White Bean Salad with Fennel & Avocado

Bean salads are great on hot summer days, and the "White Bean Salad with Fennel & Avocado" (page 77) is especially delicious. So many wonderful flavors - sweet tomatoes, pungent kalamata olives, creamy avocado, the distinct taste of fennel, and the tang of red onion - all blend delightfully with any variety of white beans (I used cannellini, the first choice offered in the recipe). The dressing for this calls for a vinaigrette style mixture, including ¼ cup olive oil (around 50 grams of fat!), but I omitted the oil and the lemon juice, and instead just moistened the salad with the juice from one lime. The tomatoes add some moisture, and the avocado adds creaminess, so I didn't miss the oil at all. I also added fresh minced garlic, a nice touch if, like me, you love garlic on just about everything! J