Seattle, WA

Brick over at Nutrition Frenzy just published a great article on 4 Simple Ways to Superpower Your Salads.

Firstly, that got me to thinking about this wonderful Pear & Fennel Slaw my partner started making recently that is just out of this world. I took at look at Brick’s criteria and found that it meets them all quite nicely.

Secondly, it got me thinking about the expression, “Salad Days”, so of course I had to look up that expression. That, my friends, is the danger of the internet. You start down one path and the next thing you know, your entire day has disappeared. On the other hand, you usually end up a little more knowledgeable than you started out. At least that’s my excuse, and I’m sticking to it!

Salad Days, for those of you who are curious, refers to a youthful time in your life, often colored by inexperience, enthusiasm, idealism, innocence, or indiscretion. Ohhh, la la! The phrase was coined by none other than the greatest writer of the English language, William Shakespeare in the tragedy, Antony and Cleopatra in 1606. Cleopatra gives a speech at the end of Act One in which she expresses regret over her youthful indiscretions with Julius Caesar:

“…My salad days, / When I was green in judgment, cold in blood…”

According to Wikipedia, “The metaphor comes from Cleopatra’s use of the word ‘green’—meaning someone youthful, inexperienced, or immature. The probable allusion is to certain leafy plants (such as dandelions) that are edible when young and tender.”

Getting back to the Pear & Fennel Slaw. A friend had given me a sack full of pears from his garden. My partner knew we had fennel in the vegetable drawer so he cleverly looked up recipes that combined these two ingredients. The recipe he found turned out awesome and worked well with firm, but ripe, pears. It was spicy, tangy and just downright yummy. Give it a try:

Pear & Fennel Slaw

~Makes 2 cups

Dressing:
1/4cup white wine vinegar
1/4cup granulated sugar
1/4teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon celery seed
1/2teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4teaspoon Kosher Salt
Tiny pinch cayenne pepper

Slaw:

1 medium fennel bulb, julienned
3 small just-ripe pears, slightly firm, peeled and julienned
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Place all dressing ingredients into a saucepan. Bring dressing to a boil and continue to boil for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool thoroughly.

Gently combine fennel and pears in a medium bowl. Toss with cooled dressing, lemon juice, parsley, salt and pepper. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.

Per 1/2-cup serving: 150 Calories, 1 g Protein, 39 g Carbohydrates, 0 Total Fat, 0 Cholesterol, 160 mg Sodium, 5 g Fiber. Calories from fat: 0 percent.

I’m sure that Brick could provide us with more information on the health benefits of pears and fennel but I believe that both are rich in Vitamin C and fiber.

And now I am going to stop before I get caught up in the history of fennel. Danger, Will Robinson!

Over at Earthly Eating this month, Shelly is doing a weeks worth of salmon recipes along with a lot of great tips. Well, what could be more appropriate for Seattle than salmon? Please go check out Shelly’s recipes and here is my favorite salmon recipe from Bon Appétit:

Spicy Salmon with Black Butter

Ingredients:

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced onion
1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 salmon steaks (1 pound) each about 1 inch thick
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Preparation:
In a bowl stir together the black pepper, the paprika, the cayenne, the garlic, the onion, the thyme, the salt, and the oil until the mixture forms a stiff paste. Pat the paste onto both sides of each salmon steak. Heat an oiled ridged grill pan over moderately high heat until it is smoking and in it sauté the salmon for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until it is cooked through. While the salmon is cooking, in a small skillet cook the butter over moderate heat, swirling the skillet, until it is dark brown, but do not let it burn. Transfer the salmon to heated plates and pour the butter over it.

I like to serve this recipe over basmati or jasmine rice.

Pair it up with a good salad and a nice Pinot Noir and you have yourself a perfect meal. Lately I’ve been particularly crazy about fennel salads. The first time I made it I wasn’t too sure I was going to like it so I used a small fennel bulb. It was so good that I was very sorry I’d made that decision! Try this delicious fennel slaw from the Food Network:

Fennel Slaw:

1 lemon, juiced (about 2 tablespoons)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon lemon zest (preferably organic)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 large fennel bulbs
Black sesame seeds, for garnish

Place lemon juice in a bowl and whisk in olive oil to create an emulsion. Add honey, zest, salt and pepper and whisk until combined; set aside.

Slice fennel very thinly with a mandolin. Combine fennel and dressing and set aside until ready to serve. Re-season with salt and pepper, to taste, and sprinkle with black sesame.

recipes, salmon, spicy, black butter, fennel, slaw, dinner