Let's face it, in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, we have to do everything we can to keep it together health-wise before the holiday binging ensues. Soon we'll be stuffing face with Christmas cookies, mashed potatoes, pecan pie and who knows what else, so a salad might not be the worst idea right about now. This salad uses seasonal fall produce, one of the best tasting cheeses on this earth, and toasted walnuts to create a unique bitter sweet taste combination that puts garden salads everywhere to shame.

Raw fennel is tough and has a strong licorice taste, so it's important to slice it thin, that way each bite isn't too overwhelming. The apple balances it by adding a sweet element and softer texture to the mix. Toasted walnuts add crunch, substance, and protein. Then the Parmesan offers a salty sweetness to round it out.

Spinach, Apple and Fennel Salad with Toasted Walnuts and Parmesan

Ingredients:

For the salad

• 2 apples, thinly sliced
• 1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced
• handful of chopped toasted walnuts (toast in dry saute pan for a couple minutes on medium heat)
• shaved Parmesan cheese
• spinach
• salt & pepper

• 1 tsp mustard
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• salt & pepper

Directions: just combine the ingredients for the salad, whisk together the ingredients for the vinaigrette and toss!

The vinaigrette is pretty basic, but also has a sweet and savory element to complement the salad. Mustard is the best thing to add to salad dressing, because it solidifies everything and makes it easy to pour evenly over the salad.