1 medium fennel bulb
6 cups (1.5 L) tightly packed baby arugula (we prefer spicy wild arugula)
1/3 cup (75 mL) house vinaigrette (recipe follows)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Toppings
2 ounces (55 g) Parmesan cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler
1 tablespoon (15 mL) grated lemon zest
¼ cup (60 mL) raw sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons (30 mL) buttermilk dressing

Trim the stems off the fennel bulb and peel off any blemished outer layers with your fingers. Cut the fennel bulb in half from top to bottom and cut out the core of each half. Slice the fennel crosswise as thinly as you can, or shave it with a mandoline.

In a large salad bowl, combine the fennel, arugula and house vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper and toss together.

Serve garnished with Parmesan, lemon zest, sunflower seeds and a drizzle of buttermilk dressing.

House Vinaigrette Makes 1½ cups

This is our master vinaigrette. At Bread Bar, we use it on almost all our salads, and on many in this cookbook. We use an immersion blender to emulsify all the ingredients, resulting in a very creamy texture.

3 tablespoons (45 mL) chopped red onion
²/3 cup (150 mL) olive oil
¼ cup (60 mL) canola oil
¼ cup (60 mL) unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon (15 mL) sugar
1 teaspoon (5 mL) grainy Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

In a blender, combine the onion, olive oil, canola oil, rice vinegar, sugar, mustard and salt and pepper to taste. Blend until creamy, about 1 minute.

Store in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 5 days.

Buttermilk Dressing Makes 3 cups

This creamy dressing is a perfect match with our Arugula and Fennel Salad. For variation, we sometimes add chopped jalapeño peppers or fresh dill. It would also be a good dressing on coleslaw.

1 cup (250 mL) Basic Mayonnaise or store-bought
1 cup (250 mL) sour cream
1 cup (250 mL) buttermilk
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

In a medium bowl, whisk together the Basic Mayonnaise, sour cream, and buttermilk until well blended and smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Store in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 2 weeks.