Fennel

Cooking Tips

We enjoy fennel for a limited time in CSA shares and at the farmers market. Great fresh chopped up in salads or braised or broiled, the fennel bulb is very versatile and its licorice-flavor is sweet and refreshing. When preparing, trim the bottom part right where it attached to the root, as it is tougher.

All the fronds are edible as well: as garnish, in salad, as an ingredient to soup or a saute. Chop them up for use in dressings, salads, and sauces, or blend into a quick pesto with some cheese, nuts, and maybe another leafy green. You can chop and freeze the fronds for making tea later on. Have you guessed yet that it’s in the same family as dill? Perhaps you didn’t guess that it’s also in the family with carrots and parsnips… umbelliferae.
Fennel is high in Vitamin C, folate, manganese and potassium.