Fennel

RainaProske
RainaProske Posts: 636 Member
edited December 2 in Food and Nutrition
I'd completely forgotten how fabulous the vegetable, Fennel, is until I was eating a salad at lunch today. Something wonderful hit my tongue, and I didn't even know what it was! I called the waitperson over and asked. It was fennel!

Is fennel the forgotten salad enhancer at your house, too?

I'm going to buy some tomorrow.

Replies

  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,329 Member
    I love it roasted
  • pebble4321
    pebble4321 Posts: 1,132 Member
    Fresh fennel is fabulous. And fennel seeds are magic too - I add them into my fried rice and it takes it to a whole new level!
  • RainaProske
    RainaProske Posts: 636 Member
    I'm going to have to try it roasted! Great idea!
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
    I like it sauteed with onion and bell peppers as a side.
  • savithny
    savithny Posts: 1,200 Member
    Thinly sliced fennel and apple tossed in vinaigrette are wonderful. Add some crumbly cheese or toasted nuts for contrast.
  • savithny
    savithny Posts: 1,200 Member
    Or: Roast yoru chicken on a bed of fennel, let the bulbs and stalks caramelize a bit in the chicken drippings. So good.
  • 85Cardinals
    85Cardinals Posts: 733 Member
    I'm firmly in the pro-fennel camp. Breakfast sausage would be lost without fennel's tasty zing.
  • cblairnh
    cblairnh Posts: 25 Member
    One fennel bulb, two apples and one large yellow or white onion cut into strips and piled on a pork tenderloin -- roast until pork is done. Oh my, so good!
  • ValkyrieLula
    ValkyrieLula Posts: 28 Member
    edited July 2016
    One of my fiance's favorite sides is roasted fennel and artichoke hearts with lemon juice.
  • LauraCoth
    LauraCoth Posts: 303 Member
    Roasted fennel, tomatoes, onion topped with goat cheese and basil....mmmmm
  • adoette
    adoette Posts: 181 Member
    What does fennel taste like? I don't know that I've ever had it, but now you've got me intrigued.
  • RainaProske
    RainaProske Posts: 636 Member
    It is so unique, I don't think I could possibly describe it! I sure don't want to turn you off by over-lauding it, but . . . !
    And it even looks interesting! The bottom is bulbous, with stuff growing up from the bulb that looks like very skinny celery. Then, instead of leaves growing out of the stocks, there are fragile-looking ferns!
    Also, I am, myself, new to fennel, so I've learned a lot from the more experienced people here. I'm excited to try new things with it.
  • RainaProske
    RainaProske Posts: 636 Member
    https://www.bing.com/search?q=fennel&filters=ufn:"fennel"+sid:"7926ed9c-9ce9-d6fc-ada9-3001469ec896"&form=EDGNTC&qs=MB&cvid=ffad6685ae794c00a0ad46176c12204a&pq=fennel&elv=AO71bVP*8aZ*jlEic9QyFT!SSRNFAlQ26*m1GrXo7Upc
  • RainaProske
    RainaProske Posts: 636 Member
    edited July 2016
    Had fennel for breakfast and learned a few things. The sites say that the whole fennel -- bulb, stalks, and fronds -- are edible. Personally, I would choose fennel with thicker stalks. The thin ones were tough, chewy, and (for me) inedible, while they tasted great to chew on (but, well, you know . . .) . As for the fronds, I think they would look lovely as garnish or in soups, cut up. I think the real prize is the bulb -- wonderful! And fennel will give you that little bit of sweetness you may crave, if you are avoiding sweet. It has very low calories!
  • yayamom3
    yayamom3 Posts: 939 Member
    We just returned from staying with family in Italy. They slice the bulbs and eat them raw.
  • RainaProske
    RainaProske Posts: 636 Member
    edited July 2016
    I had "discovered" fennel some weeks ago, then basically forgot about it. I was eating a salad at my favorite seafood restaurant, and there was raw fennel bulb cut up in it, and it knocked my socks off. I didn't recognize it, so I asked what it was. I won't be forgetting fennel anytime soon! Think I'll take some to the Independence Day celebration with the family.
  • vingogly
    vingogly Posts: 1,785 Member
    A recipe for fig and fennel caponata:

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/pb/recipes/fig-and-fennel-caponata/12972/

    I like to make a pot of caponata (the Sicilian version of ratatouille) from time to time, it keeps well and is best at room temperature.
  • RainaProske
    RainaProske Posts: 636 Member
    Some of you people prepare food I've never before heard of! I love it! I need to try this. ^^^
  • DresdenSinn
    DresdenSinn Posts: 665 Member
    adoette wrote: »
    What does fennel taste like? I don't know that I've ever had it, but now you've got me intrigued.

    Fennel Seeds taste like black licorice to me, and not that I'm adverse to that.
  • savithny
    savithny Posts: 1,200 Member
    vingogly wrote: »
    A recipe for fig and fennel caponata:

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/pb/recipes/fig-and-fennel-caponata/12972/

    I like to make a pot of caponata (the Sicilian version of ratatouille) from time to time, it keeps well and is best at room temperature.

    Thank you for this link -t hat sounds AMAZING.

  • RainaProske
    RainaProske Posts: 636 Member
    To me, the vegetable doesn't taste anything at all like the seeds. I had to learn to like the seeds -- my first father-in-law put them on his homemade pizza. At first, I didn't like that at all, but it grew on me, and now I love them on pizza. Wish he was still around, baking it.
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