Arugula and Fennel Salad with Lemon and Olive Oil

Sometimes, a deftly underplayed hand can be just the ticket! I think that this is very much the case with this salad-it's so simple, I hesitate to call it a recipe. This is my Mother's favorite salad at the moment-we had something like it at my wedding last year at a local Italian restaurant, and this is my replica (I simplified the "dressing" a bit-I just use some lemon juice and olive oil.)

I think that if you were to add some toasted walnuts or pine nuts, you'd have something like a crouton as well, and it would make the salad a bit more filling.

Ingredients
2.5 ounces or about 2 cups of arugula
1 cup of thinly sliced fresh fennel
About 1/2 cup of shaved parmesan cheese (this is a great place for good cheese, like a parmigiano reggiano or grana padano)
The juice of 1/2 a medium, or 1 small lemon
Extra Virgin Olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of salt
Black pepper
1/2 cup of toasted walnuts or pine nuts (optional)

Method:
1.) In a serving bowl, toss in the arugula, and scatter the sliced fennel and most of the shaved parmesan.
2.) If you're having nuts in your salad, lightly toast them in a pan. Walnuts won't be super fragrant, they create more of a delicate hazy smell when they are toasted. Pine nuts will darken a bit.
3.) Cut the lemon, and try to remove any seeds if you can. Squeeze half the lemon over the salad (or use all of it if you like.)
4.) Drizzle lightly with extra virgin olive oil, toss in the nuts, add pepper to taste, salt, and toss well.
5.) Garnish the top of the salad with the remaining parmesan.
6.) Eat! I hope you enjoy this refreshing and crisp salad as much as I do.

I already had started munching away by the time I remembered to take a photo-sorry!