Fennel Salad

I am growing fennel in the garden for the first time this year. I love the licorice tastes of this excellent plant, but am often only cooking it. So I have been after some alternative way of preparing fennel. I was surprised to find that fennel does not have to be cooked, but less surprised when it was of course Martha Stewart who taught me that. As usual, I have made some changes to her recipes to suit my needs, but for the original version, click here.

Ingredients
1 cup fresh flat leaf parsley or cilantro
1 bulb fennel, trimmed, halved, and sliced
1 sweet onion, thinly sliced into half moons
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs EVOO
salt and pepper to taste

Process

1. Place prepared fennel in a strainer over boiling water and steam until slightly softened.
   
2. Place parsley, fennel, and onion in a colander, and place into an ice bath.
   
3. Soak 10 minutes.
   
4. Drain and then drain more in a salad spinner.
   
5. Place in bowl and toss with lemon, oil, and salt and pepper.
   
6. Serve with crusty bread (even with radish butter) and enjoy.