• Roasted butternut squash quesadillas from Two Blue Lemons make me wish it was still butternut squash season. I might have to substitute another vegetable so I can make this with some of the Rancho Gordo black beans that are currently in my cupboard. http://www.twobluelemons.com/2010/04/roasted-butternut-squash-quesadillas.html
• I would like to come home to Southwest Mac and Cheese With a Cornbread Crust after a long-ass bike ride – http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/04/seriously-meatless-southwest-mac-and-cheese-with-a-cornbread-crust-recipe.html
• This Provencal Calamari Salad with Tarragon and Mint from Serious Eas might actually get me to overcome my making calamari fear – http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/04/french-in-a-flash-provencal-calamari-salad-with-tarragon-and-mint-recipe.html
• Will someone please make me some fluffy ricotta pancakes from the Kitchn? http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/breakfast/recipe-fluffy-ricotta-pancakes-048085
• Quinoa crackers with seeds from Gluten Free Girl are an aspirational baking recipe I might actually make someday – http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/2010/04/qunioa-crackers-with-seeds.html
• Strawberry shortcake sliders from Simply Recipes are a dessert I will dream of until the mother lode of strawberries hits Minneapolis later this spring – http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/strawberry_shortcake_sliders/
• Mmm… brown butter. Caramelized Brown Butter Rice Crisp Treats from Shelterrific – http://www.shelterrific.com/2010/03/31/real-life-test-kitchen-caramelized-brown-butter-rice-crisp-treats/
• With all of the delicious bread Ian has been banking, I could see us winding up with some stale bread, which would be delightful in this Tortino di Cioccolato from Serious Eats – http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/03/tortino-di-cioccolato-how-to-use-stale-bread-recipe.html

Now, I still may struggle, but I’ve got a couple of go to delicious recipes, and the firm confidence that I really like fennel a lot. It’s so crunchy! And liquorice-y! But not TOO liquorice-y! So full of fiber, Vitamin C, Folate, Potassium and Manganese.

We got a bunch of fennel when we went to work at our CSA farm a few weeks ago. At our CSA, members need to work one day during the season. The day you work, you can take home the veggies left over after all of the farm share bags are filled. It is one of the great pleasures of my farm workday. This year, I scored some fennel.

This salad is easy (if you can chop and stir, you are golden), cool (minimal cooking), and highly nutritious. Hurray!

For another super delicious fennel recipe, try this Tomato, Avocado and Fennel Panzanella from Two Blue Lemons. I wish I had this in front of me right now!

Fennel, Quinoa and Carrot Salad

For salad, use approximately equal amounts. Or not. It’s your salad:

• Fennel – including stalks, sliced finely (use a mandolin or just practice your knife skills).
• Cooked Quinoa – I just get salted water boiling (double the volume of the quinoa), throw in my rinsed quinoa, and cook over low heat until the water is absorbed.
• Carrot – peel (or just scrub, if you are using yummy fresh carrots) and grate.

Just mix it together.

For dressing (this is how I make my cumin dressing, but if you have a recipe you like more, it will still be delicious):

• Juice of one orange (plus some zest if you feel the zest love), or equivalent
• Juice of one lemon (zest if desired), or equivalent
• Juice of one lime (zest if desired), or equivalent
• 2-3 tablespoons of cumin
• ~3 tablespoons olive oil, more if desired
• salt to taste

Just whisk it together. And pour it on the salad. And mix it in.

I like to garnish this salad with cashews. They add nice texture, nice flavor, and some protein. I have eaten this salad warm (from the residual heat of the quinoa) or cool, and it’s been yummy either way.