Fennel Peach Salad

I eat plenty of great foods for my digestive system, but I am always looking for variety. One of the best ways to find variety in your food is to eat seasonally. Stick to what is fresh and you will continually find new foods.

Peaches have recently been available in plenty at the farmers' markets near Seattle, now that they are in season :) Fennel, too is in season, and the two combined perfectly in my Fennel Peach Salad.

A little bit of fennel goes a long way in flavor and the same is true of its health benefits. Fennel is a great digestive aid, so you find it in many after-dinner mouth fresheners. It is loaded with minerals and compounds that relieve both menstrual and menopausal symptoms. Fennel also helps nursing moms with lactation. You can read some more of the many unusual benefits of fennel here.

I replaced a traditional, less healthy dressing with natural fruit juices and honey, to deliciously top a summer salad that is nicely balanced in both flavor and texture.

I used:
2 ripe peaches, sliced
1 small bunch of romaine or any green you prefer, roughly chopped
half a fennel bulb, thinly sliced, and whatever feathery fennel leaves are on the stalk
1 tablespoon wildflower honey
5-6 thinly sliced radishes
a handful of toasted, salted pistachios
half a handful of black raisins
half a lemon, juiced and zested
freshly ground pepper to taste

My method:
1. Mix the lemon juice, zest, honey, and add to the sliced peaches in a small bowl and toss lightly. Let them sit. The fruit will get juicer as it sits.
2. Toss the romaine, fennel, and radish in a big salad bowl.
3. Toss in the juicey peaches, nuts, and raisins, right before you are ready to eat. Season with some pepper and serve it right away!

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[ READER COMMENTS ]

1

Melissa said:

This looks great - we are going to grill ours tonight with some other veggies from the market, maybe some zucchini and carrot and sweet onions.

Care should be taken with the use of fennel for lactation purposes, there is some evidence of neurotoxicity because of how it passes through the mother's milk.

May have to try a variant of this recipe if we have some leftover.

Posted at 07:05 PM, on July 28 2008

2

Mohini said:

Melissa, Thanks for your comment! Yes, it is always good to control portions, especially for an ingredient that is potent in flavor and properties. Hence I mentioned that little bit goes a long way :) A lot of herbs and spices are eaten in moderation as anything in excess can do just as much harm as good!

Posted at 08:08 PM, on July 28 2008

Fennel Peach Salad

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