lemony fennel salad

fennel is one of my favourite vegetables at this time of year, as the seasons change. eaten raw in a salad or only lightly cooked, it is a reminder of summer days just gone. cooked slowly until it softens and sweetens, it is a gentle introduction to winter’s softer-flavoured warming dishes.

this week we had a lemony fennel salad to accompany crab linguine.

fennel salad with lemon (serves 4, as a side dish)

2 bulbs fennel

juice and zest of 1 lemon

3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

small handful of fresh basil

trim the tops of the fennel and shave off any rough edges around the bulb. thinly slice the fennel vertically (mine tend to be about 2-3mm thick) and cut out the core near the root (this will be triangular in shape and is more noticeable on the slices cut near the centre of the bulb).

mix the olive oil, lemon juice and zest and pour over the fennel. mix well and leave to marinade for at least 15 minutes. before serving, sprinkle with torn basil.