My New Love.

Hello readers! Welcome to part-two of my Easter dinner! Yesterday I told you that I had a whirled wind of an experience cooking some new to me produce. One of which I have seen for years. Fennel! I have made bread and other recipes using dried fennel or fennel seeds but I have yet to use the bulb it self. I have always just thought of fennel as a herb. I accidentally purchased a organic fennel for what I thought would be going into Hugh Acheson's recipe using Cardone. Once I got home and pulled out the ingredient list, I was sadly mistaken.

I was upset at first that I bought something that A: I didn't know how to cook and B: wasn't going to be in the recipe. After thinking about it (and always trying to find the positive in any negative situation I find myself in) I thought "well, fennel was just meant to be experimented with!"

I was right. Let me tell you now....I could kick myself for not buying one earlier. Fennel, you are my new love! When I find something that I like, I use it over and over again. While my sauce for the Cardone dish was simmering I pulled out the fennel and decided I would have a little fun. I looked at it, smelled it and tasted it raw to get a idea of what this beauty was all about. Fennel yields both a herb and a spice. All plant parts are edible: roots, stalks and leaves, with the spice coming from the dried seeds. A native to the Mediterranean, Fennel is an ancient and common plant known to the ancient Greeks and spread throughout Europe by Imperial Rome. It is also grown in India, the Orient, Australia, South America and has become naturalized in the US. It has been called the “meeting’ seed” by the Puritans who would chew it during their long church services. The name derives from the Latin foeniculum, meaning “little hay”. I looked into the nutritional info since my computer was handy. Here is what I found:

I was excited to see that both Cardone and Fennel had a lot to offer! A nutritious Easter dinner was definitely in order, even with the butter and cream involved ;)

The Cardone dish once again.

After thinking for a second I thought. I could look at some recipes on line on how to cook it BUT why take the fun out of it! I knew that it had a licorice flavor and that it was crunchy and slightly sweet. I was going to make a raw fennel salad of sorts but decided that I would roast it in the oven instead. I had no idea what to use as far as marinading goes so I just went with my gut. What I was about to stumble upon was one of the most delicious surprises I have found this year. Remember when I first had a persimmon? Well, this doesn't even compare....Gasp!

Prepare yourself for a super easy but most delicious fennel recipe.

First chop the bulb off. Once separate then slice the end of the bulb as well. Then I cut the bulb in half and sliced it thinly. There is a "core" to it I have found so I just cut that piece out (I am sure that it is edible though).

Evenly, I placed the fennel on the baking pan and drizzled some cold pressed extra virgin olive oil a top.

I then layered some cranberries, pine nuts and onion to the mix. I stuck it in the oven for about 10 minutes while I made the "sauce". I made a balsamic glaze to cook the fennel with. Until this morning, I had no idea such a thing even existed. I just brain stormed in the kitchen with the things that I had on hand. Here is the best balsamic glaze that I have ever tried....Ok, it's the only one that I have ever tried but I have to say, it is damn good on fennel. For some reason something tells me that it would be great on ice cream. Call me weird but that sounds good to me...Balsamic glaze over vanilla bean ice cream....I may be on to something. Here's the recipe.

Balsamic Glaze for Roasted Fennel.

-1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar

-2 table spoons of chopped ginger

-3 table spoons of agave nectar

-a dash of cinnamon

Blend it and what you have is a thick sauce like glaze for just about anything. I tossed the already warm fennel, onion, cranberries and pine nuts in it and what came out of the oven just 15 minutes later was amazing.

25 minutes of total cooking time! I am amazed still that this is my first experience with fennel and I was able to make a recipe that was great! I looked on-line this morning and it turns out, my gut was right on. I did exactly what others have done when roasting fennel. I love it when that happens! Here is the Cardone with the roasted fennel as a side.

I don't like this picture...It has no real color to it and it just makes the food look bland. There was nothing bland about either dish. They complimented each other so well! These two side dishes are perfect with fish, such as Sea Bass! (I am a bad blogger and didnt capture it. Heck, I was worn out by all the cooking to take anymore pictures!)

MMMmmMMMMMmmmm! I did save the top part of the Fennel to dry and use as a herb for future cooking. I am sure that the stalks much like leeks would make a good soup stock. My next fennel experience will be eatin raw. I see myself making a shredded fennel salad with walnuts, cucumber, fresh lemon, balsamic vinegar and some other goodies. Doesn't that sound like a summer time treat!

I am so glad that you came back for part two! If you have yet to try Fennel please do yourself a favor and go out and buy one now. Just give my easy roasting recipe a try, you wont be sorry you did!

Please let me know what you think if you try it out!

-Heather