This salad is ideal to serve in winter and makes a great change to the more usual potato or pasta salads.

Ingredients

• 2 fennel bulbs
• 3 large carrots, peeled and finely sliced
• 130 gram bag rocket leaves
• Garlic dressing
• ½ cup oil, olive is nice here
• 2 tablespoons chopped fennel tips
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• grated rind and juice of 1 lemon

Method

1. Cut the tips off the fennel bulbs and set aside to use in the dressing. Slice the fennel bulbs finely and place in a bowl with the carrot slices.
2. Pour over the dressing, toss to combine and allow to stand for 5 minutes for the flavours to begin to merge. Toss through rocket just before serving.
3. Dressing
4. Combine all ingredients in a lidded jar. Seal and shake well to mix.

Cooks Tips

- If you do not have enough fennel tips left from the whole fennel, use 1 teaspoon dried dill. Make the dressing about 15 minutes in advance of using to allow the dried dill to reconstitute and the flavour to come out.

Variations:

- Sprinkle over ½ cup of roasted pistachio nuts, almonds and cashew nuts just before serving.

- In spring, use baby carrots. Allow about 600 grams and cut the fennel bulb lengthwise into small wedges so it looks good with the whole baby carrots.

- In place of rocket leaves, use mesclun salad leaves.