Fennel and Turkey Dalad

When I go food shopping with my guy, I never know what will end up in the cart. This time it was a giant English cucumber, fresh dill, and two huge and beautiful hands of fennel. Today, I improvised a chopped salad featuring fennel.

I chopped the stalks and and fronds off one bulb, leaving the bulb for another purpose. I checked the fridge, freezer, and pantry for things that might be tasty with with fennel and found a few. 

Stalks and fronds of fennel, sliced thin

2 handfuls of fresh baby spinach

1 large carrot, peeled and grated

1 apple, cored and diced

Approximately 6 oz cubed roast turkey

2-3 green onions, sliced

Approximately 1/4 cup raisins

Grated parmesan

Caesar dressing to taste

It was crunchy and delicious. If I had walnuts, craisins, or croutons, they would have gone into the bowl, too. Frozen or fresh peas, or shrimp, or halved cherry tomatoes, or olives would be lovely, too.

My guy was amazed at how tasty it was. He said, "How can you make something so delicious out of nothing? And so quickly, too?" My answer was two words: "I'm Italian. "  I guess if you grow up in a big, multigenerational Italian home, with a grandmother, mother, and aunties who lived through the Great Depression, you learn a few things about not wasting food.