Tag: Easy

Fennel and Pickled Onion Salad: Quick, Easy, and Delicious!

When we have hot weather, you can be pretty sure we'll be eating cool food. Something like this fennel and pickled onion salad is perfect. It's easy to make, refreshing, and healthy.

On the last day of a recent heatwave, Penny found a bulb of fennel in our crisper drawer. She had a jar of red onion pickled in apple cider vinegar, salt, and sugar. (This was the remainder of a red onion she used to make our favorite version of gazpacho on the first hot day.)

She cut the fennel into thin slices, added a bit of scallion for color, and drizzled the pickled onion and some of the pickling liquid onto the fennel. Then it just took a few dollops of olive oil and a few grinds of black pepper to have this salad on our table.

This batch of pickled onion developed a pretty pink hue that really looked great on the plate. We've had batches that have had a much deeper tone like the one above.

We're already thinking up items to add to this dish for some variety. Penny wished she had a tart apple like a Granny Smith today, so the next time we have it, thin slices of apple may make an appearance.

Here are a couple more of our pickled onion posts:

It's Great to Have Pickled Red Onion on Hand. My Two-Ingredient Method and Tips for Enjoying Your Treasure

A Follow-Up on Our Pickled Red Onion Post

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino

August 2, 2017
It’s Great to Have Pickled Red Onion on Hand. My Two-Ingredient Method and Tips for Enjoying Your Treasure

Pickling red onions began for me with a red onion that was too big for the recipe I was making. I looked at the half that was leftover, grabbed a mason jar to put it in the refrigerator, and remembered how many times I've tossed out half an onion after it sat for a week or more. Inspired by all my reading on fermentation and pickling, I decided to give that route a try.

I already had a knife in my hand and the onion on a cutting board. I chose to chop the onion, scoop it into a mason jar, and cover it with seasoned rice vinegar to turn that onion half into a super-quick super-easy pickle.

Most of the recipes I found online call for a pickling mixture of vinegar, sugar, and salt. Those three things are already in the seasoned rice vinegar and since it's Ed's favorite acidic component for salads, I always have it on hand.

The next day, when making tuna salad for lunch, I tossed in some of the onions, cut back on the lemon I was adding for acidity, and loved the result.

In fact, I loved the onion's zesty flavor so much that I topped my serving with an extra spoonful.

A Few Suggested Uses

It is more common to see pickled onions cut into thin slices. You can certainly do that and chop them later if you want to use them mixed into a dish the way I did. Or you can put them on a cheese and salumi tray, sprinkle them on top of tacos, add them to a condiment selection, tuck them into a sandwich, add zest to a burger or brat, or sprinkle them over the sour cream on your baked potato.

Season As You Wish

I made my pickled red onion the quickest way possible. You can add your own touch to your version. You could make a classic hot pickling brine to make a pickle that will last a bit longer. (I like the recipe in My Pantry: Homemade Ingredients That Make Simple Meals Your Own – by Alice Waters. Here's a fairly close adaptation of that recipe.) You can also add seasoning to the pickle. Consider peppercorns, garlic, herbs, or spices.

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

Do You Have a Signature Dish that You Bring to Food Gatherings?

Thanks to Friends Who Make Marmalade and Share!

November 9, 2016
It’s Great to Have Pickled Red Onion on Hand. My Two-Ingredient Method and Tips for Enjoying Your Treasure

Pickling red onions began for me with a red onion that was too big for the recipe I was making. I looked at the half that was leftover, grabbed a mason jar to put it in the refrigerator, and remembered how many times I've tossed out half an onion after it sat for a week or more. Inspired by all my reading on fermentation and pickling, I decided to give that route a try.

I already had a knife in my hand and the onion on a cutting board. I chose to chop the onion, scoop it into a mason jar, and cover it with seasoned rice vinegar to turn that onion half into a super-quick super-easy pickle.

Most of the recipes I found online call for a pickling mixture of vinegar, sugar, and salt. Those three things are already in the seasoned rice vinegar and since it's Ed's favorite acidic component for salads, I always have it on hand.

The next day, when making tuna salad for lunch, I tossed in some of the onions, cut back on the lemon I was adding for acidity, and loved the result.

In fact, I loved the onion's zesty flavor so much that I topped my serving with an extra spoonful.

A Few Suggested Uses

It is more common to see pickled onions cut into thin slices. You can certainly do that and chop them later if you want to use them mixed into a dish the way I did. Or you can put them on a cheese and salumi tray, sprinkle them on top of tacos, add them to a condiment selection, tuck them into a sandwich, add zest to a burger or brat, or sprinkle them over the sour cream on your baked potato.

Season As You Wish

I made my pickled red onion the quickest way possible. You can add your own touch to your version. You could make a classic hot pickling brine to make a pickle that will last a bit longer. (I like the recipe in My Pantry: Homemade Ingredients That Make Simple Meals Your Own – by Alice Waters. Here's a fairly close adaptation of that recipe.) You can also add seasoning to the pickle. Consider peppercorns, garlic, herbs, or spices.

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

Do You Have a Signature Dish that You Bring to Food Gatherings?

Thanks to Friends Who Make Marmalade and Share!

November 9, 2016