Sunday Salads- Fennel, Citrus, and Pistachio Salad

So, I think I need to stop following people from LA on Instagram. I have never thought that much about it, or California to be honest, but this time of the year every time I look at my phone it is flooded with pictures of the most beautiful citrus fruits, and the bright colours, and it takes all I’ve got not to pack up everything and move South.

As that would be a wee bit impulsive, instead I’m buying enormous amounts of the most beautiful California citrus from the organics shop down the street from me. It’s not really the same even a little bit, but it gives me my bright colour, fresh fruit fix that I need through these grey days. Seriously, have you ever tried a Cara Cara orange? It might be the best orange I’ve ever had.

This is a salad that you could make with nearly any citrus, and if you can’t find cara cara oranges where you are, don’t worry. Any one will do, but if you have the change, this is the perfect place to make it shine.

Fennel, Citrus, and Pistachio Salad

1 head Fennel

2 Oranges

1 Grapefruit

¼ cup Olive Oil

¼ cup Pistachios, toasted.

2 cups of Greens – Baby arugula, mesclum mix or a mix of sprouts work very well.

Salt

A small hand full of flat leaf parsley,

A small handful of fresh mint

Cut the tops and bottoms off the oranges and grapefruit. Cut the skin off down to the flesh, and then cut between the membranes to release slices of the citrus without any bits of white on them.  Do this over a bowl to catch all the juices.

Pour most of the juices into a cup and drink them! (so good!) leaving about ¼ cup left in the bowl.

Very thinly slice the fennel- if you have a mandolin this is a good time to use it, but you can do it by hand no problem.

Mix the fennel in with the citrus, and stir in the olive oil and a generous pinch of salt.

Lay the leaves of parsley and mint on top of each other, and roll them into a thin log.

Slice that log thinly so that you can long thin strips of the herbs.

Mix them into the salad too, and then toss in the greens.

Sprinkle the pistachios on top and serve immediately.