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!