Chopped Carrot Salad with Fennel, Orange, and Nuts

Here's a great salad for when summer heat slows down lettuce production. It's also good in cool seasons, too.

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Chopped Carrot Salad with Fennel, Orange, and Nuts

Source:  Cook's Illustrated 

Serves: 4-6

3/4 c hazelnuts, toasted and skinned, or you can use pecans and skip the work of skinning

1/4 c extra-virgin olive oil

2 T white wine vinegar

1 T honey

1/2-1 teas salt 

1/2 teas freshly ground pepper

1/4 teas grated orange zest plus 1/3 c juice

1 fennel bulb, stalks discarded, bulb halved and cored, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 pd carrots, trimmed, and cut into 1-inch chunks

1/2 c fresh chives (or as much as you can come up with

Cook's Illustrated suggests you leave the peels on well-scrubbed carrots because they add flavor. 

Place the nuts in a food processor and chop coarsely, about 10 pulses. Remove to a small bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, mix the oil, vinegar, honey, salt, pepper, and orange zest, and juice. In the empty food processor, chop the fennel coarsely, 10-20 seconds, and scrape the work bowl if needed. Place the chopped fennel into the large bowl with the dressing. Then chop the carrots in the food processor, running it 10-20 seconds. Place the carrots in the bowl with the fennel. Stir well. Add half of the chives and nuts and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and add salt if needed. Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle with the remaining chives and nuts. Or divide the salad among individual plates and top with the chives and nuts before serving.