fennel. The contrasting flavors of bitter greens and sweet citrus compliment each other perfectly, especially when you throw in a handful of sharp, fatty parmesan cheese. While this salad is fantastic as is, if you feel compelled to make a full meal out of the dish, throw in about 2 cups of chopped rotisserie chicken pieces and a handful of kalamata olives. As the season changes and citrus such as blood oranges and satsumas find their way into the markets, feel free to substitute. Even consider the tart flavor of grapefruit.

However you choose to serve it, you’ll be thrilled at the ease, speed and flavor of this simple salad.

Fennel Citrus Salad (serves 2-4)

2 endive bulbs, sliced lengthwise
½ head of radicchio thinly sliced
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
2 valencia oranges, satsumas, etc peeled and segmented
2 oz parmesan cheese, sliced and crumbled
Salt and Pepper to taste
White wine vinaigrette

Combine all ingredients, toss with salt, pepper and vinaigrette to taste. Garnish with chopped fennel fronds and dig in.