Shaved Fennel and Citrus Salad with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette

It appears that summer is finally upon us! After months of never-ending snow and bitter cold, we have reached the season of fresh fruits and vegetables here in the Great Basin.

To celebrate the changing of the seasons and the blooming of so many plants, I’d like to present this month’s recipe: a simple, yet elegant salad that highlights high-quality, fresh ingredients.

This is a recipe I’ve made for numerous dinner parties, and I recently prepared it for someone very special during a three-course summer picnic, which was described as “incredibly extra.”

Nevertheless, this salad is guaranteed to be a showstopping hit, regardless of the occasion. By roasting beets until tender, combining them with crisp shaved fennel and bright citrus, we create varied textures in each bite — all enhanced by a simple Meyer lemon vinaigrette.

I like to serve this salad quite fancily, using a metal ring mold to create a tower of contrasting textures and colors. However, if you are short on time, you can simply segment the citrus, combine all the ingredients, and it will still taste great.

I hope you enjoy this simple summer salad as much as I do. Provecho, amigos.

Ingredients:

• 3 fennel bulbs
• 3 medium red beets
• 4 assorted citrus fruits (grapefruit, blood orange, tangerine, mandarin orange, cara cara orange, etc.)
• 2 Meyer lemons, zest and juice
• Vegetable oil or other high smoke point oil, as needed
• 4 fl. oz. high-quality extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp. maple syrup
• 1.5 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 3 tbsp. fresh dill
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• Flaky salt, to taste

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Trim greens and tips off the beets, but leave their skins on. Lightly massage each beet with a small amount of vegetable oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Wrap each beet individually in foil, place in a baking dish, and roast until tender but still holding their shape. This can take anywhere from 50 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes, depending on the size of the beets.
2. Once the beets are tender and a knife can be inserted with virtually no resistance, remove from the oven, unwrap, and allow to cool. Once cool enough to handle, remove the skins and refrigerate to chill. I like to roast the beets the night before serving this salad.
3. Remove the green tops and fronds from the fennel, leaving just the bulbs. Slice each bulb in half and shave using a mandoline slicer or a very sharp knife — aim for slices about 1/16 inch thick.
4. Make the vinaigrette. Zest and juice the lemons into a jar or large cup. Add maple syrup, Dijon mustard, kosher salt, and olive oil. Using an immersion blender, blend until an emulsion forms. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
5. Toss the fennel with the vinaigrette and set aside.
6. Peel the citrus fruits, gently removing as much pith as possible. Slice each fruit into thin, even rounds.
7. Slice the beets into rounds, similar in size to the citrus slices.
8. Finely chop the dill.
9. To plate, layer a metal ring mold with one slice of beet, two slices of citrus, some dressed fennel, and two more slices of citrus. Press down gently to form a tower. Repeat for remaining servings.
10. Remove the ring mold, and top each serving with dill, freshly cracked black pepper, and flaky salt.

Erik Jimenez splits his time between the statehouse and the stove—he’s Nevada’s Chief Policy Deputy by day and an inventive chef by night. He brings flavor to everything he does—from state finance to five-star culinary delights.