S I M P L E + F R E S H
"Had salad for dinner! Mostly croutons and tomatoes. Really just one big round crouton covered in tomato. And cheese. Ok, so I had a pizza."
I must say that when it comes to salads, I generally end up defeating the point of trying to eat more healthily by loading on carbs and dousing it in dressing - so much so that it's really more of an ordinary meal with a few pieces of lettuce..
I've never really seen the appeal of a load of raw veg and little else - that, a meal does not make for me. And I'm not even saying that today's recipe would suffice as a standalone dinner for me, because frankly, it's unlikely. It is, however, a bowl that I would eat on it's own, perhaps for lunch, as the star of the occasion rather than being outed as the side dish (although this would undoubtedly make a fabulous accompaniment for some fish or chicken).
Even though simple, it's far from boring.
There's the perfect balance of sweet, sharp and bitter, and there are so few ingredients, you get to taste each one individually, down to the rich, pepperiness of a good olive oil - I love it when the pea pods fill up with dressing. Sliced fennel brings crunch and a hit of aniseed, whilst the pith and rind of lemon perfectly counteracts the peas that I've just picked from the garden. Slicing the lemons really thinly turns them into an edible ingredient in their own right - they're not chewy or tough at all.
I'm sure I could carry on waxing lyrical about it anyway, so let's get on with the recipe ;)
For two, you'll need:
A bulb of fennel, sliced thinly
A lemon, sliced even more thinly!
Another half a lemon for it's juice
2 handfuls of fresh peas
30g feta cheese
A few springs of parsley
Good extra virgin olive oil
Salt + pepper
Method //
01. Thinly slice a bulb of fennel and a lemon, either with a sharp knife or mandolin.
02. Split the pea pods down the middle by giving them a little squeeze and running your thumb nail down the centre line.
03. Layer up the lemon slices and veg into bowls and garnish with crumbled feta and some parsley leaves.
04. For the dressing, squeeze equal parts lemon juice and olive oil into a jam jar. Add salt and pepper and give it a good shake. Drizzle over the salad just before serving.
Freshness in a bowl, don't you think?
The ingredients really compliment each other and best of all, there's no cooking involved so it really couldn't be easier to whip together in a hurry - a lazy girl's dream.
I could certainly do with more inspiration so do let me know, what are your favourite salads?
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