RECIPE
Couscous, Fennel, and Orange Salad with Olives
Mark Bittman, former New York Times journalist, founder of the Bittman Project, and dear friend of Sam’s, shared one of his favorite ways to enjoy the incredible varietals he gets each year in his Bi-Rite x Bittman CA Citrus Experience Box.This salad is a bright, tangy, sweet, salty, and absolutely delicious way to highlight the flavor of #PeakOfSeason citrus. It calls for any kind of orange but using a varietal at its peak will take this dish to the next level. [Editor’s Note: this recipe was shared with Bi-Rite by Mark Bittman of The Bittman Project.]
Ingredients
1 cup couscous
3 large or 4 small oranges (any kind)
2 medium fennel bulbs
½ cup chopped pitted green or black olives
¼ cup olive oil, plus more as needed
Salt and pepper
DIRECTIONS
Cook the couscous according to package directions. When it’s ready, fluff with a fork a couple times so it cools a little.
Peel the oranges and seed them, if necessary. Separate them into segments and chop into bite-size pieces if you’d like. Transfer the oranges to a large salad bowl.
Trim the fennel and thinly slice crosswise to get a pile of crescent-shaped pieces. Pull apart any that stick together and discard any hard center pieces. Add the fennel to the bowl with the oranges.
Add the olives to the bowl along with the couscous. Drizzle in ¼ cup olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more olive oil if you’d like. Toss again and serve.
