Finocchio Salad

October 2, 2001

I had a phone call at midnight last Saturday to tell me my Kiwi Kitchen column had won the Ferndale Electronic Media Award for Information Technology at the New Zealand Guild of Food Writers Awards. I'm really chuffed about that as it's great to be recognised for doing something I enjoy - telling people about New Zealand, our ingredients, the food I like to prepare for my family in our Kiwi Kitchen. And I enjoy the feedback from readers on the Web.

I work fulltime these days and like plenty of other home cooks, I haven't got unlimited hours to spend in the kitchen on week nights. We all have different schedules. Son Ben is wanting to eat and then pursue his social life. The Spouse has difficulty disengaging from his job. I want to cook, eat and blob out in front of TV. And we all enjoy a good meal, so our food needs to be easy to prepare and to taste good.

At the weekends I have more time to experiment, do things the long way round then streamline the recipes so they'll fit into a busy working week. I enjoy sharing my recipes each week and I'm particularly grateful to my family for eagerly returning to the dining table to eat together and chat. I count myself fortunate to have three enthusiastic men to cook for. While the sons aren't always in residence these days, between university studies (James) and world tripping (Ben) we still manage to spend time around the table together. Cooking is so much more fun when there's a tasting panel!

I always enjoy visiting the fruit and vegetable markets at this time of the year. As the days lengthen and the temperatures lift in this part of the world, the new spring vegetables make their appearance.

We've been enjoying the new asparagus for the past couple of weeks. I like to snap off the woody end, shave the lower part of the stalks with a vegetable peeler, cook the asparagus briefly in a large shallow pan and serve it simply with a squeeze of lemon juice, a grind of black pepper and a sprinkling of Maldon salt. Alongside some buttered new potatoes (cooked with a generous sprig of fresh mint), a tossed green salad and a baked chicken breast, a ham steak or some pan-fried fish - what could be better?

Another of my favourite vegetables at this time of the year is finocchio or Florence fennel. It usually comes in while the citrus fruits are good and plentiful and I find the two combine well in a spring salad.

Florence fennel (F. vulgare azoricum), is an annual. The large, feathery leaves are borne on very broad, pale green, or almost whitish stalks which swell to form a sort of head or irregular ball. It has a similar texture to celery and can be used raw or cooked. It is is a native of Italy, and is very popular there. It has a pleasant aniseed flavour.

I like to buy fennel that still has plenty of the leafy growth as this is nice used like dill in fish dishes. Fennel is rich in vitamin A and contains a fair amount of calcium, phosphorus, and potassium. And it's fat-free. Fennel can be kept in the fridge for four or five days but it tends to lose its delicate flavour if stored too long. Buy a medium bulb in preference to a large one - just enough for one meal at a time. The watercress in today's salad offers a nice peppery taste and contrasts well with the flavour and crunch texture of the fennel.

Finocchio Salad

1 or 2 bulbs of Florence fennel
2 oranges, large mandarins or tangeloes
1 small red onion
Small bunch watercress
White wine vinegar
Olive oil
Salt

With a serrated knife, remove the skin from the oranges, catching any juice that drips out. Cut the oranges into quarters then slice.

Remove the foliage from the fennel and cut off the root end. Slice - but not too thinly.

Peel and slice the onion lengthwise and separate the bits. Pick over the watercress, removing any string stalks. Place the leaves in a bowl then pile in the fennel , oranges and onion.

Take some of the fennel leaves and chop them finely then place in a bowl with any saved orange juice, a tablespoon of the white wine vinegar and a couple of good sloshes of olive oil. Add a little salt and whisk. Pour over the salad just before serving.