Marinated Fennel & Courgette Salad with Basil

Lovely fresh and zingy salad. Simple ingredients calls for the best ingredients here, try to get your hands on some organic fennel, lemons and courgette thats in season and a beautiful extra virgin olive oil.

This salad can also be used a palate cleanser in between courses.

Serves 4

I served the salad alongside some stuffed courgette flowers with ricotta.

A sharp knife or a mandolin and a vegetable peeler.

• 1 large fennel bulb
• 6 baby courgettes or 3 big ones
• juice of 2 lemons
• 50ml extra-virgin olive oil
• sea salt flakes
• basil leaves

1. Slice the fennel bulb as finely as you can with a mandolin or sharp knife, reserving fonds for some garnish, add to a glass bowl. The acid can react to a metal bowl so don’t use a metal bowl.
2. Very finely peel the courgette with a vegetable peeler, then put them in dish with the fennel.
3. Squeeze over the juice of both lemons and drizzle over 50ml extra-virgin olive oil. Season with sea salt flakes, then gently toss together and leave to marinate for 30-60 minutes.
4. To serve, transfer the veg to a serving platter, leaving any excess marinade behind, add a handful of basil leaves and the fennel fonds and drizzle with more olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, serve.