Fennel

Foeniculum vulgare

Umbelliferae - Parsley Family


Have you considered growing fennel in your garden? If interested in cooking up a delicious vegetable, you may wish to grow a variety known as Florence fennel (F.v.azoricum), also known as finocchio. It forms a bulb well-known in Italian cooking. Fennel bulbs, leaves, and stalks can be chopped into soups, stews, salads, and marinades. The frilly fennel leaves taste like licorice.

If you'd like to cook a bright, cheerful, eye-catching meal that is delicious, try the following recipe with the bulb of Florence fennel:

Baked Fennel with Goat's Cheese

Ingredients: 2 large fennel bulbs, 2 Tablespoons olive oil, 1 large tomato, sliced, 4 thin rounds of goat's cheese, a handful of pine nuts, and freshly-ground black pepper to taste.

Cut fennel bulbs in half lengthwise and trim off any small leaves. Drizzle olive oil over both sides and place in a baking dish. Place a thick slice of tomato over each half and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Test with a fork to see if the flesh has softened, then place slices of goat's cheese on each bulb, cooking for another 10 minutes until the cheese has melted over the fennel and tomato. Remove, then sprinkle with pine nuts and pepper. Serve hot.