SUMMER SURPRISE SALAD

Summer Surprise Salad image

Provided by Kat Williams

Time 30m

Number Of Ingredients 16

SALAD:
2 fennel bulbs
2 fennel stalks, with leaves
2 pears, pealed
2 apples, pealed
1 medium yellow sweet onion
4 oz can of sliced black olives, reserve 1 tablespoon of drained brine for dressing
2 naval oranges
DRESSING:
2 meyer lemons, zested and juiced
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp spicy brown mustard
1 pinch cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp safflower oil
salt, to taste (if needed)
pepper, freshly ground, to taste (be generous)

Steps:

1. Slice fennel bulbs, fennel stalks, pears, apples, and onion very thinly; place in medium salad bowl.
2. Drain olives, reserving 1 tablespoon of the drained brine for the dressing; add drained olive slices to salad bowl with other ingredients.
3. Slice all the pealing from the oranges; then slice the fruit into 1 inch chunks; add to salad bowl with other ingredients.
4. Dressing: Zest and then juice both lemons into small mixing bowl. Add reserved olive brine, honey, mustard, and cayenne pepper; whisk to combine. While briskly whisking this mixture, drizzle oil very slowly into the mixture, whisking until creamy. Taste, and then add salt and pepper as needed. Pour dressing over salad and toss lightly to coat. Can be served immediately, or chilled for about 30 minutes.
5. NOTES: I prefer a very light dressing on this salad, so I don't use much oil. But feel free to add a couple more tablespoons of oil to achieve a thicker consistency if you want. Be sure and taste the dressing before adding seasonings. Because of the saltiness of the olive brine, you may not need to add any more salt at all. And be very generous with the pepper to give this salad a kick. Also, any kind of olives can be used in place of the the black olives. Just don't omit them altogether. The saltiness of this tiny little ingredient is a must in this salad.