I can’t be bothered to heat anything in the summer. With the 100+ degree temperatures, I want food that cools be down and that allows me to keep cool while I’m prepping it. This salad is a burst of flavors and was a big potluck hit last summer. I planted all the ingredients this spring and now it’s time to toss them all together. It’s still wonderful this time around and even better that everything comes from home.

Dressing

3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp maple syrup
Salt and black pepper

Ingredients
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and shaved widthways into thin slices (can replace with cabbage)
1 stick rhubarb, trimmed and cut on an angle into thin slices
4 sticks celery, trimmed and cut on an angle into thin slices
10 basil leaves, roughly torn
1/2 tsp tarragon leaves, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp dill leaves, roughly chopped
2 tsp fennel seeds, toasted

Assembly

Toss fennel, rhubarb, and celery with dressing until thoroughly mixed and coated. Then, add the herbs and loosely mix. The toasted fennel seeds are such a crunch delight that it’d be a shame to get them soggy in the sauce!