The best salad ever:

Okay- 'the best salad ever' might be a bit of an over statement. After all, I've still got an awful lot of salad to try before my tasty time on this earth is dine, errr done.
In the meantime, let's go for 'the best salad yet' for this finocchio treat (and yes I do know that finocchio is also slang for poof in Italian- so I have a number of friends who LOVE this salad for just the reason! Yay for Mardi Gras!).
And I'll freely admit that I am in love with it, for it's cute name and flavour.
Happily, so is Patience, so there's a lot of salad on the menu right now. Which is great considering I have 9 months to get ship-shape for my wedding dress and a whole lot of good eating to do between now and then- and I don't plan on stinting in the food department, maybe just modifying is all. Damned be diets! So finding an adorable salad option that makes a meal all on its own is just a win-win-win for me!

Ingredients:

• 2 medium fennel bulbs- finely shredded
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 2 tablespoons walnuts- smashed
• 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 2 tsp pomegranate molasses
• good squeeze lemon juice (we use half a lemon)
• drizzle of olive oil (best quality really makes all the difference)
• grind of fresh cracked black pepper
• Tablespoon fresh mint- shredded
• dash of white wine vinegar

Method:
In a mortar and pestle smash the coriander seeds, walnuts and salt- then lightly toast in a hot frypan. When the fragrances are released, take it off the heat- you don't want this to burn. Put to one side.
In a large salad bowl toss shredded fennel, lemon juice, olive oil, pepper, mint and red-wine vinegar to coat and combine. Toss through the toasted nut mix and last or all add the pomegranate molasses. Toss through and serve in a big white bowl as a light and satisfying dinner for two.
Serve with a chilled white or rose and then quietly drift away to heaven on a crunchy fenocchio salad dream.

Note: this salad was inspired by a recipe from the Elizabeth Bard novel with recipes Lunch in Paris- a perfect read for any lover, foodie, or lover in love with food... let us all eat fresh from the market and surrounded by love. Even in our darkest days.
* We sometime add some fennel seeds to the nut/seed mix too.