Weekend Eagle Blogging Week 1: Apple, Fennel, and Celery Salad

The story of how W.E.B. began:

A couple of weekends ago while I was making lunch, Jeff suddenly froze at the computer. In an intense whisper, he said: "Sue, there's an eagle on our windowsill." "Yeah, right," I responded, and continued slicing my fennel.

The next thing I knew, Jeff s-l-o-w-l-y slithered out of his chair and grabbed the camera. So I dropped my chef's knife and walked to the window. "OH MY GOD! There's an eagle on our windowsill!" I exclaimed. "I know, that's what I tried to tell you!" he said.

Jeff made it to our deck and started snapping pictures of this fiercely beautiful creature. We were mesmerized; it's not too often you see an eagle on your windowsill. After several minutes, he took off, and we went inside to eat our lunch, which included this apple, fennel, and celery salad. Which is when this brilliant idea hit me.

For months now, I have been holding back. Well, no more. I am frankly quite tired of the whole weekend cat blogging scene. Having never had a cat nor met a cat I particularly liked (or that liked me), I have always felt left out on Saturdays. I think I might have been a dog in a former life or something, because every time I encounter a cat, it stops in its tracks and stares me right in the eyes -- like it knows my secret or something. Even in pictures on the web, they are staring at me.

Every Saturday as I troll through my reader, I jump when a cat picture pops up. I have found myself now avoiding the whole Saturday scene. So here's my idea. For all you non-cat girls (and guys) like me who slump on the sofa on Saturdays, ostracized by the cat community, I'm starting W.E.B. (Weekend Eagle Blogging). Send me your most adorable shots of Tabby or Fluffy the eagle eating a rodent or picking road kill out its talons, and I'll post it. Oh yeah, this is gonna be big.

"What? I can has Mouseburger?"

"I likes to eats weekend catz."


"I seez raisins on that apple fennel salad."



This salad is like a farewell to winter and a hello to spring: winter's tart Granny Smith apples get a lift from the season's new crop of licorice-laced fennel and fresh dill. Topping it off with plump, chewy raisins makes it even sweeter. It's a satisfying salad of complex textures and flavors that is sure to please (even if you don't have any eagles to admire while you eat it).



Since I never feel left out of Weekend Herb Blogging, I'm sending my salad to this week's host and creator of WHB, the always kind Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen.

In addition to being an aphrodisiac, mildly licorice-flavored fennel is low in calories and nutritious. One cup of sliced fennel is only 27 calories and has a mere 6 grams of carbohydrates. Yet it provides 17% of your daily recommended allowance of vitamin C. It's currently in season and is exceptionally flavorful, so it's the perfect time to try it.

Apple, Fennel, and Celery Salad
Makes 4 servings
Print recipe only here.

Vinaigrette:
1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
1 shallot, sliced
1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons fresh Meyer lemon juice**
3-4 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh dill, chopped
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Salad:
8 cups spicy mesclun greens
1 large Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice**
1 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced
2 inner celery stalks, sliced on the diagonal, with some leaves
2 tablespoons crimson or golden raisins
2 tablespoons toasted walnuts

Optional garnishes:
fennel fronds, fresh dill, toasted nuts, such as almonds, chestnuts, pecans, or pistachios

To toast the walnuts, place in a small, dry skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, until golden brown and aromatic. Set aside.

To make the vinaigrette, place mustard seeds in a small, dry skillet over medium heat; toast for 1-2 minutes until they begin to pop; set aside. In the same skillet, sauté shallots in olive oil; whisk in remaining vinaigrette ingredients. Turn off heat.

For the salad, place apple and fennel slices in a bowl with fresh lemon juice and toss to prevent them from turning brown. Pour out lemon juice before adding to salad.

In a large bowl, add mesclun, apple and fennel slices, and celery; add vinaigrette, and toss until well coated. Divide among 4 plates. Garnish with raisins and walnuts.

**If you can't find Meyer lemons, then regular lemons are fine.

You might like these other recipes featuring fennel:

• Sicilian Fennel, Orange, and Olive Salad
• Tagliatelle with pan seared shrimp and fennel
• Sun-dried tomato and fennel risotto
• Savory sausage and fennel galette
  

**Update: OK, OK, so it's not an eagle; it's a hawk. But WHB was already taken.

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Sunday, Bloody (Orange) Sunday

It rained here for the last three weekends. As a result, the Sunday farmers' market was nearly empty. (Southern Californians don't go out in the rain.) So, it's been just a few farmers, some die-hard vegetarians, and a handful of New England transplants.

This all changed yesterday. It was the quintessential San Diego day -- a glorious 72 degrees, sunny, with a light breeze. You couldn't move at the farmers' market. People were clamoring for colorful rainbow carrots, luscious Meyer lemons, and tart pink grapefruit.

The biggest attraction was the exceptionally juicy, tangy blood oranges that beckoned market-goers with their ruby-colored flesh. One poor farmer handing out samples nearly got trampled on by a gaggle of Red Hats who were visiting. And there I was without my camera. Ugh.

So what's all the fuss about? Anthocyanin, the same chemical that makes blueberries blue and cranberries red, gives blood oranges their characteristic "bloody"color. It can range from bright ruby red to deep burgundy and has an exceptionally pleasing sweet-tart flavor unlike any other orange.

It's more than just their brilliant flesh that makes them so prized, it's their unique flavor -- like a sweet orange that has been infused with tangy tangerine and tart cherries.

Blood oranges are pricey--usually $3.00/ lb here-- but they're worth it. Their season generally runs from January-April, so now is the time to get them.



Try them in savory salads of bitter greens, zesty salsas for seafood, or even grain dishes. As for sweets, they're amazing in marmalades, delicious in baked goods, and sophisticated when paired with simple vanilla ice cream or pudding. Or you could eat 'em plain. Just don't wear a white shirt while doing so. Take my word for it.

Sicily has some of the world's must sought-after blood oranges, which was my inspiration for this peppery wild arugula salad with juicy blood oranges, tart pink grapefruit, and tangy minneolas (another citrus hybrid that is half grapefruit and half tangerine). Crispy, salty prosciutto contrasts pleasingly with the sweet-tart fruit while earthy pine nuts add complexity and texture. This is a salad that isn't easily forgettable.

Wild Arugula and Blood Orange Salad with Prosciutto
Serves 4
Print recipe only here.

Salad:
6 cups of wild arugula**
2 blood oranges, peeled and sliced cross-wise
1 pink grapefruit, peeled and sliced cross-wise
1 Minneola tangerine, peeled and sliced cross-wise
3 ounces proscuitto, torn into small strips
2 teaspoons toasted pine nuts

Orange-Fennel Vinaigrette:
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed blood orange juice or navel orange juice
1/4 teaspoon orange zest
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
salt and pepper, to taste

To toast the pine nuts, place them in a small, dry skillet over medium heat. Shake the pan handle back and forth for 1-2 minutes, or until the nuts are golden brown and aromatic. Set aside.

To make the vinaigrette, place fennel seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat. Shake the pan handle back and forth for 1-2 minutes, or until slightly toasted and aromatic. Place in a bowl, and whisk in remaining vinaigrette ingredients.

Layer prosciutto slices in a medium skillet over medium heat for 30 seconds. Flip once and cook an additional 20-30 seconds or until crispy. Set aside.

Arrange fruit slices on a plate, top with a bunch of arugula, and 1/4 of the prosciutto. Drizzle with dressing, and sprinkle with pine nuts.

**Wild arugula is a svelter version of regular arugula and has a slightly more peppery flavor; it can be found in most organic stores such as Whole Foods. Of course, regular arugula can be substituted.

You might also like:

• Mexican Citrus Salad with Orange-Lime Vinaigrette
• Watercress, Seckel Pear, and Brie Salad
• Sicilian Fennel, Orange, and Olive Salad
• Winter Jewel Fruit Salad with Honey-Citrus Glaze
• Wild Arugula Pasta
  

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