For The Salad For The Dressing

For The Salad

1. Wash the fennel, then cut off the stalks and the woody bottom part. Separate the fronds (the green leafy part) from the stalks, chop them thinly and set them aside.
2. Cut the fennel in half, then cut each half again. You should have 4 pieces of fennel. Cut each piece of fennel into thin slices, then transfer them to a salad bowl.
3. Peel the orange with a knife. For best results, you should remove the white pith or membrane under the peel of the orange.
4. Then with a small sharp knife (paring knife), carve out orange wedges and add them to the bowl with the fennel.
5. Take the core of the orange you have left over, and squeeze it with your hands. Then, collect the orange juice into a bowl. We are going to use it to make the dressing.
6. If you have a whole pomegranate, cut it in half, then separate the seeds from the flesh. The easiest way is to beat the pomegranate on its skin with a flat kitchen spatula and let the seeds fall into a bowl.
7. Add the pomegranate seeds to the bowl with the orange and fennel, then add sliced black olives and most of the chopped fennel fronds. Save some for garnishing.

Make The Orange Dressing

1. Add the orange juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and optionally Dijon mustard and maple syrup to a small jar. Close the jar and shake well until the ingredients are well combined. You can also add the ingredients into a small bowl and whisk them together.
2. Add the orange dressing to the bowl, mix well with two spoons, then sprinkle with the remaining fennel fronds and some toasted pine nuts. Tip: you can toast the pine nuts on a non-stick pan on low heat for a couple of minutes.