Chopped Carrot Salad With Fennel And Orange Food

SHAVED CARROT AND FENNEL SALAD WITH HONEY VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Shave the carrots into long strips with a vegetable peeler. Place in a large bowl. Thinly slice the fennel and add to the bowl with the carrots. Chop enough fennel fronds to equal 1 tablespoon and add. Add the apricots.
• Whisk together the honey, vinegar and mustard. Add the oil in a slow, steady stream and whisk until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Let stand at least 1 hour to allow the vegetables to soften. Sprinkle with the pine nuts before serving.

SHAVED CARROT, FENNEL, AND TANGERINE SALAD

Steps:

• Use a mandoline or very sharp knife to shave the carrots lengthwise into ribbons. Cut off the stalks and fronds from the fennel bulbs if still attached. Shave the fennel lengthwise like the carrots.
• Put the carrots and fennel in a bowl and toss with the olive oil, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon vinegar. Let stand for 20 minutes to soften.
• Add the red onion. Gently mix in watercress and tangerines. Season with salt and pepper, toss well, taste, and add more vinegar if needed. Serve immediately.
• Michael's Notes: If your tangerines are small, you can leave the sections intact. If the tangerines are large, or if you want to use oranges, you should remove each citrus section from its membrane. To do so, cut a slice off both ends of each fruit so it will stand upright. Stand each fruit on a cutting surface and, using a sharp knife, remove all the peel and white pith by slicing from top to bottom all the way around the fruit, following its contours. Cut the sections away from their membranes.

ROASTED CARROT, SPELT, FENNEL & BLOOD ORANGE SALAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and cook the spelt with the stock cube following pack instructions - don't overcook it, as it should still have a little nutty bite. When the spelt is done, drain it very well and toss on a platter with 1 tbsp of the extra virgin olive oil to stop it from sticking together too much.
• Meanwhile, toss the carrots with the olive oil, blood orange zest and some seasoning in a roasting tin, then roast for 15 mins. Carefully stir through half the honey with the fennel. Continue roasting for another 10 mins, then cool for 5 mins. Cut away the pith and peel from the 2 zested oranges, then roughly chop or slice.
• Whisk together the remaining extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp honey, red wine vinegar and the blood orange juice with some seasoning. Scrape the roasted carrots and fennel plus any cooking juices on top of the spelt, along with the orange chunks, red onion, herbs and olives. Drizzle over the dressing and toss everything together well. The salad will happily hold at room temperature for a few hours, but the spelt will soak up the dressing - so if you're making it ahead, add half the dressing when assembling and stir through the rest just before you serve it. As you serve, stir through the parsley, if you like.

PEPPERY FENNEL & CARROT SALAD

Steps:

• Tip the carrots and fennel into a salad bowl. Toast the nuts in a hot frying pan for 3-5 mins until golden, then tip onto a plate. In the same pan, heat the oil and fry the mustard and nigella or black onion seeds, if using, until they begin to pop - about 30 secs. Pour in the lemon or lime juice and mix together to make a dressing. Toss together with the vegetables in the bowl, then sprinkle with nuts to serve.

FENNEL AND CARROT SLAW WITH OLIVE DRESSING

Steps:

• Chop enough fennel fronds to measure 3 tablespoons and reserve. Discard remaining fronds and stalks. Cut bulbs into thin matchsticks and toss with carrots in a bowl.
• Whisk together lemon juice, vinegar, oil, olives, Aleppo chile (if using), and salt to taste and toss with vegetables. Chill, covered, at least 30 minutes (for flavors to develop).
• Just before serving, stir in reserved fronds and sprinkle sun-dried tomatoes and parsley over slaw.
• What to drink:
• Chateau Reynella McLaren Vale Grenache '04