Author Notes
Celery? Really? Beyond its essential role stirring a Bloody Mary, serving as a dip stick on plate of crudités or adding crunch to tuna, celery is the vegetable I generally leave out of recipes.
In contrast, fennel, that licorice-flavored cousin of celery, is among my favorite staples. I’ve never thought to put the two together. Until now. So here they are in a natural pairing with accents of ginger and anise seed. In this recipe I’ve added a hint of fennel pollen, (my secret-power ingredient for summer salsas and salads) combined with the natural sweetness of meyer lemon juice and the earthy, nutty flavors of asparagus, arugula and pistachio. Results? Well, taste for yourself. —Vivian Henoch
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Ingredients
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1/3 cup
extra virgin olive oil
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1 tablespoon
fresh ginger, minced
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3 teaspoons
lemon juice
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1 teaspoon
brown sugar
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1 teaspoon
fennel pollen
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1 teaspoon
anise seeds
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3 to 4
celery stalks, thinly sliced diagonally
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1/4 cup
loosely packed celery leaves
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1
large fennel bulb
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1 tablespoon
chopped fennel fronds
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3 cups
baby arugula
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4
stalks asparagus, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
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1 teaspoon
sesame seeds
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2 tablespoons
pistachio nuts (optional)
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1
avocado, thinly sliced (optional)
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1
medium shallot, chopped fine (optional)
Directions
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Using a food processor, whisk together first 7 ingredients.
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In a saute pan, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil, add sesame seeds and asparagus. Flash-cook until asparagus turns bright green (about 1 minute).
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In a medium bowl, combine thinly sliced fennel and celery, chopped fennel fronds and celery leaves. Toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
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To assemble: spoon fennel and celery slaw over a bed of arugula. Top with asparagus and sesame seed mixture. Add pistachios. Garnish with avocado slices.
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