You’re probably not eating enough fennel. Am I right? Some of you are probably all, “what the eff is fennel?”
Let me tell you, friends.
Fennel, also called common fennel or bronze fennel, is a plant (Foeniculum vulgare) that yields both a seed-like fruit and the leafy growth used as an herb. The variety Foeniculum vulgare var. azoricum, known as Florence fennel, finocchio, or sweet anise, has a bulb with celery-like stalks, which are eaten as a vegetable. The vegetable is often confused with the vegetable part of the anise plant, and fennel “seed” may be confused with aniseed. Fennel plants are in the same family, Apiaceae, as anise, dill, cilantro, caraway, and cumin, and their flavor is similar to anise.
Did I just lose you? I think I lost myself. Actually, I think I just copied and pasted from here . But on the real, fennel is like a cross between an onion and a celery. It’s not as spicy as an onion and it has the same subtle sweetness of celery (without as much bitterness). It also has a slightly licorice taste, which is probs why people confuse it with anise.
Fennel is chalk-full of nutrients like vitamin C, fiber, potassium, manganese, and folate (just to name a few).
In terms of cooking with it, you need to know about the three parts of fennel: the base, the stalks, and the leaves. They can all be used in cooking. Here are some simple fennel recipes for your tasting pleasure
- Saute it with onions with a little salt and pepper for an easy side dish. I did this for a recent dinner (post to come next week!).
- Combine it with avocado and orange slices for a refreshing salad.
- Add it to sandwiches for extra crunch.
- Top thinly sliced fennel with Greek yogurt and mint leaves.
- Add it to soup instead of, or in addition to, onions.
- It goes well with potatoes. Try a gratin .
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Braise , grill , or roast it — it carmelizes nicely.
Mmmm… fennel gratin. It doesn’t even need the potatoes.
So if you see fennel at your local grocery store, don’t run the other way. Buy it with confidence and cook it with pleasure! I got some in my Door to Door Organics box the other day. I had never cooked with it before, but I jumped right in and the result was delish.
You’re probably not eating enough fennel. Am I right? Some of you are probably all, “what the eff is fennel?”
Let me tell you, friends.
Fennel, also called common fennel or bronze fennel, is a plant (Foeniculum vulgare) that yields both a seed-like fruit and the leafy growth used as an herb. The variety Foeniculum vulgare var. azoricum, known as Florence fennel, finocchio, or sweet anise, has a bulb with celery-like stalks, which are eaten as a vegetable. The vegetable is often confused with the vegetable part of the anise plant, and fennel “seed” may be confused with aniseed. Fennel plants are in the same family, Apiaceae, as anise, dill, cilantro, caraway, and cumin, and their flavor is similar to anise.
Did I just lose you? I think I lost myself. Actually, I think I just copied and pasted from here . But on the real, fennel is like a cross between an onion and a celery. It’s not as spicy as an onion and it has the same subtle sweetness of celery (without as much bitterness). It also has a slightly licorice taste, which is probs why people confuse it with anise.
Fennel is chalk-full of nutrients like vitamin C, fiber, potassium, manganese, and folate (just to name a few).
In terms of cooking with it, you need to know about the three parts of fennel: the base, the stalks, and the leaves. They can all be used in cooking. Here are some simple fennel recipes for your tasting pleasure
Mmmm… fennel gratin. It doesn’t even need the potatoes.
So if you see fennel at your local grocery store, don’t run the other way. Buy it with confidence and cook it with pleasure! I got some in my Door to Door Organics box the other day. I had never cooked with it before, but I jumped right in and the result was delish.