Robin Ellis

The lettuce in Castres market this morning were small and expensive, but I found two good-looking fennel bulbs to act as a salad base for lunch.

Having removed the tough outer layers and the tops of the bulbs, I halved them and laid the cut sides down flat, sliced them finely and put them in a bowl.

I added a finely-sliced stick of  celery, half a small red onion, finely sliced (of course it’s a matter of taste how finely or otherwise you like your raw vegetables sliced!),

and the chopped flesh of a ripe avocado. Over this, I sprinkled a generous tablespoon of dry roasted  sunflower seeds.

(If I’d had radishes, they’d have gone in for taste and colour.)

I added some flat parsley leaves for a deeper green colour.

Shavings of Parmesan cheese over the top finished it off.

I dressed it with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, a tablespoon of freshly-squeezed lemon juice, half a teaspoon of Dijon mustard,  salt and pepper, whisked together.

It passed muster with The Taster in Chief (aka Meredith), which is more than can be said for the very fresh herring that I had rather messily filleted and fried.

I thought they were delicious–  still too bony for Meredith, which I understand.

I’ll try again, though, because herring are healthy and sustainable.