I love life’s simple pleasures: the colors of autumn, sipping a great cup of coffee, putzing about the house in my crappy old blue plaid pajama pants.
In my own life, I find that I am constantly striving for simplicity. I want to take the time to enjoy life’s simple pleasures. And to be quite honest, I’m failing miserably.
My life isn’t simple, at all.
I’m always busy.
I’ve probably said this before, but I’ve discovered that cooking can be extremely therapeutic. When I step into the kitchen, everything feels different. I fall into a certain rhythm while chopping, slicing, and stirring. I find enjoyment and fulfillment in tweaking and adjusting, tasting and perfecting.
Maybe it’s cheesy to admit, but the kitchen is where I find my sense of simplicity. Specifically, when I cook food and share it with others, somehow everything just feels right. And sometimes, this feeling translates directly into the actual food on the plate. When life feels busy and overwhelming, I’m often compelled to make food that is remarkably simple and beautiful.
This is one of those things. It isn’t fancy and it isn’t complicated.
It’s simplicity on a plate. It’s an apple and fennel salad, with a few simple ingredients mixed in.
It’s everything I’m striving for, and not quite achieving.
I’ll get there eventually.
Ingredients
- 1 ripe apple
- 3 stalks of celery
- 1 small fennel bulb (with fronds)
- 1.5 teaspoons olive oil
- 1.5 teaspoons mayo
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- salt & pepper, to taste
- Optional: Dried lovage or toasted pecans
Instructions
- Using a mandoline (or knife or food processor), thinly shave the fennel bulb and celery stalks (reserve the fennel fronds for the dressing). With a paring knife, cut the apple into thin matchsticks. (I like to slice the apple with the mandoline and then use a knife to julienne the apple into smaller pieces.) Gently toss the apple, celery, and fennel together in a bowl.
- Mince the fennel fronds until you have roughly 1 tablespoon. Stir together the olive oil, mayo, vinegar, minced fennel fronds, salt, and pepper (and lovage, if using). Taste, and adjust the portions if necessary.
- Gently toss the salad with the dressing, just to coat. Serve at room temperature. Garnish with fennel fronds and toasted pecans.This salad keeps for about a day in the fridge, but it really tastes best the day you make it. Enjoy!
http://rosemarried.co/2012/10/25/shaved-apple-fennel-and-celery-salad/
Oooh, I just got a fennel bulb and a few stalks of celery in my last CSA haul. Looks like I know what’s happening with them now…
I know the weather is turning colder, but it seems like everyone is braising everything already. It’s so nice to see an autumn-themed dish that is light and fresh! Gorgeous.
Thank you for the compliment! I think I’m just not ready to braise the heck out of everything (yet). Sometimes you just need a crisp, fresh salad — even when it’s cold and crappy out.
I completely understand how you feel. It’s amplified by having school aged children for me too. There is always so much going on, deliverables, activities I feel I’m looking at the blades of grass instead of the lawn and then raise my head to see another year has passed! I also find the same solace in the kitchen….when I have time to really cook (not just functional cooking). I have all the ingredients for this salad thanks to my CSA share and will make it today!
[…] Apples, Apples, Apples: Shaved Apple and Fennel Salad […]
ombre spoon! lurve it. And also the salad.
[…] Shaved Apple, Fennel and Celery Salad […]
[…] I had half a fennel bulb left from the spinach and fennel salad. I would have happily made that again, but thought something different might be nice, too. How about apple and fennel salad based on this recipe. […]
We enjoyed this salad as a change from usual greens.
The layout was not very printer friendly. I printed three times but could not keep margins wide enough without losing the print on the edges or reducing the font size where I could barely read it. Anyone have suggestions?
Hi Peggy, this is an older recipe and I know use a recipe app for all my recipes, that allow the recipes to be easily printed. In any case, I’ve now updated this recipe with the app so that it should be easy to print! Hope that helps.