Video: Fennel, Orange and Radish Salad

Here is a fun video I recently shot discussing metabolism boosting recipes. The great thing about this fennel, citrus and radish salad is that you can find most of the ingredients in both winter and summer.    

If you did not want to use citrus, summer stone fruit like plum, peach or nectarine will work too, though I would choose a more tart piece of fruit to stay true to the slight tartness of the citrus.  I prefer my peaches and plums a bit tart anyway so it works out well.  The key to this salad is keeping the fennel thinly sliced.  Fennel can have a strong licorice flavor which is easily calmed when the fennel is shaved into strips rather than haphazardly chopped.  You can certainly do this with a knife, as shown in the video, however using a mandoline will certainly save you time.

Also if you are a fennel-hater, this salad is for YOU.  During the taping of the video I had 2 audience members profess their distinct dislike of fennel.  After the shoot, while in line for second helpings, they both said I had made fennel converts out of them.  The combination of sweetness from the fruit and saltiness donated by the olives mitigates any overwhelming licorice taste and leaves you simply with a crunchy, well-balanced and well-textured salad.  Voila!

This salad comes together easily and is a colorful addition to any picnic, BBQ or quick summer dinner.  It pairs well with grilled fish or meat and if you feel like staying in the vegetarian camp, serve it along side a warm bean salad, farro pilaf and roasted broccoli.  So freakin' good!

Fennel, Citrus, and Radish Salad

Serves 4

1 fennel bulb

8 radishes, trimmed

1 orange, peeled and segmented

Black olives, pitted  (Look for the imported olives at your grocery's olive bar.  No canned black olives here!)

1 lemon, halved and seeded

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

A splash of balsamic vinegar (optional)

Cut off the stems, feathery tops and any bruised outer layers of the fennel bulb. Cut the bulb in half lengthwise and then again into quarters.  Core the quarters and thinly slice the fennel and place in a large bowl.  Wash and thinly slice the radishes and place them in the bowl.

Using a small, sharp knife, cut a slice off the top and bottom of the orange to expose the flesh.  Peel the orange and place upright on a cutting board. Moving from top to bottom, slice off the white pith in strips, cutting around the contour of the orange to expose the flesh. Holding the orange over a small bowl, cut along either side of each section to free it from the membrane, letting the sections drop into the bowl. Remove and discard any seeds.

Toss the fennel, radishes, orange segments, and olives together in the large bowl. Season with salt and pepper, juice from half of the lemon and olive oil.   Add balsamic vinegar if desired.  Taste and adjust the seasonings and serve.