Fennel Salad with fennel Frond And Preserved Lemon Pesto
Hello!
I hope your October has been wonderful and filled with many joyful moments to remember.
Spring has fully arrived here on our farm in Western Australia, and once again everything feels alive! It is my favourite time of year, although after the quiet of winter I always seem to forget just how much work spring brings with it.
Between planning the garden, clearing weeds, sowing seeds, transplanting seedlings, and moving the trufflery and grass around the house on repeat, Troy and I have barely had time to sit. It all feels a little manic at times, yet there is such joy in watching everything come back to life. I try to remind myself to move with intention, to pause, and to take in the small, here-and-now moments before they rush by. As the years go on, I find myself more aware that there is one less spring left to live, and that makes each one feel even more precious.
This past week we finally netted our old plum and nectarine trees, only the second time since we have been at the farm. I picked the first fennel of the season, planted a bunch of seedlings into our bare looking (at the moment) garden beds and sowed some vegetable and flowers seeds into seed trays, and our old, albeit a little scrawny, lilacs are finally blooming. Two stand at the back steps, one purple and one white, leading down to our emerging fruit orchard. When the sun sits high and the breeze picks up, their scent drifts gently through the garden. The white, my favourite, is sweeter and more intense; the purple bright and joyful against the lush green that now covers the farm.
They were planted long before us by a man named Leonids Geidans. We found a letter addressed to him from Latvia, where he had immigrated from, and ever since I have wondered what his story was and what led him here. We still have his photo album from when the house was first built and a small notebook filled with his notes about fruit trees. I often leaf through it and imagine him walking these same garden paths, planning his orchard, stopping to admire the trees he planted and the things he built. He was a geologist, and at the back of the house there are still a few of his stone structures made from large agates and gemstones. They are not the prettiest things, but they are part of the story of this place, and one day we might reshape them into something new.
I have to admit, I struggled to sit at my desk this week. My mind has been a whirlwind of tasks and to-do lists, and with the festive season just around the corner, it feels as if everything is speeding up again. Still, in all that busyness, there is something grounding about pausing to write and to share a recipe that feels right for the season.
This week’s recipe is fresh, green, and full of zest. Around this time of year, the first fennel bulbs start to find their way into my kitchen, and this salad with fennel frond pesto has now become one of my favourites.
In this issue, I am also sharing a few glimpses from the farm and all the lush greenery that makes this time of year so beautiful.
Fennel Salad with fennel Frond And Preserved Lemon Pesto
The first fennel bulbs of the season are crisp and sweet, with feathery green fronds that seem far too lovely to throw away. In this refreshing spring salad, I like to use the whole plant, bulb, fronds, and all. The recipe was inspired by Tom Hunt’s fennel top pesto, a simple and clever idea that makes use of what is so often discarded.
The fronds are both nutritious and wonderfully aromatic. They are rich in antioxidants and a great source of minerals and vitamins. I blend them with local Omega Walnuts grown here in our region, a little parmesan, and a wedge of preserved lemon from the batch I made recently (the recipe is on the Members site if you would like to make your own). The result is a fragrant green pesto that tastes nutty, slightly sweet and a little bit tangy. We had a small jar left over that went into the kids’ lunchboxes with water crackers, and I spread some on a slice of bread for breakfast the next morning.
The salad itself could not be simpler: finely shaved fennel dressed with lemon, olive oil, and parmesan, then finished with a few spoonfuls of the pesto. This little number is as restorative as it is beautiful.
Serves 4
Ingredients
For Fennel Fronds Pesto
4 cups fennel fronds and few stalks
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon juice
1/4 of preserved lemon
1 tbsp tahini
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
For Salad
1 fennel bulb very thinly sliced on a mandalin
2-3 tbsp finely grated parmesan
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon juice
Good pinch of salt flakes
Freshly cracked pepper to taste
2-3 tbsp or to taste fennel frond pesto
Method
For the Fennel Frond Pesto
Pick the fennel fronds and a few tender stalks, and give them a good rinse. Shake off any excess water and roughly chop them.
Place the fronds, walnuts, parmesan, garlic, preserved lemon, tahini and salt into a food processor. Pulse until everything is finely chopped.
With the motor running, slowly pour in the olive oil, followed by the lemon juice. Stop once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl, then continue blending until almost smooth but still with a little texture.
Taste and adjust seasoning - add more olive oil or lemon juice if needed.
Spoon into a clean jar and cover with a thin layer of olive oil. It will keep well in the fridge for several days.
For the Salad
Trim the fennel bulb and slice it thinly on a mandolin (or with a sharp knife if you prefer). Place the slices in a bowl of cold water for a few minutes to crisp them, then drain well and pat dry.
Transfer the fennel to a large bowl, drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice, and season with salt and freshly cracked pepper.
Add the parmesan and toss gently to coat.
Finish with a few spoonfuls of fennel frond pesto, enough to lightly dress the salad without overpowering it.
Taste and adjust the balance to your liking. Serve straight away, or let it rest in the fridge for up to an hour so the flavours can settle and mingle beautifully.
