Apple Fennel Salad

Late August, the turn coming. The quality of the light has shifted from July's direct overhead brightness to August's lower-angle gold. The mornings are different — cooler, a sharpness to them that wasn't there in July. The evenings are still warm but something has changed in the underlying temperature, a hint of what September will become.

The tomato sauce project is complete: twenty-two quarts this year, a record. The cellar shelf is full. The work is done. I cleaned the food mill and the canning equipment and put them away with the satisfaction of a thing completed on schedule.

Made a peach and corn salsa this week, from a recipe in Helen's 1987 notebook that surprised me: she was more adventurous in her early cooking than the recipe cards I've been working from suggested. The salsa — white peaches from a farm stand, corn cut off the cob, red onion, herbs — was bright and unexpected and better than anything I would have thought to make myself. I read her note in the margin: "too good to keep to myself — share." I shared it. Brought a jar to Carol, a jar to Ted Marchand, a jar to the Hendersons. Ted called to say it was the best thing he'd had all summer. I said: it's Helen's recipe. He said: that tracks.

The last family visit of the summer ended and now the summer itself is ending. Both things feel right. The seasons are allowed to end. That's how you get to the next one.

Helen’s salsa reminded me that the best recipes live in the space between seasons — not quite summer, not quite fall, but something of both. This apple fennel salad belongs to that same in-between: crisp and bright enough for the last warm evenings, but with the kind of clean, sharp flavors that point toward September. It’s the sort of thing you make a double batch of, because Helen was right — the good ones are too good to keep to yourself.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 large crisp apples (such as Honeycrisp or Fuji), cored and thinly sliced
1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly shaved, fronds reserved
1/4 cup roughly chopped walnuts, toasted
2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese or shaved Parmesan
2 cups baby arugula
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Prepare the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper until emulsified. Set aside.
Shave the fennel. Using a mandoline or sharp knife, shave the fennel bulb into paper-thin slices. Place in a bowl of ice water for 5 minutes to crisp, then drain and pat dry.
Slice the apples. Core and thinly slice the apples. Toss immediately with a squeeze of lemon juice to prevent browning.
Assemble the salad. Arrange the arugula on a serving platter. Layer the shaved fennel and apple slices over the greens. Scatter the toasted walnuts and cheese on top.
Dress and serve. Drizzle the dressing evenly over the salad. Garnish with reserved fennel fronds and a final grind of black pepper. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Apple Fennel Salad — Helen’s Spirit of Sharing, Carried Into September