My Other Favorite Subject

Music and food...my favorite subjects! The vegetables here are simply divine, and I have started experimenting. We eat a LOT of salad here, but we don't limit them to just lettuce. So here is a recipe I recently developed. Fennel is mostly water with vitamins and minerals, so you can eat a lot of it without guilt! And eating 5 to 7 walnuts a day reduces your risk of heart disease, increases good cholesterol and decreases the bad.

לבראות "LiVrioot"- to your health!

Yummy Fennel Salad
6-8 small servings

2 large bulbs fennel
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 tablespoons fresh zahtar (hyssop) or marjoram, or chopped parsley
3/4 cup California walnuts

(1) In a medium saucepan, heat 3 cups water to boiling. While the water heats, wash the fennel bulbs, cut off any green parts. Cut bulbs into quarters and remove the cores. Slice the fennel, and put into the boiling water for 5 minutes (no more!), then remove and drain well.

(2) While the fennel is still hot, place it in a non-reactive container, add the lemon juice and olive oil, and mix thoroughly. Add salt and pepper (don’t skimp) and the zahtar, and mix again. Can be made ahead to this point; refrigerate.

(3) Chop the walnuts very coarsely, place into a shallow skillet over medium heat, and toast, stirring very often, until nuts are crisp and golden brown. Do not leave them while toasting—they will burn very easily.

(4) Before serving, toss the toasted walnuts with the fennel, taste again and add more salt and pepper if needed. Can be served cold or at room temperature, but I always eat one serving while it is warm!