Beet & Fennel Salads

 I don't know what it is about fennel that makes it using it in my weekday menu feel a little daunting. It's unique anise flavor seems to call for a special dish, but I found, like most things, that I was over thinking it.  I realized this after attending a party where the host served it raw, cut into thin, crescent moon slices, and served with just some good olive oil, lemon juice, and salt.  In Italy, it is commonly eaten raw after meals as a digestive, as a matter of course. Now that the evenings have cooled considerably  but the days still feel like they're hanging on to the last washes of summer sunshine, I want something that is still crisp and cool, yet warming and earthy like these early root vegetables are.  

Here's a great article on how to use fennel, both raw and cooked, with a few recipes attached.  I also like idea of pairing it with beets and carrots, as this recipe does.  The local carrots right now are so crisp and sweet, and I love the interplay of flavors that the beets and fennel lend to it.   For purists, I also found a recipe for raw beet salad from Mark Bittman, which seems almost too easy.  I also like some of the suggestions in the comments section, which suggest additions like raw carrots, jicama, fresh ginger, and even a South Indian riff that uses stir fried mustard seeds, curry leaves, and shredded coconut.

Looking for other recipes using your all those vegetables in your Box?  Here's a few I found, some of which could also serve as warm ups to your Thanksgiving meal:

• Balsamic Roasted Beet Salad (I am going to try this using Chef Tim's Balsamic Vinagrette, walnuts instead of the almonds, and Apple Tree Chèvre instead of the Montrachet.  You could also substitute baby kale, lettuce or salad greens for the arugula--although arugula is one of my favorites!)
• Apple, Walnut & Bitter Lettuce Salad 
• Pickleback Slaw (great use for cabbage and leftover Epic Pickles pickle juice)
• ​Green Beans with Ginger & Garlic (would go great with Chicken Meuniere--which is basically chicken cutlets dredged in flour, sautéed in olive oil and drizzled with lemon juice and browned butter)
• Roasted Cauliflower--this is a super easy one, and you may never go back to steaming cauliflower again.  I didn't have thyme on hand--it wasn't missed with the red pepper flakes waking everything up.  I also didn't have grated parmesan, which I think would be a nice addition, too.  I didn't chop the garlic, just used small whole cloves, and I sprinkled the cauliflower with salt as I thought necessary--many of the comments noted that the suggested amount of salt was way too much.

Happy cooking!

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