The Sweet Fennel Plant

Fennel is a slightly sweet, cool, and refreshing herb to add to an array of fresh vegetables.
The Sweet Fennel Plant
10/13/2011
Updated:
10/1/2015

<a><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/09/fennel.jpg" alt="Fennel is a slightly sweet, cool, and refreshing herb to add to an array of fresh vegetables. (Photos.com)" title="Fennel is a slightly sweet, cool, and refreshing herb to add to an array of fresh vegetables. (Photos.com)" width="575" class="size-medium wp-image-1796456"/></a>
Fennel is a slightly sweet, cool, and refreshing herb to add to an array of fresh vegetables. (Photos.com)

Fennel is a slightly sweet, cool, and refreshing herb to add to an array of fresh vegetables. Fennel has a pale, green bulb with feathery green leaves that shoot out of its long stalk and resemble dill in looks. Most of us are familiar with the fennel seed, which is an anise-flavored spice that is often found in Italian sausage, stews and soups, and even Chinese cooking.

Native to the Mediterranean region, this spice is related to the parsley family, but has a much more distinctive flavor that resembles licorice. Every part of the fennel is edible, and it is delicious cooked or raw. So if you use the bulbs, don’t throw away the leaves, which taste like parsley. Chop the leaves and add to fish, poultry, or beef dishes.

Use fennel instead of celery to give your dishes a naturally sweet flavor. It is especially delicious with tomato-based dishes like your spaghetti sauce or even lasagna. Fennel seeds are also eaten raw with bit of sweetener in Indian cultures.

With the leaves removed, fennel bulbs can be stored for 7 to 10 days in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.

Roasted Potatoes and Fennel

  1. 2 pounds red or yellow potatoes
  2. 2 medium heads fennel
  3. 2 tablespoons olive oil
  4. 1/2 teaspoon salt
  5. 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degree and put the rack in the middle position. Put a large roasting pan in the oven to preheat.

 

Quarter the potatoes. Cut off and discard the fennel stems and bottom ends. Cut the bulbs into pieces roughly the same size as the quartered potatoes. In a large bowl, toss the fennel with the olive oil, salt, pepper, and fennel seeds.



Fennel and Apple Salad

  1. 1/2 cup apple cider
  2. 2 tablespoons olive oil
  3. 1 teaspoon store-bought French dressing
  4. 3 cups romaine lettuce
  5. 1 Granny Smith apple, quartered, cored, thinly sliced
  6. 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
  7. 1/4 cup toasted pecans
  8. Salt and freshly ground pepper

Whisk cider, olive oil, dressing together. In large bowl, put lettuce, fennel, apple, salt, and pepper. Add dressing and toss well. Top with pecans.

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