Recipe Share: Warm Fennel Salad w/ Sizzled Seeds, Shaved Apple, & Homemade Buttermilk Ranch
WSK Newsletter No. 15
hi & welcome to wsk newsletter no.15 :)
I appreciate you being here! If you’re reading this and have yet to subscribe to my newsletter, you can do that below. If you’re new here and not sure what this newsletter is about or who I am, you can check out the ‘about page’ here, my website here or my food instagram here.
Personally, I’m not a huge salad person because I tend to find them boring and underwhelming, even though I know that’s not always the case. But I promise you, this salad is neither of those things. It’s exciting, overwhelmingly aromatic and bursting with flavor. I’m adding feta and prosciutto to make it more of a substantial meal, but it can stand just as well on its own. I also think a blue or gorgonzola cheese would pair well with the flavors of this salad.
A brief note on fennel: I’ll admit that I never used fennel in a dish until last year, when I tried Alison Roman’s Salted Citrus Salad in her latest cookbook, Nothing Fancy. In that recipe, fennel isn’t the spotlight ingredient, but I loved the flavor that it brought to the salad. I used to think of fennel as one of those vegetables that seemed too intimidating to cook with, and I knew there would be the added pressure of figuring out how to use the stems and fronds when most recipes only call for the bulb. I alway feel a tinge of guilt for tossing discarded veggie scraps in the trash. I’m well aware that you can make a veggie stock out of all your leftover scraps, but I rarely make an effort to do that. It’s something I’m working on.
For those who have seen this underrated vegetable at a grocery store but never quite knew how to use it—no sweat, I drew up a quick “anatomy of a fennel” for you. Of course we’ll just be using the bulb for this recipe, but I took the liberty to scour the internet for some fennel frond recipe suggestions: try this veggie stock, this pickling recipe, or a homemade pesto.
This salad might seem like a lot of steps, but I’m going to break it down in a (hopefully) very digestible way for you. One of the many reasons I love and prefer a roasted vegetable dish is because I can prep the rest of the meal while the veggies are roasting in the oven. So, while the fennel is in the oven, the goal is to get the seeds sizzled, the ranch prepared, and any prep dishes cleaned. It’s definitely doable, and I always feel accomplished when I can get it all done before the timer dings.
Warm Fennel Salad w/ Sizzled Seeds & Shaved Apple
Yields: 2-3 servings
Ingredients for fennel, seeds & salad:
1 fennel bulb
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
4 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1/4 tsp course salt
pinch of red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp pepitas
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
2-3 tsp assorted aromatic seeds (I’m using 1 tsp caraway seed, 1 tsp fennel seed, 1 tsp celery seed. You can also use cumin seed, mustard seed or coriander seed)
1 honey crisp apple, thinly sliced (or your apple of choice)
arugula, a few handfuls per serving
Optional add-ons:
a slice or two of prosciutto, torn in pieces
crumbled feta or blue cheese
a spoonful of balsamic vin or reduction
Directions for fennel, seeds, & salad:
Step 1
Place a tinfoil lined baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 425°F. (The reason for this step is to ensure your pan heats up evenly, and you’ll achieve crispier veggies because they start to cook as soon as you place them down.) To cut the fennel: chop off the fennel stems/fronds and the dried root at the end of the bulb (as shown in the ‘anatomy of a fennel’ photo.. but here’s a video in case). In a large bowl, combine the cut fennel, chopped garlic, 3 Tbsp olive oil (save the last Tbsp for the sizzled seeds), salt, pepper, & red pepper flakes until everything is evenly coated with oil. Carefully take the hot pan out of the oven, and place the fennel on the baking sheet without overcrowding (see photo below). Bake 30 minutes, or until fennel starts to brown and crisp up.
Step 2
Make ranch dressing (see recipe below).
Step 3
Sizzled Seeds: Add remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Add all of the seeds (& a pinch of salt) until seeds start to brown and become fragrant (about 3 minutes or so). Spoon seeds into a small bowl to prevent them from continuing to cook and potentially burn in the hot pan. Set aside until the next step.
Step 4
The salad is ready for assembly once the fennel is roasted, seeds are sizzled, ranch is prepared, and apples are sliced. (I’m sharing the proportions I use for an individual sized salad, but this recipe will yield enough ingredients for 2-3 servings.) Toss 2 handfuls of the arugula, 2 tsp of sizzled seeds, 1/3 of the sliced apple, your preferred amount of meat & cheese (if using), and 2 Tbsp of ranch (or more if you’d like!), until ingredients are lightly coated with buttermilk ranch. Place the warm fennel on top, and a drizzle of balsamic reduction for an added zing.
Homemade Buttermilk Ranch
I often find that dressing recipes yield way more dressing than you actually need for the recipe, so I try to avoid doing that. But feel free to double or triple the recipe if you want a large quantity for a later date.
Yields: approx. 1/2 cup
Ingredients for buttermilk ranch:
3 Tbsp buttermilk
2 Tbsp sour cream
2 Tbsp (vegan) mayo (I’m using this brand, but feel free to use any mayo you have on hand)
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp course sea salt
dash of hot sauce (I’m using Frank’s because I like how vinegary it is)
Directions for buttermilk ranch:
Add all ingredients into a small jar & shake vigorously. This dressing can be stored in the fridge for up to a week or so.
Here’s where I share a few non-food recommendations and/or thing’s I’ve been consuming—as in reading, listening to, watching, buying, etc.
A Clothing Line:
+ Speaking of fronds, this independently owned clothing shop named Frond (by Krysta Mcdaniel) has lovely, sustainable pieces to add to your summer wardrobe. I recently bought this shirt, and couldn’t be happier with it. (Note: it looks like she’s been busier than usual, but check back in mid-April when she catches up with orders.)
A Newsletter:
+ If you like a good food newsletter, I highly recommend checking out Alicia Kennedy’s, From the Desk of Alicia Kennedy. She describes her newsletter as “a newsletter about food and its constellation of concerns, from politics and labor and hospitality and sourcing and everything else.”
And lastly:
I wanted to share a few new card sets that I recently added to my etsy shop. With wedding season coming up (or so it seems on IG), I put together a 3-piece queer-friendly wedding card set, a 'got a crush on you’ set for your partner or bff, and a few other sets as well, which can be found here.
A note to my readers…
Thanks again for being here! If you’re enjoying this newsletter and would like to support my work in a financial way, you’re welcome to donate any dollar amount via paypal, or share it with a friend! Don’t hesitate to comment below or email me with any questions, feedback or suggestions you might have.
xo.Renee
