Fennel and Pea Salad with Parmesan Vinaigrette

Me: Hi Google. I have some fennel, peas and mint in the fridge I need to use up. Any ideas?

Google: Why, yes, I do. Here's a few.

Me: Scroll, scroll. Read through a couple of recipes. Voila! Perfect solution and I have all ingredients on hand.  

As a person who enjoys sitting back with a pile of cookbooks surrounding me on the couch, perusing them in a leisurely fashion, I find myself feeling just a little repentant, like I'm offending the authors of my cookbooks or I didn't work hard enough to find the perfect recipe. I know this is silly. I imagine there are many people out there who have never found a recipe in an actual book, just like they've never had to look at a map or write down directions to get to a new location. It's so convenient to find exactly what you need on the internet or use GPS to get to where you're going. The process described above took less than five minutes and the results were outstanding and EXACTLY what I was in the mood for. This same task using cookbooks would have taken an hour and I probably wouldn't have found anything that satisfied my current need. Instead I would've earmarked things that looked good for the future and who knows what I would've ended up eating for dinner. 

Several aspects of internet recipes I do not enjoy at all are the pop-ups, ads and repetitive nature in which many authors approach their recipes. I understand why they do it, but I find it a nuisance and it's one of the reasons I keep my own blog, so I can locate the recipes I like easily and distraction free. 

I still look through my cookbooks on occasion, but it's not the rainy Sunday morning activity it once was. I do appreciate a well-written and photographed one, and will continue to add to my collection.

The original recipe is from a produce store in Australia. I added cucumbers and after I finished eating it, I thought a handful of toasted pine nuts would be a good addition. 

Fennel and Pea Salad

1 small head of fennel

1/4 of a medium english cucumber (optional)

1/2 cup shelled english peas

handful fresh mint, chopped fine

handful fresh dill, chopped fine

1/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

1 tblspn olive oil

1 tblspn lemon juice

1 tblspn white wine vinegar

1tspn dijon mustard

1 large pinch of sugar

salt and pepper to taste

handful toasted pine nuts  and a sprig of mint or dill to garnish (optional)

1. Boil a small saucepan of water. Once it comes to a boil, add peas for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. 

2. Use a mandolin to shave the fennel and cucumber into a mixing bowl. Add peas, mint and dill.

3. Mix the cheese, oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard and sugar. Stir until well blended. Pour over salad. Top with salt and pepper. Blend and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.