Fennel, Grapefruit and Feta Salad

fennel saladLast weekend we entertained our friends from New Brunswick.  It was a weekend getaway for Ralph and Michelle.  They arrived Thursday afternoon and for the next 48 hours it was full-on chatting, catching up, laughing, eating and drinking.  Because Michelle and I are both foodies and write our own food blogs, my goal was to make the first evening together memorable, fun, casual, and taking as much time as was needed to fully enjoy each dish I brought out.   Michelle took photos (you may see them on her blog) as I prepped the food…I felt like celebrity chef! 🙂

When I’m planning a menu, I have to write it down otherwise if it’s not in front of me, I’ll forget it.  In the past I found things in our fridge the next day meant for the previous evening or I prepped a dish that needed 2 minutes in the microwave…yes, I’ve forgotten that too!  Then there are other times the mood changes and the food doesn’t make an appearance.  Such was the case for this fennel salad.  We had a leisurely evening of antipasto which sometimes fills me up and then onto the main course.  Roasted carrots and parsnips were in the oven and the zucchini and steaks were on the barbie.  I took the fennel out and looked at Michelle.  We both knew this salad would put us over the top even though it would have been light and airy – our stomachs were getting full.

Serves 2 to 4
1 fennel bulb, cut in half and thinly sliced (use a mandoline)
feta cheese, crumbled
pickled beets, sliced or chopped (optional but look how pretty they are!)
1 pink grapefruit, peeled and segmented (keep juice)
fresh mint, chopped
extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

fennel mint grapefruitIn a bowl, lightly toss fennel and mint. When segmenting grapefruit, do it over the bowl and allow the juice to land on the fennel. Place grapefruit segments in the bowl and lightly toss. Add a splash of olive oil and season. This can sit for 15 minutes. When ready to serve, divide fennel and grapefruit mixture evenly between plates. Scatter feta and top with pickled beets.

pickled beetsThe Culinary Chase’s Note:  The original salad I had planned for didn’t include beets.  Michelle brought a jar of her pickled beets but it wasn’t until Ralph and Michelle left that I opened the jar.  They are delicious and I knew after one bite I had to add them in the salad.  Enjoy!

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Fennel, Grapefruit and Feta Salad
 
Prep time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Appetizer
Serves: 2 to 4
Ingredients
  • 1 fennel bulb, cut in half and thinly sliced (use a mandoline)
  • feta cheese, crumbled
  • pickled beets, sliced or chopped (optional but look how pretty they are!)
  • 1 pink grapefruit, peeled and segmented (keep juice)
  • fresh mint, chopped
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. In a bowl, lightly toss fennel and mint. When segmenting grapefruit, do it over the bowl and allow the juice to land on the fennel. Place grapefruit segments in the bowl and lightly toss. Add a splash of olive oil and season. This can sit for 15 minutes. When ready to serve, divide fennel and grapefruit mixture evenly between plates. Scatter feta and top with pickled beets.
Notes
The Culinary Chase’s Note: The original salad I had planned for didn’t include beets. Michelle brought a jar of her pickled beets but it wasn’t until Ralph and Michelle left that I opened the jar. They are delicious and I knew after one bite I had to add them in the salad. Enjoy!

 

 

2 Comments

  1. Michelle Hooton on August 21, 2014 at 14:56

    Beautiful post! Delighted my beets made the cut… xo



  2. The Culinary Chase on August 21, 2014 at 16:10

    It took mega restraint to keep from eating the whole jar of beets. 🙂