Wilted Kale Bacon Fennel Salad Recipe and Photos by Laura Lee Imhoff

One of my favorite parts of working for Johnson’s Backyard Garden for so many years was experimenting with recipes throughout the week to share with customers at the market. Fennel was one vegetable that folks didn’t always know what to do with. Let’s face it the bulbous base and feathery top can really stand out, not to mention the anise-flavored attributes. Fennel with the right flavor combinations such as the saltiness of the bacon and the sweet, acidity of fresh orange, can spruce up any winter table setting.

• 2 bulbs fennel, 1/4 inch thick, sliced, 1 inch or less length
• 1/2 pound applewood bacon
• 1 bunch lacinato or dinosaur kale
• 1.5 oranges cut up, 1 zest and hand-pressed juice
• 1 tablespoon Cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoons agave syrup
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Chop the ends off of the fennel, leaving the bulb and the heartier ends of the stalks.
• Remove the outer shell of the fennel bulbs and cut in half. Slice fennel into 1/4 inch thick slices
• Cut bacon into 1/2 inch pieces
• In a hot sauté pan, place bacon in the pan. Stir occasionally to break up the pieces
• Once bacon begins to brown, strain off the grease
• When bacon is looking thoroughly browned, add the fennel to the pan
• While bacon/fennel mixture is cooking, coarse chop kale and put in a large bowl
• Zest one orange, after zesting dice up 1.5 oranges. Squeeze the juice from the remaining half of the orange onto the kale
• Add vinegar and agave into the bowl. Toss and massage the liquids into the kale
• Remove the fennel and bacon from the pan
• While still warm, mix the fennel and bacon with the kale and dressing. The heat from the mixture will wilt the kale slightly
• Salt & Pepper to taste.