Radish and Fennel Apple Salad Bites with Anchovy Spread

A few months ago, Seth, Max and I gallivanted around the USS Midway Museum, a naval aircraft carrier cum naval/maritime museum.  A place stuffed with helicopters and airplanes.  And it is near an actual airport so planes can be seen departing and arriving.  And being on a boat, one can also see more boats bobbing in the sea.  Basically, it is a wonderland of transportation.

Max enjoyed it.  He did.  His favorite part, however, was not a helicopter or an airplane or anything that can you move you from point a to point b.

It was the garbage cans.  He was really excited about them.  Granted, they were some nice garbage cans, all big and blue and helpfully separated into recycling and garbage sections.  But still, a receptacle for waste.

Just like my offspring, I too can miss the point.

This month's Creative Cooking Crew Challenge, hosted by Joan of Foodalogue, is to make some sort of appetizer, hors d'oeuvre, or amuse bouche for a Thanksgiving party.  Once the roundup goes live on November 21st, I will post the link here.

Originally, I had sweeping plans to turn root vegetables, root vegetables, and yet more root vegetables into a pre-feast appetizer.

Then it occurred to me that there were two big problems with this -1) while not difficult, the plan was time consuming.  something in short supply on and around Thanksgiving  2) Thanksgiving dinner has an abundance of root vegetables.  maybe the appetizer should be something different, a contrast to the time consuming, heavy meal that lies ahead.

Luckily, I realized this just in time - that the nibbles for a Thanksgiving party should be fresh and light, and something that doesn't take away precious energy from the main event.

Here I made radish circles then topped them with an anchovy spread, a fennel, apple, tarragon salad, and then a pecan piece.  Fun little bites that don't miss the point. Unlike the offspring.

Ingredients
For the anchovy spread:
1 tablespoon anchovy paste
4 ounces cold cream cheese
3 tablespoons sour cream

For the fennel apple salad:
1 fennel bulb, sliced on mandolin
1/4 cup tarragon leaves
1 small granny smith apple, peeled, coarsely grated
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
2 teaspoons fresh grapefruit juice
2 teaspoons fresh mandarin orange juice
kosher salt and pepper, to taste

For the bites:
1 bunch radishes, radishes sliced into circles
pecan piece, for each bite

Instructions
To make the anchovy spread:  Beat the anchovy paste, cream cheese, and sour cream in the base of a stand mixer until combined.

To make the salad:  Mix the fennel, tarragon leaves, grated apple, and grated ginger.  Drizzle with the citrus juices.  Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

To assemble the bites: Spread anchovy mixture on radish slice.  Arrange salad on it, then top with a pecan piece.