Blood Orange and Fennel Salad

Citrus season has taken off here in Florida. I’ve noted at least five different varieties of oranges, as well as tangerines and grapefruit while out and about. My favourite citrus fruit has got to be the blood orange – I am amazed every single time I cut one open and see its unbelievable colour.
Here is a salad to take advantage of all that abundance. Citrus, fennel, and quick marinated onions make for a refreshing, sunny dish. Lately, I’ve been very much into fennel, raw and cooked, making this fennel confit for weekday dinners.
In other news, Golubka was featured in the holiday issues of Vie and Fork magazines – what an honor!
And lastly, have you seen Sarah B.’s Ted Talk?!

 Blood Orange and Fennel Salad
(serves 4)

1/8 medium size red onion – peeled and sliced
1/2 lemon

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
juice of 1 orange

3-4 oranges – peeled and sliced
2 clementines – peeled and separated into segments
about 7-8 olives, I used green and black Cerignola
1 fennel bulb – shaved

Squeeze lemon juice over onion slices and let sit while you boil some water. Pour boiling water over the onions to cover them completely and let sit for a couple of minutes. Drain, rinse quickly and squeeze out the excess water with your fingers.
In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, honey and orange juice. Pour 1/2 of the mixture over the onions and let it marinate for 30 minutes or longer.
Peel the skins off the clementine segments. Arrange the orange slices, clementine segments, and olives on a serving plate, top with fennel shavings and marinated onions. Sprinkle the rest of the dressing over the salad. Garnish with ground pistachios.