Fennel & Celery Salad w/ Lemon & Parmesan

By Pamela Walker, writer and local farm and food activist (www.GrowingGoodThingsToEat.com)

Much as I love lettuces, especially romaine, and enjoy mixed lettuce salads, I sometimes want a salad not composed of lettuce.  A couple of weeks ago, David Tanis published this fennel and celery salad in The New York Times, and I made it for a dinner party soon after. The combined flavors of celery and fennel are perfectly complemented by the lemon and olive oil dressing, and the crunchy textures are really satisfying, a nice contrast to the limpness of lettuce.  During fennel and celery season, I’m pretty sure that this will be a staple salad for me from now on.

Almost all of the ingredients are plentiful in the market these days. I love Malandro Farm’s fennel, Mr. G’s celery, radicchio from Green Tractor Farm or Ground Stone Farm, parsley from Reunity Farm, and radishes from too many farms to name.

Photo by Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

Fennel & Celery Salad w/ Lemon & Parmesan

Ingredients:

For the dressing:

  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (from 1 large lemon)
  • 1 or 2 crushed garlic cloves
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

For the salad:

  • 2 medium fennel bulbs, trimmed and finely sliced (about 2 cups)
  • 1 or 2 celery hearts, pale ribs and leaves, finely sliced (about 2 cups)
  • Radicchio or Treviso leaves, for serving (optional)
  • 1 small piece of Parmesan (about 2 ounces), for serving
  • ¼ cup roughly chopped parsley
  • Basil leaves, for serving
  • Radishes, for serving (optional)

Preparation:

  1. Put lemon juice, zest and garlic in a small bowl. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir in olive oil. Set dressing aside for at least 10 minutes.
  2. Place sliced fennel and celery in a salad bowl. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
  3. Discard garlic from the dressing, and whisk dressing. Pour over vegetables, and toss well. Taste and adjust seasoning.
  4. To serve, transfer salad to a platter, and surround with radicchio, if using. Use a vegetable peeler to shave Parmesan generously over the salad. Sprinkle with parsley and basil. Garnish with radishes, if desired.