Fennel, olive and dill toasts

This elegant starter proves that vegetarian can also mean gourmet.

Recipe «Fennel, olive and dill toasts» presented in category Recipes / Vegetarian, to prepare this dish you will need no more 15 minutes. To make this dish at home by prescription from the author Gomer would need: 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 bulbs baby fennel, ends trimmed, thinly sliced lengthways, 1 small red onion, halved, each half cut into thin wedges, 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced, 2 tbsp water , 1 lemon, 6cm piece frozen Italian-style bread , thawed, 40g kalamata olives, pitted, quartered , 2 tbsp fresh dill leaves, Salt & freshly ground black pepper.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil 
• 2 bulbs baby fennel, ends trimmed, thinly sliced lengthways 
• 1 small red onion, halved, each half cut into thin wedges 
• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced 
• 2 tbsp water 
• 1 lemon 
• 6cm piece frozen Italian-style bread , thawed 
• 40g kalamata olives, pitted, quartered 
• 2 tbsp fresh dill leaves 
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper 

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add fennel, onion and garlic, and cook, stirring, until well coated in oil. Add water, cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until fennel and onion are tender and light golden. Uncover and increase heat to high. Cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes or until mixture is golden.
2. Meanwhile, preheat grill on medium-high. Use a zester to remove rind from the lemon. (Alternatively use a vegetable peeler to peel the rind from the lemon. Use a small sharp knife to remove pith from rind. Cut rind into very thin strips.) Cut the bread into four 1.5cm slices, place on a baking tray and cook under preheated grill for 2-3 minutes each side or until toasted.
3. Stir lemon rind, olives and dill into fennel mixture. Season with salt and pepper. To serve, place bread on serving plates and top with fennel mixture.