Baby Fennel, Cocktail Grapefruit, and Avocado Salad

Well, getting to try out some of that wonderful bounty of the SFF, CSA, or Veggie Box.

I usually am not a big fan of fennel, mainly due to the fact that it taste like black licorice and that has always been disgusting in my book.You know the scenario, you are 7 years old and you get that bag of jelly beans for Easter. Of course you eat the pretty Red, Pink, and Purple ones first. Then you settle on the Green, Yellow, and Orange, but then there they are those horrible Black Jelly Beans staring at you, ruining the otherwise beautiful rainbow!

 But I am trying to open my horizons and widen my taste buds into a much broader sense of appreciation for different types of flavors and foods.

To start with, I thinly sliced the fennel and placed it in an ice bath to make sure it crisped up. (read that somewhere on the Internet) Then I proceeded to segment the grapefruit, and peel and slice the avocado. I placed these things along with goat cheese (it wouldn't be a dish for me, without a little dairy. The creaminess of the goat cheese was a nice compliment to the fennel and the grapefruit) Added this to a bed of greens. Poured said below vinaigrette over:

Best time of the day....... TIME TO EAT:

For the vinaigrette, super easy.

1/4 cup olive oil, just shy (the rest of the way I added some truffle infused olive oil)
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/8 cup good honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (you can add a little more if you want some extra kick)
1 tsp lime juice

Combine and then whisk together.

Writing 2011, starting Ragnar Training, and Making Vinaigrette

Well yes today is the day......the official start to the new year. Back to work, writing 2011 for the first time, well I should say, backspace. backspace type in 11 a few hundred times today, but I am sure by tomorrow it will have sunk in.

Went to the gym and started training for the Ragnar. I was actually excited, even despite the fact that I didn't charge my IPOD. It did give me some good time to relax and really focus on what I was doing, let go of the issues of the day and just put one foot in front of the other. Mike did his training in the morning, so he could go watch Tron this afternoon. Reliving his childhood fantasy that the first Tron was a decent movie. I am still holding fast to my argument that it was indeed, Not. The best thing about the first Tron was it spawned a fantastic Simpsons episode years later, but that is for another post.

Dinner tonight, well that is a nice concoction that I am whipping up. I  love goat cheese, shallot vinaigrette, beets, and salmon on greens! Kind of a nice way to end the day. Also a nice healthy way to kick off the new year.

Here is my own little recipe that I whipped up tonight

Shallot Vinaigrette

1/4 cup Cider Vinegar
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/8 cup good Honey
1 large shallot diced and sauteed until just soft in 1 T olive oil
Dash of Himalayan Pink Salt (or a few cranks, however you like it :-) )
Pepper

Whisk all ingredients together until Honey is dissolved. Toss with your favorite salad, works well with seafood.