Fennel and Orange Salad

Raw fennel is crunchy like celery but has a sweet licorice flavor. This dish is Sicilian in origin and has the sweet exotic flavors that are typical of the local cooking (or so my cookbook Italian Cooking for Dummies says:).

This is a refreshing citrussy salad. You can find instructions on how to section an orange here. It important to peel the segments (and not just use the segments with the skin on) so that the orange juice from the segments can mingle with the rest of the ingredients.

Fennel and Orange Salad
1 large fennel bulb, stems discarded, bulbs halved, cored and thinly sliced
3 oranges, peeled and sectioned
2T olive oil
2t white wine or apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1T chopped parsley (optional)
8-12 leaves lettuce to serve (optional)

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients (except the lettuce) and let the mixture marinate for an hour.
Serve salad over lettuce leaves and garnish with fennel fronds.