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Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

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Fennel Salad

November 25, 2013 by Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

This year, we planted fennel in our garden for the first time.

The seedlings grew well, making delicate frothy tops and small bulbs – I think we planted them too closely together to get really big ones. We’ve been eating them thinly sliced on pizza and also in this simple salad.

Every fresh ingredient in this dish comes from our garden – it was a recipe that came about purely by chance, as we had friends coming for dinner and needed a last minute accompaniment. It was so tasty that we’ve made it several times since!

  • 1 small fennel
  • flat leafed parsley
  • fresh oregano
  • cherry tomatoes
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • balsamic vinegar
  • fine sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

Thinly slice the bulb of the fennel on a mandoline. Strip the leaves from the parsley and oregano, discard the stems. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half. Combine all the fresh ingredients, then dress with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Allow to sit for half an hour or so to allow the flavours to meld, then garnish with a few of the fennel fronds before serving.

. . . . .

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Posted in Recipes | 59 Comments

59 Responses

  1. on November 25, 2013 at 12:07 am Debra Kolkka

    How delicious! I love fennel and it is cheap and plentiful here. I eat it almost every day in one way or another. I will mist definitely be trying your lovely salad.


    • on November 26, 2013 at 2:51 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Debra, our local Italian delis are full of big healthy bulbs as well! But most of them without the fronds, do they leave the fronds on in Italy?


  2. on November 25, 2013 at 12:11 am Glenda

    That is one lovely colourful salad.


    • on November 26, 2013 at 2:52 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Thanks love! It was extra nice to be able to get it all from the garden!


  3. on November 25, 2013 at 12:29 am heidiannie

    This is beautiful and I LOVE fennel. I envy you being able to grow it. I have tried for years – from seed and nursery and still only have managed to get an herbal variety to grow. I love soups made from fennel and roasted fennel- but have never made a salad. Next time I see some fresh I’m going to try this salad! Thanks Celia!


    • on November 26, 2013 at 2:52 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Heidi, I’ve never roasted fennel (I don’t think slicing it onto the top of pizza counts). Or made soup from it! Thank you for the inspiration! xx


  4. on November 25, 2013 at 12:55 am thecompletebook

    I love that everything came from your garden Celia. My mom would love this!
    Have a super week ahead.
    :-) Mandy xo


    • on November 26, 2013 at 2:53 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Mandy, is your mum a gardener too? We were pretty chuffed that it all tasted so good! :) xxx


  5. on November 25, 2013 at 1:00 am Misky

    I simply love fennel. It’s an unsung hero, in my opinion. It’s gorgeous with prawns, too!


    • on November 26, 2013 at 2:53 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Prawns! Misky, thank you, I never thought of that before, but now that I have, I can see how the flavours would go! :)


  6. on November 25, 2013 at 2:22 am Judy @Savoring Today

    This would be a nice salad for the Thanksgiving table next week. I most often use fennel in my stir-fry or soups, will have to take another look at it for salads. :)


    • on November 26, 2013 at 2:54 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Judy, I’m surprised at so many people using fennel in soup, I’d never heard of that before! I’ll have to give it a go, thank you!


  7. on November 25, 2013 at 5:53 am saucygander

    I saw NQN’s post about your fennel, they look so good, I’d want to make a Sicilian pasta with fennel recipe (I think it’s poetically named pasta with the sardines in the sea…) :-D


    • on November 26, 2013 at 2:54 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Saucy, my friend Ellen came over with Italian fennel the other day – just the fronds – it was being sold at the Italian grocers specifically for the pasta dish you mentioned!


  8. on November 25, 2013 at 6:28 am hotlyspiced

    It’s a very pretty salad. I recently tried to buy fennel and was disappointed to find it was only available with the fronds all chopped off – so wasteful; the fronds are always a beautiful finishing touch xx


    • on November 26, 2013 at 2:55 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Charlie, the fronds are delicious too, but the plant is a wild thing to keep on a shelf with all its greenery intact!


  9. on November 25, 2013 at 6:38 am My Kitchen Stories

    I love fennel Celia. It’s one of my favourites. It tastes good however you prepare it and what a treat to have it in the garden. You better keep NQL away from those fluffy green tops.


    • on November 26, 2013 at 2:55 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Hahaha…she’s welcome to as much as she wants, although it’s started to go to seed now!


  10. on November 25, 2013 at 6:53 am Lizzy (Good Things)

    Fresh and delicious, Celia!


    • on November 26, 2013 at 2:55 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Thanks hon! xx


  11. on November 25, 2013 at 7:10 am Chica Andaluza

    Beautiful – love fennel! We grow it but to get big fat bulbs you have to keep banking the earth up in trenches. They still taste good if they’re not so voluptuous though :)


    • on November 26, 2013 at 2:56 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Aha, *that’s* the secret!! Thanks Chica, I never knew!


  12. on November 25, 2013 at 8:46 am Emilie@TheCleverCarrot

    What a gorgeous photo! I think your salad looks wonderfully refreshing, and I love that there’s oregano in there! And anything shaved by way of a mandolin is always a winner too. Yummy! xx


    • on November 26, 2013 at 2:59 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Em, thank you! I like shaving all things with a mandolin, but often end up shaving my fingers too, which is not so pleasant. :)


  13. on November 25, 2013 at 9:15 am artfulhomeowner

    Looks fabulous! I never really knew what else to do with Fennel aside from seasoning fish, I will definitely try this.


    • on November 26, 2013 at 2:59 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Hope you like it, thanks for stopping by! :)


  14. on November 25, 2013 at 9:43 am lambsearsandhoney

    Nice! Fresh, simple and insanely tasty – I adore fennel!


    • on November 26, 2013 at 2:59 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      The oregano and parsley make a huge difference too, A! :)


  15. on November 25, 2013 at 10:23 am Eha

    Fennel and I did not have a love affair at first sight because of its liquorice flavour ~ but the relationship blossomed so I now do miss it when not in season. Altho’ use it in a lot of stirfries, love putting it in various salads, especially with orange. Must try it with tomatoes: looks lovely!!


    • on November 26, 2013 at 3:00 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Eha, my family weren’t instant fans either, but they’ve grown to love it!


  16. on November 25, 2013 at 1:42 pm Fig & Quince

    How lucky to have your own fresh homegrown fennels. I love them and get at least one box per week (in the store I buy them they put two bulbs in a plastic box.) They are so versatile and yummy smelling. Your salad looks positively appetizing and the epitome of fresh.

    ps had never considered using them as pizza topping, must give it a try!


  17. on November 25, 2013 at 1:43 pm Fig & Quince

    ps when you use it as pizza topping, when do you add it? right away? and just as-is and raw, right?


    • on November 25, 2013 at 8:48 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Azita, we simply mandoline it over the top of the sauce and cheese and bake! :) Here’s a photo…


  18. on November 25, 2013 at 1:57 pm Tandy | Lavender and Lime

    Fennel grows wild here. Lovely salad Celia :)


    • on November 26, 2013 at 3:00 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Wow, that would be wonderful, Tandy! So many people struggle to grow it, how glorious to have it growing wild!


  19. on November 25, 2013 at 3:09 pm Claire @ Claire K Creations

    Celia how wonderful to be able to make a recipe entirely from things from your garden! One day…


    • on November 26, 2013 at 3:00 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      One day soon, love.. :) xx


  20. on November 25, 2013 at 4:01 pm Lisa the Gourmet Wog

    when you mentioned your fennel in the garden a while back, it inspired me to plant some of my very own and my babies are now coming along nicely, thanks for the inspiration! I absolutely love the flavours of fennel, its so refreshing and crisp eaten raw :)


    • on November 26, 2013 at 3:01 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Lisa, that’s great news! Ours are going to seed now, but they were wonderful while they lasted – definitely something we’d plant again!


  21. on November 25, 2013 at 8:08 pm nancy@jamjnr.com

    I love fennel! To the point that I got told (nicely) that not every salad needs fennel in it. You are so fortunate to be able to make a salad from your garden – although I know how much work goes into it.


    • on November 26, 2013 at 3:02 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Hahaha…Nancy, I get told things like that too sometimes. “I know you love this, buuuutt…” :)


  22. on November 25, 2013 at 8:24 pm Stefanie

    Hi Celia, I came across your blog not long ago after Lorraine posted about the fennel from your garden. Just wanted to say I have been reading my way through all your posts and have been thoroughly enjoying it, am loving this blog and I think the way that you live and eat is to be admired. Your garden is just wonderful, if I ever have a garden I hope it is half as good as yours. Going to make this recipe tomorrow night, I love fennel and I’m always looking for new recipes, thank you.


    • on November 26, 2013 at 3:02 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      How kind, thanks so much for stopping by! Our garden is wild and self-sown at the moment, but still productive. Just not very neat! :)


  23. on November 25, 2013 at 11:50 pm Jennifer

    WOW! That looks and sounds amazing! The color is awesome, too! Gotta LOVE eating a rainbow, eh!?


    • on November 26, 2013 at 3:03 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      It’s supposed to be healthy for us! :)


  24. on November 26, 2013 at 12:43 am Platanos, Mangoes and Me!

    Everything looks wonderful…but that is you…


    • on November 26, 2013 at 3:03 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      You’re so sweet Norma, thank you! xx


  25. on November 26, 2013 at 4:46 am Karen

    I love fresh fennel in a salad. Yours coming straight from your garden must have been delicious.


    • on November 26, 2013 at 3:03 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Karen, they were only babies, and yes, very sweet and delicious! Hope you’re still having a wonderful time on holidays! :)


  26. on November 26, 2013 at 3:05 pm corneliaweberphotography

    Ah your salad looks so delicious, fennel is also great with tomatoes and balsamico. I am a little puzzled when you say to slice it on a mandolin, I can only think of the music instrument, but slicing fennel on it………..hm????? Help me out.


    • on November 26, 2013 at 3:22 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Cornelia, a mandolin is a musical instrument, a mandoline is a cutting tool, a bit like a chip slicer.. :)

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandoline


  27. on November 27, 2013 at 5:54 am Norma Chang

    Beautiful looking dish. I do not grow fennel but get garden fresh ones from Locust Grove’s garden where I volunteer. How wonderful that everything in the dish is from your garden.


    • on December 4, 2013 at 3:05 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Thanks Norma, I know you understand how wonderful that feels! :)


  28. on November 27, 2013 at 11:06 am ChgoJohn

    My family never cooked fennel and this salad would have been something that everyone would have enjoyed. Love that your garden provided all of the salad’s ingredients. It’s satisfying in a number of ways.
    I recently saw one of “my” TV chefs mention that there are male & female fennel plants. The females have more flavor. You can tell the difference by the size of the bulb. Females are rounder than their relatively flatter males. In Spring, when we see “baby fennel” in markets, it’s normally the male plants that the farmers have thinned from the fields. Interesting stuff, huh? :)


    • on December 4, 2013 at 3:06 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      John, that is great advice about the male and female plants, I’ll take a closer look next time, thank you!


      • on December 4, 2013 at 3:13 pm ChgoJohn

        Coincidentally, the chef that said that is Mario Batali. He and Lidia Bastianich — another favorite — are opening a gigantic Italian store here. It’s 63,000 sq ft (5900 sq m) and has everything you could possibly want in and for Italian cooking, including restaurants and cooking classes. I cannot wait for the porch to be done so I can do a little shopping. :)


  29. on December 4, 2013 at 3:54 am dianeskitchentable

    You know I’ve never tried fennel like that & only had fennel seeds in Italian sausage. Didn’t much care for them since I think they used a little too much but this looks so pretty I’d give it a try. I’m going to add that to my little garden for next spring I think.


    • on December 4, 2013 at 3:06 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Diane, maybe buy a fennel first to see if you like it? I once great an entire bed of radishes, and no-one else would eat it.. :)


      • on December 4, 2013 at 10:50 pm dianeskitchentable

        Ah, sort of like my big tomato patch that my husband lovely tended only to find out that he refuses to touch fresh tomatoes. Spaghetti sauce is #1 in his book but a fresh tomato? Nah



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