Summer Greens Salad

Summer Greens Salad

This evening they had supped on oxtail soup, summer greens tossed with pecans, grapes, red fennel, and crumbled cheese, hot crab pie, spiced squash, and quails drowned in butter. Lord Janos allowed that he had never eaten half so well. —A CLASH OF KINGS

Serves 6 + Prep: 15 minutes

Pairs well with Fish Tarts (page 140),

Modern Stewed Rabbit (page 96), Apricot Tarts (page 162)

The varied flavors and textures of this salad make for a taste that is both complex and sophisticated. The sweetness of grapes and apricot counters the tang of the arugula, while the bite of the fennel gives a flavor that lingers on the tongue. The combination

of nuts, crunchy fennel, gooey jam, and firm grapes will give your palate a great deal to experience.

1 fennel bulb

4 teaspoons apricot jam

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 shallot, minced

Salt and ground black pepper

5 ounces arugula (lightly packed, stemmed, 8 cups)

1 cup seedless grapes (red or green), halved

¾ cup crumbled gorgonzola

½ cup chopped pecans (the candied version is wonderful)

Cut the fennel in half lengthwise and reserve one part for another use. Trim the stalks from the remaining half bulb, core it, and slice it very thin; set aside. Trim the fennel fronds from the stalks and set them aside; discard the stalks.

Whisk the jam, vinegar, oil, shallot, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper together in a large bowl.

Toss the fennel slices with the vinaigrette; let them stand for 15 minutes.

Add the arugula, fennel fronds, and grapes; toss, and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper.

Top with gorgonzola and pecans and serve.

(CHEESE ON THE SIDE?)