Fennel Salad and Zucchini Stars

I got a whole lot of zucchini and fennel this week in my CSA box. I love this box, you never know what you will get.



I know this concept does not work for everyone. Some of you may like to know exactly what you are getting each week. However for me this has been fun, it brings out my creativity in the kitchen. I imagine myself being on a TV show where you have a mystery ingredient and then you are off to the races to make something new....


So here is my Going with the Flow Fennel Salad

1 Fennel Bulb, sliced thinly
1-2 Oranges, peeled and cut into cubes
1-4 Sun dried tomatoes, chopped
Lettuce
Parsley


Assemble salad by laying fresh lettuce on a plate. Layer fennel on lettuce, followed by orange chunks and sun dried tomatoes. Sprinkle parsley on the salad.

Dressing

Olive Oil
Hemp Seeds
Orange Juice
Apple Cider Vinegar
Honey
Pinch of salt

Mix well and pour over salad.

Enjoy!



The sun dried tomatoes add some extra texture and colour.




I also got about 5 LARGE zucchini's, so I sliced them up for my daughters Birthday Party of the weekend. The zucchini had these great ridges on them and formed star shapes when sliced.


Zucchini Stars

This is from one zucchini!


I used these as veggie chips and offered it with a delicious hemp dressing.



So get out there this week and find a new ingredient to use in your salad or meals. Maybe it is something that you have wanted to try but have been afraid to experiment with.

Be open to new vegetables and tastes and you might be pleasantly surprised. I would love to hear what you come up with!!
Posted by Sasha@ Blyssfulhealth
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29 comments:

  1. Tina PruittJuly 25, 2011 at 7:39 PM

    Sasha...this look fantastic! I am getting the end of a 10 day green juice fast, and a salad will be one of my first meals, so this is especially enticing! Also, I just want to say your photography is wonderful - what kind of camera do you use?
    xo,
    Tina

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  2. Laurie RosenfeldJuly 25, 2011 at 7:39 PM

    Oh my gosh! Sasha, yum!!! These pictures are fantastic. And you are so creative in the kitchen. Makes me want to experiment. I have never joined a CSA but have thought about it. I have fresh kale and asparagus in my fridge right now. Any recipies you want to share? You have inspired me to do something creative with it. :)

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  3. Laurie RosenfeldJuly 25, 2011 at 7:41 PM

    Tina ... jinx! We posted at the same moment! :)

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  4. sheilaJuly 25, 2011 at 8:02 PM

    Yummmm! These look delicious - beautiful photography, so inspiring to play in the kitchen! So be your own food critic, did it taste as good as it looks?

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  5. Sasha@ BlyssfulhealthJuly 25, 2011 at 8:11 PM

    Tina,

    Thank you. I was using a camera that I had for years. Then I found that my pictures were not looking as good as I wanted them. So I talked to a few people and upgraded to a Canon Rebel. I am still a newbie with it though :)

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  6. Sasha@ BlyssfulhealthJuly 25, 2011 at 8:14 PM

    Laurie,

    Thanks. You can make a great kale salad that is pretty easy. Or if you have a juicer you can make a kale juice with green apples and lemon. For asparagus you can make some great salads. I often make a pesto and pour that on raw asparagus and it tastes great.
    Russel James makes a great chipotle kale salad and it is on his site for free.:)

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  7. AnonymousJuly 25, 2011 at 8:45 PM

    Sasha - for some reason I am not sure if my first comment went through. I had written something very witty about my CSA box being a wonderful green blanket that covers the shelves of my fridge because I DON'T do what you do - make it a fun adventure to use what is sent to me! Thanks for the inspiration, I promise to experiment differently with my box when it arrives on Wednesday and not just contribute more to the compost heap!

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  8. Sasha@ BlyssfulhealthJuly 25, 2011 at 9:27 PM

    Sheila,

    Thanks so much for you comment. I do have a 5 year old to please.:) Yes it did taste very good. I just love using fresh ingredients they make the dish taste amazing.

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  9. Sasha@ BlyssfulhealthJuly 25, 2011 at 9:28 PM

    Hi Laura,

    I am not sure what happened to your first comment. I am having visions of you green blanket in your fridge.:) If you are stuck with what to make this week just send my a message and I will help you out with some ideas. You can never go wrong with veggie plates and green smoothies. Glad to hear you are inspired.

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  10. kpJuly 26, 2011 at 9:33 AM

    Sasha! Love LOVE these recipes! they are soooooo easy and delightFULL! can hardly wait to try them. Everyone here loves it when I do something new and unfortunately, I get caught in the unimaginative same old same old rut! So having your recipes show up for me is AWESOME!

    Love the presentation. And the photos make a world of difference for me as I am a visual/image learner.

    Thank you!!

    Kathleen Prophet

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  11. Jenny ShihJuly 26, 2011 at 11:06 AM

    That dressing looks fabulous. I'm gonna go make it right now!

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  12. Sasha@ BlyssfulhealthJuly 26, 2011 at 6:29 PM

    Kp,

    Thanks so much for your comment. I am so glad that you are finding some inspiration from the photos and ideas. Hope it leads you to some creativity in the kitchen. I totally understand getting in a rut and it can happen to the best of us. :) Look forward to hearing what you make!

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  13. Sasha@ BlyssfulhealthJuly 26, 2011 at 6:30 PM

    Hi Jenny,

    Thanks! I will have one more hemp dressing that I will be sharing that went like crazy this weekend. Enjoy.

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  14. AnonymousJuly 27, 2011 at 6:07 AM

    I have never tried fennel...I have heard it is a bit like black licorice and I have never cared for that taste...does it really have that flavor??

    I love your zucchini stars!!! How fun is that!!! My zucchini plant is growing some massive ones and I am overwhelmed with what to do with all of them!!! LOL

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  15. TanyaJuly 27, 2011 at 12:57 PM

    Thank goodness I found your delicious blog! I was just looking for a new salad dressing today and then poof! read this beautiful article. The pictures are gorgeous and I LOVE fennel! So grateful!

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  16. Sasha@ BlyssfulhealthJuly 27, 2011 at 1:37 PM

    Samantha,

    So great to hear that you have so many zucchinis growing. If you have a dehydrator you can make wraps with them. Russel James has a good recipe for wraps made out of zucchini.

    Fennel is nice is a salad. I find it quiet mild tasting. I think the orange helps mellow it out a bit. :)

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  17. Sasha@ BlyssfulhealthJuly 27, 2011 at 1:38 PM

    Welome Tanya,

    Great to hear that you found us at the right time. I have been doing a lot of new salads and dressing this month and trying to keep them really different. Enjoy!:)

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  18. jeanJuly 27, 2011 at 4:35 PM

    Sasha~This recipe looks awesome, I am dying to try it. So light and delicious looking--perfect for summer...and I love the creative idea of doing with whatever is on hand.

    :)
    Jean

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  19. Studio SukiJuly 27, 2011 at 6:08 PM

    Great! a new salad dressing recipe for me. I'll definitely try this! look yummy.

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  20. danielleJuly 27, 2011 at 7:45 PM

    as usual sasha, it sounds and looks delicious- i LOVE fennel and can't wait to try that dressing. zucchini "stars" sound so much more appealing to kids than "slices"
    ; )

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  21. ElizabethJuly 27, 2011 at 8:42 PM

    your dressing sounds amazing and oh so healthy. I am trying to eliminate vinegar from my diet so I will sub some lemon juice. Can't wait to try it.
    Peace & Raw Health,
    E

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  22. pat novakJuly 27, 2011 at 10:52 PM

    I love your creativity Sasha! I am adding more raw foods into my diet and these salads look like something I could do and enjoy. The dressing and the oranges in the salad looks so refreshing! I've never tried hemp dressing, what does it taste like?

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  23. Scott PowersJuly 27, 2011 at 11:14 PM

    Sasha, these are great pics of what you create and even for a kitchen hack like me this seemed pretty darn easy. I love how you imagine yourself on a TV show, what a fun little trick!

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  24. Sasha@ BlyssfulhealthJuly 28, 2011 at 8:14 AM

    Danielle,

    Believe it or not you are so correct. Calling them stars and having them in fun shapes made so many people at the party more interested in them. I am all about the presentation!

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  25. Sasha@ BlyssfulhealthJuly 28, 2011 at 8:15 AM

    Elizabeth,

    Thanks for you comment. Are you giving up apple cider vinegar as well? I am sure lemon juice will work just as well.

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  26. Sasha@ BlyssfulhealthJuly 28, 2011 at 8:16 AM

    Hi Pat,

    Thanks for your comment. I think you might love hemp dressing. I made one this weekend for the zucchini stars and everyone loved it. Even the non veggie lovers. You can make it taste any way that you want because it is like a base that gives you a creamy texture. I made mine a mok ranch type of dressing. Will be sharing soon...

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  27. Sasha@ BlyssfulhealthJuly 28, 2011 at 8:17 AM

    Thanks for you lovely comments Jean and Suki!

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  28. Sasha@ BlyssfulhealthJuly 28, 2011 at 8:18 AM

    Welcome Scott.

    Yes I love the food TV challenges. Gotta make if fun in the kitchen.

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  29. pharmacyOctober 27, 2011 at 1:31 PM

    The dressing and the oranges in the salad looks so refreshing!

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