Fennel has always been something of a mystery to me. Similarly to parsnips and turnips, I’ve known of its existence, but never really been sure of how or when to use it. My trepidation probably stems from the fact that it’s not a vegetable we ate a lot when I was a child; in fact, I don’t remember having ever eaten fennel when I was a child (my mother can chime in here since I’m convinced she’s the only person who reads my blog).
Then there’s the fact that fennel doesn’t seem to be a popular vegetable in Spain either. None of the supermarkets in my neighbourhood carry it, and it was only by chance that I discovered it along with the green papaya at an Indian grocer. But knowing that fennel is a seasonal vegetable, and that season is now, I figured it would be a fine time to get acquainted with this mysterious (to me) bulb.
The fennel comes to me just at the right time as I’ve been looking for a dish with which to serve my phyllo tapenade cigars. I’m a big fan of phyllo pastry and all its wonderful uses. Not only do I use it to make great appetizers like these bruschetta phyllo cups, but it’s also great as a shortcut for samosa pastry.
These phyllo tapenade cigars are extremely easy to make and add a little bit of class to your salad. I made them pretty with some fresh herbs between the layers of phyllo, but you don’t need to do that if you can’t be bothered – it’s just for decoration.
Fennel and apple are a classic combination and this crisp and refreshing fennel and apple salad in a tangy dressing provides the perfect flavour contrast to the rich saltiness of my phyllo tapenade cigars. Although I’ve sworn off dinner parties for the near future, I can’t help but think that this would be a great starter to serve the next time (if ever) we have friends over for dinner again. Easy phyllo tapanade cigars dress up a simple winter salad of fennel and apples.
Apple and Fennel Salad with Phyllo Tapenade Cigars
Ingredients
For the phyllo tapenade cigars
For the apple fennel salad
For the dressing
Instructions
For the phyllo tapenade cigars
For the apple fennel salad
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 245Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gSodium: 279mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 4gSugar: 7gProtein: 3g
Leave a Reply