Salads have always been my thing. When I’m asked to bring a dish to a dinner, potluck etc, I usually bring a salad (or a dessert). I’m a firm believer that salads can and should be delicious and I find this is my opportunity to prove it to others. I feel a personal sense of accomplishment when someone says “wow, this salad is amazing” because usually those words are reserved for the “bad-for-you” foods.

While out with our neighborhood moms the other day, I had a salad at Richmond’s Uliveto that I immediately knew I wanted to go home and recreate. I took liberties with my version, and made it this evening for a side to our weekly Friday pizza night. It was delicious. And came together in under 15 minutes.

Ingredients:

For the salad:
- 2 medium fennel bulbs, fronds discarded or used for something else
- 1 small apple, I used honey crisp
- some good quality parmesan
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts (+ butter and olive oil to toast)
- fresh dill
- freshly cracked pepper and flaky sea salt
- squeeze of fresh lemon
- drizzle of honey, optional

For the maple mustard vinaigrette:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt (I used diamond crystal)
- freshly ground pepper

To make the salad:

First make vinaigrette:
- in a small salad shaker or jar, add all ingredients
- shake all ingredients until well mixed

Toast the pine nuts:
- add a teaspoon of olive oil + a smidge of butter to a small frying pan over medium heat
- once butter is melted, add pine nuts and stir
- keep a close eye on pine nuts as you stir and toast for 3-4 minutes, taking off heat once you see the pine nuts start to brown, toss with a pinch of salt in a small bowl

To assemble the salad:
- cut fennel and apple into 1/2”-1” pieces and slice on a mandolin (be careful!), add to a medium bowl
- add some of the vinaigrette to the bowl and toss fennel and apple to coat
- add shavings of parmesan, pine nuts, some fresh dill, freshly cracked pepper, some sea salt and a drizzle of honey if preferred
- add more dressing, a squeeze of fresh lemon and adjust salt accordingly, you want the salad to be acidic and salty but not overwhelmingly either
- enjoy!