Moroccan Eden Salad with Apples, Fennel and Arugula

Raz el Hanout and Preserved Lemon Dressing

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons high quality white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon agave syrup or unrefined sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon raz el hanout
• 2 tablespoons tablespoons preserved lemons, rinsed and chopped
• 1/2 cup apple (crisp and sweet variety such as fuji, honeycrisp, or pink lady), peeled and chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh mint
• fresh ground pepper to taste

Fennel, Arugula and Apple Salad

• 1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon agave syrup or unrefined sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 2 cups fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• 3 cups baby arugula
• 3 tablespoons fresh mint, roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 cup apples (crisp and sweet variety such as fuji, honeycrisp, or pink lady), chopped in 1/4 inch sticks
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 cup unsalted pistachios, chopped
• 1/4 cup Moroccan oil-cured olives, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
• 3/4 cups chick peas, preferably unsalted, canned or soaked and cooked until soft
• 1/2 cup aged goat cheese or mild goat milk feta, crumbled
• fresh ground pepper and salt to taste

Directions

1. Thinly slice the red onion, from stem to root. Blanch the onion crescents in boiling water for a quick minute, drain, and place into a bowl with vinegar, sugar, and cracked black pepper. Allow to sit and become a quick pickle for half an hour or more while the rest of the salad is assembled.
2. Cut preserved lemon into quarters and rinse off excess salt and brine, and remove any seeds. Assemble dressing by blending together vinegar, sugar, spice, preserved lemon, and apple until smooth. Slowly blend in oil. Pulse in mint at the very end. Add pepper to taste. The dressing should not need any salt because of the salt in the lemon.
3. Slice the fennel bulb paper thin (using a mandoline if available). Mix with arugula, roughly chopped mint, chick peas, chopped pistachios, and olives. NOTE: Because the preserved lemons and oil-cured olives are both salty, it is best to use unsalted pistachios and chickpeas, and mild feta if possible. You can always add salt at the end if needed.
4. Remove seeds from pomegranate by scoring the skin and breaking fruit open. Gently pull out seeds and add 1/2 cup to salad mix.
5. Halve and core the apples, leaving the peel on. Slice the apple from top to bottom into 1/4 inch slices. Turn slices on their side and cut into 1/4 inch sticks. Place cut apple into a bowl and toss with the juice of half a lemon to keep from browning. Add apples to salad.
6. Drain vinegar from pickled onions and add to salad. Mix together, toss with enough dressing to lightly graze everything. Add salt and pepper if necessary. Top with crumbled cheese. Serve with warm pita.
   Recipe found at:  http://food52.com/recipes/8721-moroccan-eden-salad-with-apples-fennel-and-arugula