Fennel and parmesan salad

Insalata di finocchi
Italian housewives often place a bowl of raw fennel on the table to help digestion and clean the tastebuds in between courses.

This salad, which can be served as antipasti or contorni to eg poultry, serves the same purpose, though the cheese and dressing makes it is a little more interesting and refreshing as an accompaniment to salumi and other vegetables in oil or vinegar.

Ingredients
1 fennel bulb
1 dl shredded parmesan
1 tsp Dijon mustard
6 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice or white wine vinegar
1 tsp grated lemon rind
1 garlic clove

Preparation
Clean the fennel, divide in two and slice each half finely. Make sure to keep the green top for decoration.

Beat mustard with olive oil and stir in lemon juice or vinegar with the crused garlic and grated lemon rind.

Toss the fennel in the dreesing, and sprinkle with parmesan and chopped fennel tops.