Cathy Katin-Grazzini
Cathy's Kitchen Prescription LLC
www.cathyskitchenprescription.com
 
Apple Fennel Summer Salad
Prep time ½ hour Serves 3-4
 
Snow Hill Farm, in beautiful North Salem NY provided the organic veggies that inspired this refreshing, nourishing raw summer salad, a medley of mid-August farm veggies, crisp Fuji apple, green Lebanese olives in a light oil-free dressing of lime juice & apricot paste. Dusted with a sprinkling of finely chopped pistacchio – heaven! This salad is loaded with vitamin C, fiber, many minerals, low in sodium & fat.
 
Ingredients
½ cup dried unsulphured apricots
1 medium-large fennel bulb with a few fronds, slivered
2 small yellow & 2 small orange carrots, slivered
3-4 French radishes, slivered
1 medium organic Fuji apple, sliced
¼ cup green Lebanese olive or similar
1 organic lime, zested & juiced
2 tbs shelled unsalted pistacchios, finely chopped
¼ cup purple-podded sweet peas, shelled
1 scallion, slivered on is bias
 
Directions
Make apricot paste by covering the dried fruit with boiling water or microwaving 1 minute. Allow to cool. Blend apricots & soaking water in a food processor & blend until quite smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add 1-2 tsp of water if needed to achieve smooth consistency like soft jam. Zest & juice an organic lime. Set aside.
 
Using a mandolin on a fine setting, slice the fennel, radishes & carrots into tender slivers. Core & slice the apple & toss with the lime juice to prevent oxidation.
 
Attractively plate all elements to showcase each one's color & texture, distributing the peas & olives on top.
 
To make the dressing, drain the apples from the lime juice & whisk it with sufficient apricot paste to suit your taste. Drizzle over the produce.
 
Garnish with a few fennel fronds, the lime zest & pistacchio. And DIG IN!