Roasted Apple & Fennel Salad With Toasted Hazelnuts & Goat Cheese

• 3 baking apples (those that retain their structure when baked like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Pinklady, etc.)
• 2 fennel bulbs with fronds
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 handful mint leaves
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted, peeled and chopped
• 4 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled (crumbled mild blue cheese would be delicious as well)
• 1 lemon, zest and juice

1. Preheat the oven to 425*F. Cut the fennel bulbs into 1-inch wedges, reserving the fennel fronds for finishing the salad. Cut the apples into similarly sized wedges. Spread the fennel on one parchment-lined sheet pan, and spread the apple on another. Drizzle both generously with olive oil, and season with salt, freshly cracked black peppers, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Roast the apple pan for 15 to 20 minutes, and roast the fennel pan for ~30 minutes, flipping each halfway through, until all are caramelized, golden brown, and tender. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on sheet pans.
2. Meanwhile, prep mint leaves and fennel fronds. Slice scallions. Toast, peel and, chop hazelnuts. Crumble goat cheese.
3. To finish the dish, carefully layer the roasted apples, roasted fennel, mint leaves, fennel fronds, sliced scallions, toasted hazelnuts and crumbled goat cheese on several layers on a shallow serving platter. Zest over 1 lemon and shower the whole thing with lemon juice and a drizzle of best quality extra virgin olive oil. Enjoy as a filling salad on its own or serve with roasted pork or chicken.

baking apples, extra virgin olive oil, salt, red pepper, handful mint, scallions, hazelnuts, goat cheese, lemon

Taken from food52.com/recipes/77909-roasted-apple-fennel-salad-with-toasted-hazelnuts-goat-cheese (may not work)