Marathon Green Salad

This salad requires some other green with a strong personality, such as arugula or kale, to balance the fruity levity of the fennel. I only use black kale, aka dino kale, aka a bunch of other names. It’s so much more tender, and I also give it a squeeze as I add it to the salad, which loosens it further. The toasted pine nuts really bring it home, with their toasted nuttiness and resin-y flavor complimenting that of the fennel.

½ red onion, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon salt

¼ cup lemon juice

¼ cup white wine vinegar or white balsamic vinegar

1 cup olive oil

2 garlic cloves, shredded, minced, pressed or mashed

2 tablespoons minced mint

One fennel bulb, trimmed and sliced

4 cups other greens, like arugula, chopped black kale, parsley, spinach or lettuce

¼ cup toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds

Combine all of the ingredients except the fennel, greens and pine nuts. Taste and adjust as necessary. Massage the kale, if using, by squeezing it vigorously in your hands. Add the greens to a large bowl, and pour the contents of the other bowl over the leaves. Stir gently by lifting from the bottom. Garnish with the toasted nuts and serve.