Recipe: Shaved Fennel with Cracked Pepper, Parmesan, and Olive Oil

Fennel peaks in the late fall and winter, but there's something very summer-y about a fresh fennel salad. The hints of anise remind me of cooling off with a glass of pastis on a hot, sunny day.

This salad courtesy of Love & Salt in Manhattan Beach is an easy, straightforward starter. It's just the thing to serve now that the weather is starting to warm up again.

Shaved Fennel with Cracked Pepper, Parmesan, and Olive Oil
Serves 4

2 large heads fennel, cleaned of fronds
2 ounces extra virgin olive oil
2 ounces fresh grated parmesan
1 lemon (juice and zest)
Sea salt
Fresh cracked black pepper

Using a mandolin, carefully shave the fennel as thinly as possible. Toss the fennel with the olive oil, parmesan, juice and zest of lemon and season with sea salt and a generous amount of fresh cracked black pepper. Serve on a cold plate.