Fennel carpaccio salad + rum balls

What makes a lovelier lunch than a beautiful salad followed by some tiny, flavor-bomb treats? Many things, but still. This.was.perfect! I spent a most marvelous morning at a school meeting and then helping out in Jack's class as they made and wrapped gifts for family members. You might recall I was manning the pomander station and since none of the kids nor I knew the history of this item, we learned. It originated in 13th Century France, pomme d'ambre en française which means amber apple or apple of amber, as a means of combating bodily odors, illness and witches. The first pomanders weren't made of the clove-infused oranges we made today; those came about later but are definitely part of the tradition. About half the kids thought cloves smelled "awesome," while the others suggested they might faint from the "too strong smell." Hilarious. Darling kids!!

Anyway, when I got home I was hungry and in my continuing effort this week to clean out the fridge, I made this lovely salad of shaved fennel quick-marinated in Meyer lemon juice, kosher salt and blood orange olive oil, grapefruit sections, and grated ricotta salata. I toasted some lovely pain de campagne I bought yesterday and for good measure sprinkled it with more of the blood orange oil (my new obsession) and ricotta salata. This was as good as the salad. And for dessert? Two of my rum balls which, if I say so myself, are spectacular.