A Winter Salad

I apologize for taking so long between posts. I was incredibly busy with parties and family events over the holidays, and the beginning of the new year has been a time for catching up on paperwork, my marathon training (I’ll tell you more about that later), and projects around the house.

But now that I’ve got a snow day–if you don’t live in Seattle, you probably can’t imagine what it’s like here whenever a few flakes fall–I’m catching up with some recipes and blog posts.

Here’s a salad that I prepared for one of my December parties (you might recognize the photograph), and it is one I especially like at this time of year. The combination of crisp, sweet apples with the mild licorice flavor of the fennel and the tangy vinaigrette is refreshing after all of the heavy holiday food we had last month.

Winter Salad with Apples and Fennel
Serves 8
Allow 30 minutes total prep time
4 of your favorite apples (honeycrisp, braeburn, or fuji are all good choices)
2 fennel bulbs (fronds and dark green stalks removed)
2 endive bulbs, sliced (optional)
Pomegranate seeds as garnish (optional)

Vinaigrette:
1 orange (3 tablespoons of juice and 2 tablespoons zest)
¼ cup orange muscat or blood orange vinegar *
* Note: For Whole30 compliance, substitute champagne vinegar
3 tablespoons olive or grape eed oil
½ teaspoon mustard (I prefer Dijon or whole grain)
Salt and pepper to taste

Wash apples and fennel.

Mix together vinaigrette ingredients and set aside.

Quarter and core the apples, leaving the skin on, then thinly slice. Halve and core the fennel, then thinly slice against the grain.

Immediately after slicing, toss the apples, fennel and (optional) endive with the vinaigrette to prevent browning.

Serve either piled high on a platter or in a bowl, and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds (if you choose).