Fennel and Red Pepper Salad

A tasty salad that only gets better as it sits marinating in the dressing.   You could add some carrots, a little thinly sliced chile pepper or maybe some cucumber as a variation.    The salad can be made ahead of time, even a day or 2 since it keeps very well.

You could try mixing the salad with a few cups of cooked and cooled quinoa (pronounced 'kinwa').  Quinoa would provide added protein and other nutrients.  Together is would be a complete dish.  You might have to make a bit more dressing.  

You can make the quinoa ahead of time and mix it just before  you serve or mix it a let it set in the refrig for a bit.  I like have cooked quinoa in my refrig which I use to make salad, side dishes or as an alternative to oatmeal in the morning.
www.nytimes.com June 4, 2010, Martha Rose Shulman

For the salad:
1 pound trimmed fennel bulbs, quartered and cut into very thin crosswise slices
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut in thin 2-inch slices
1 to 2 tablespoons minced parsley
1 tablespoon minced chives
1 ounce shaved Parmesan

For the dressing:
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or champagne vinegar
1 small garlic clove, very finely minced or pureed
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil. Toss with the salad and serve.

Yield: Serves six.

Advance preparation: The vegetables marinate in the dressing, and they don’t get soggy, just saturated and extremely tasty. It’s a great salad for a buffet.