Marinated fennel with smoked salmon and cherry tomatoes

Ingredients for 3 servings:

• 6 m.-large fennel bulb(s)
• 6 slices of smoked salmon (wild salmon)
• 12 cherry tomatoes
• olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar, white
• Sea salt and pepper, black, freshly ground
• Garlic, squeezed
• 1 bunch of dill

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 2 hours; Total time approx. 2 hours 30 minutes

Clean the fennel bulbs, halve them, and remove the stems. Cut them into fairly thin strips. Sauté the fennel strips in good olive oil until they have a light browning and are still slightly firm to the bite. Lightly(!) season with salt and pepper. Now transfer the vegetables to a shallow dish (I always use a tart dish). Clean the cherry tomatoes, remove the stems, and halve them. Arrange them on top of the fennel. Cut the smoked salmon into approximately 2 cm wide strips and arrange these on top of the fennel. Make a marinade from olive oil, balsamic vinegar, ground black pepper, and a crushed garlic clove and spread it evenly over the vegetables and salmon (only add salt if absolutely necessary—the salmon is usually salty enough!). Cover the whole thing with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Sprinkle with finely chopped dill before serving. This makes a light summer dish or a delicious appetizer. A fresh baguette and a light white wine go well with it.