Apple and Fennel Salad

The freshness and flavor of local food allow some ingredients to nearly stand on their own. And simple combinations can pack a burst of complex flavors and textures.

Cook and culinary student Lisa Hanks was inspired to create this dish while walking around colorful Old Cheney Road Farmers’ Market in Lincoln, Nebraska. The featured ingredients, apples and fennel, are in season late summer and add a bright sweetness and crunch to the dish. The ingredients can be found at farmers markets across the United States.

Apple & Fennel Salad

Ingredients

• 4–6 apples, medium diced
• 1 fennel bulb, medium diced
• 3 ounces red wine vinegar (just enough to coat apples and fennel)
• 1 sprig fresh lavender, leaves removed, finely chopped
• 1 ½ cups of English walnuts, chopped
• 8 ounces quark cheese*
• Salt and pepper to taste

*The cheese is soft, so it will coat the apples and form a binder that holds the salad together like mayo.

Directions

1. Toss apples and fennel with red wine vinegar.
2. Add remaining ingredients, and toss. Serve.