Mushroom n' Fennel Salad

A good salad is quite an art. I have been disappointed so many times eating out at cafe's that think they can throw any vegetable together with some oil and balsamic and us vegetarians will be happy.

There are three main things that need to be thought about when making a salad.

1. Texture
2. Acidity VS Sweet
3. Dressing

There must be a variety of textures... something soft, something crunchy. 

There must be a good level of acidity and a back flavour of sweet

And the dressing must bring all the flavours together harmoniously.

Quite a task indeed!!

Well here is the first salad... with a crunchy nut, a soft mushroomm; an acidic lemon and a sweet dressing and; a nutty dressing that brings is all together.

Love

River

Ingredients

• 2 Handfuls Washed baby spinach
• 1 Handful Button mushrooms
• 1 Lemon
• 1 Fennel
• 10 Raw cashews, or there abouts
• Oil for frying (i use rice bran)
• Salt and pepper

For the Dressing

• 4 Tbs Extra Virgin olive oil
• 1 Tsp Unhulled tahini
• 1 Tsp Honey
• 1 Tsp Balsamic vinegar

Method

1. Quarter the mushrooms and put in a nice salad bowl on top of spinach
2. slice half the fennel and fry until brown in a hot pan with a little oil
3. Verrrry thinly slice half the lemon, yes with the rind on, on a microplane or by hand if you're good at that kind of thing
4. Roughly chop the cashews
5. Thoroughly mix the dressing ingredients together with a little salt and pepper
6. Now put it all together! Fennel on top of mushrooms then lemon bits and cashews
7. Cover with the dressing and garnish with a few fennel sprigs and a squeeze of lemon
8. Nom nom nom nom...