Apple, Fennel & Mozzarella salad

Ingredients 1 Apple, mozzarella, 1 fennel bulb, pork loin, bread, balsamic vinegar, cucumber

Serves: 2 preparation: 10 minutes

First things first - do not even attempt this recipe if you have chilled mozzarella. I know that I say this every time, but mozzarella needs to be at room temperature - chilled mozzarella is rubbery and flavour impaired - room temperature mozzarella is yielding, meltingly perfect and tastes wonderful. This salad works really well with layers of seared pork medallion but I went for layers of lightly toasted bread being a vegetarian and it worked beautifully. The sweetness of the apple, the fragrance of the fennel... gorgeous. This also works really well with a good sharp goats cheese.

1) Remove the core from the apple and slice finely with a mandoline. Mine allows me to slice straight into matchsticks, but if yours does not - slice the slices into matchsticks! Repeat for the fennel and the cucumber and toss together in a bowl.

2) Layer in a circle mould with the cheese and meat/bread - packing the salad down quite tightly.

3) Serve with a drizzle of balsamic glaze

apple & cucumber salsa

Ingredients White onion, cucumber, apple, fennel, radish, lime, white wine vinegar

Preparation: 15 minutes

It's no secret that I LOATHE onions. Nothing on this earth could induce me to eat them raw, or to eat something that is intentionally onion flavoured. They are a base ingredient, not a flavour in their own right as far as I'm concerned.
Salsa, to me manages to escape the curse of the onion due to the chilli and in this case, the onions take a back seat to the sweetness and freshness of the other ingredients. A great summer salsa, try it in a wrap with soured cream, melted cheese and BBQ'd chicken.

1) Finely dice the onion and pour over a tablespoon of white wine vinegar and the juice of 1 lime. Leave to rest for 10 minutes.

2) Finely dice the cucumber, apple, fennel and radish and stir into the onions.

3) I like to drain off most of the juice, but this is entirely a matter of taste.

Cucumber, fennel & feta salad

Ingredients 1/4 Cucumber, pumpkin oil, 1/2 fennel bulb, 75g feta

Serves: 1 preparation: 5 minutes

OK, I confess, I constantly pair fennel with cucumber. Oh I might add melon into the mix, or a variety of salad leaves but every time I buy a bulb of fennel I feel myself drawn to the cucumbers like a moth to a flame. There's just something about the delicate freshness of cucumber and the heady fragrant fennel that WORKS. Paired with the tang of feta and the rich nuttiness of the pumpkin oil this salad is absolutely glorious.

1) Wash the cucumber to ensure there are no traces of wax on the skin. Slice into thick discs and then quarter each disk.

2) Slice and dice the fennel, removing the outer layer if it feels tough or scarred.

3) Toss together along with the cubed feta and drizzle with pumpkin oil.

Fennel, melon & cucumber salad

Ingredients     1 melon, 1 bulb fennel, 1/4 cucumber.

Serves: 4 Preparation: 5


Melon and cucumber have the same green, grassy notes and the fennel adds a beautiful liquorice contrast. If you wished, you could dress this with a little white wine vinegar and basil oil but it's gorgeous as it is.


1) Slice the melon in half and scoop out the seeds, then slice into chunks.


2) Slice the tops from the fennel and dice.


3) Peel the cucumber and dice, then stir into the other ingredients and serve.

Fennel gratin

Ingredients     Fennel, parmigiano, cheddar, cream, garlic, parsley, butter

Serves: 2 Preparation: 30 minutes


Fennel is gorgeous, the liquorice taste which is so prevalent when it's raw, adds a fresh dimension to a rich dish so I think this is perfect to balance the parmeggian in this creamy dish.


1) Remove the first layer of the fennel and slice off the stalks, then cut the bulb into fine slices with a mandolin.


2) Crush the garlic and stir into the butter along with the parsley. Spread a thin layer onto each slice of fennel.


3) Layer the fennel into a baking dish, interspersing with a sprinkling of parmeggian. Pour over the cream and top with the cheddar and more parmeggian.


4) Bake for 20 minutes at 200 degrees and serve.

Fennel & cucumber salad

Ingredients Peashoots, Spinach leaves, salad leaves, cucumber, fennel, pumpkin seeds, basil oil, mint

Serves: 1 Preparation: 5 minutes

This salad is so fresh and simple, perfect on the side of something rich, or between courses to cleanse the palate. The fennel has a gorgeous licorice taste but is subtle enough not to overpower the other flavours.


1) Remove the first layer of the fennel and slice off the stalks, then cut the bulb into slivers.


2) Toss the salad leaves in basil oil and finely sliced mint


3) Slice the cucumber julienne and add to the salad leaves, along with the fennel and pumpkin seeds.

Fennel & goats cheese risotto

Ingredients   Fennel, risotto rice, goats cheese,  cream, leek, vegetable stock, vermouth

Serves: 4 Preparation: 30 minutes


I adore fennel - the liquorice taste which is so prevalent when it's raw, adds a fresh dimension to a rich dish so I think this is perfect to balance the goats cheese in this risotto. All risottos (no matter what the ingredients) can be made in 3 simple stages. The first is called tostatura - coating the rice in fat, the second involves cooking off some alcohol and the third involves releasing the starch from the rice one ladle of stock at a time.

1) Finely dice the leek and sautee in a little butter until soft. Add the risotto rice and stir until the rice becomes transparent, revealing a white dot in the centre and pour in a glug of vermouth.


2) Once the alcohol cooks off, add the first ladle of stock and stir through.

3) Continue adding the stock, one ladle at a time, adding the sliced fennel with the second to last ladle of stock. Crumble through the goats cheese and stir through.
4) Finish with a little cream and freshly grated black pepper and serve.