Recipes

[bbluvr]

A good friend gave me some fresh fennel. I have never cooked with it or tasted it. I do what to try it. Any recommendations? Thank you!

[NYwoman]

Fennel is FANTASTIC! Of course I'm prejudiced, I'm Italian.

Fennel can be used raw, shredded in salads as you would use celery. You can dip pieces of it in flavored (or plain) olive oil or your favorite dip. You could substitute it for celery in the mariqua that is used as a basis of recipes (celery, onion, and carrot or pepper). It can be roasted with potatoes and other root vegetables under a roast or separately as a roasted root veggie medley.

One warning----fennel is a natural diuretic.

[bbluvr]

Thanks NYwoman! The potato thing sounds good. I hope my DH will eat it. He is so picky!

[jackthebear]

raw it sort of has a celery like texture.

searched in Pinterest for fennel

http://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=fennel

[LilBitMissty]

bbluvr...hi...I have had fresh fennel. I am not a big fan of it however. You can use it in salads, soup or stews. When cooked the flavor mellows. Hope this helps. If I remember correctly ( lol and that can be a challange within itself!) fennel comes from the carrot family. You might want to google fresh fennel and see what recipes they give you...wouldn't hurt

[Campion]

First of all, it tastes like celery with a licorice or anise mixed in. If you don't like licorice or anise flavor, you may not like it. Anise is related to fennel.

You can eat it raw, shredded in salad as you would use celery. It has a fresh taste with that anise overtone. Fennel seeds (the dried seeds when it flowers and fruits) are in your Italian sausage, so you may be familiar with some of the taste profile, but it is more strongly licorice flavored than the seeds.

It is very good roasted, quarter the bulbs and roast like any hard root vegetable as has been posted earlier.

[Illinois Judy]

I love fennel, mostly eat it raw, chopped with a little bit of white balsamic vinegar on it, let it sit for about 15 minutes. Add it chopped to diced apples too. I'm in my mid-70's and never had it until we were part of a CSA about six years ago. Some say it tastes like licorice but I don't like licorice but love fennel. I freeze the stalks and fronds and save them to flavor soups. It's really good in a seafood soup also, diced. Google it as others have said, you'll find loads of suggestions. I hope you enjoy it.

[violann]

3 or 4 inch segments make nice dippers for chunky dips!

[nomless]

I don't like raw fennel, but it's wonderful when it's cooked. The flavor totally changes when it's cooked. It becomes subtle and sweet. Try adding to scalloped potatoes....I used Ina Garten's potato-fennel gratin recipe on food network.com. It's wonderful.

[Bridgegal]

It tastes like licorice . What to do with it? Throw it away. YUK!