It’s been an overall mild winter in Gourmandistan, and we’re certainly not in the same boat as those unfortunates in Boston. Lately we’ve even seen tiny signs (increased egg laying, daffodil buds inching above the soil) of spring waiting to arrive. However, we’ve also recently suffered a bit of Arctic frigidity. The Siberian blast has frozen our creek, dumped several inches of snow, and at the moment promises to chill and maroon us possibly until early March.
So while we understand that things will warm up someday, right now we’re desperate for any hint of brightness as yet another round of snow closes in. Michelle raided our supplies (we’ve been able to restock relatively unhindered so far) and came up with this lovely and vibrant salad. Its delightful combination of citrus, crisp, sweet and tart reminded us of sunlight and moderate temperatures—but really, we hope the real things hurry along soon.
FENNEL, RADISH, CITRUS AND PISTACHIO SALAD
This is not so much a recipe as an idea.
Mix together the following ingredients:
- Very thinly sliced fennel bulbs (preferably sliced with a mandolin)
- Very thinly sliced radishes (crisped up in some very cold water and then dried off with a towel)
- Supremes of various orange citrus fruits, here oranges and tangerines
Toss with:
- Juice from the remains of the orange citrus
- Some lemon juice
- A bit of olive oil
- Some good salt and pepper
Just before serving, sprinkle with:
- Some toasted pistachios
Gourmandistan 
Take me home, country road!
That’ is very summery of you. Here in southern California, where premature summer has made its appearance, I spent much of the morning driving around looking for fennel. Didn’t realize it had all been exported to KY!
Plenty of fennel here. But I couldn’t find any celery root today. If you have some, perhaps we could arrange a swap. 🙂
I like both the idea and that beautifully evocative and inviting photo! Glad I have found someone else who obviously eats salads all year round! Tho’ our very winter morning minimum of say -2C would not make it a winter at all compared to most 🙂 !!
Thanks so much, Eha! Actually, if the truth be told, I think I like winter salads better than summer ones. At least I appreciate them more. 😉
YUM! I love a salad in winter, sometimes I need the crunch & juiciness after all that roasted, stewed food. This one looks delicious. Fennel & oranges are a wonderful combination
So true! I find I crave salad more in winter than in the nicer months.
Fennel and citrus is such a great combo to fight the wintery darkness, I love the pistachios here. Have a great weekend, you two! N xx
Thanks, and hope you are having a great weekend yourself! We’re a little blue at the moment because the promised rain, which was to melt our snow, never materialized. Luckily I have more fennel and oranges in the fridge!
Nutritious enough to keep those winter ills at bay. It’s amazing what you can create in the kitchen, even when the cold is keeping you from the store! The sweet, crisp fennel, juicy oranges and crunchy, salty pistachio sound like a perfect bite to me. No radishes in our house at the moment, but maybe a tart apple or crisp celery will go well in its place. 🙂 Stay warm…!
Thanks, Shanna. And, yes, I’ve used celery and apples in fennel salads before. Both great additions.
Wow Michelle, what a gorgeous dish! Stunning photos too!
Aaaw, thanks. Well, I thank my iPhone. I think that’s where my best photos come from these days.
Yes, yes, yes.
🙂
Looks so light and refreshing! For some reason, I crave a lot of good salad in the winter. Thanks for the recipe.
Me, too! Salad seems somehow superfluous in summer. But necessary in winter.
Wow it looks cold from your place.
Very much so, Raymund. Negative temps Fahrenheit for days on end. Horrible!
Nice photo- love the light and colors!
Thanks so much! Amazing what one can do with an iPhone. I think sometimes it’s better than my DSLR.
I approve of the salad. Great cold weather ingredient mix.
I’ll be glad for the cold weather to go, but the salad can return any time.
This sounds and looks like a perfect winter salad. All ingredients that are easily found in the markets right now…that is when we can make our way through the snow to get to the markets. 😀
Thanks, Karen! And at this point, I’m missing even the crappier grocery stores…
Oh man! I missed this when I was in Mex! What a gorgeous salad! Amazing flavor combinations.Perfect for winter and oh so hopeful. I’m a sucker for mandolin work. I should start using mine for the beauty alone. I’ll start with this beautiful creation. So glad I saw this. Thank you for sharing.
The damned thing terrifies me, but at least with fennel you have a nice built-in handle!