Fennel
Foeniculum vulgare var. azoricum
I
f you enjoy a subtle flavor of licorice or fresh My favorite method of cooking fennel bor
basil, it will be a fairly good bet that fennel rows from the Italian cuisine in Venice, where
can fit into your kitchen-garden plans. Techni we’ve spent some very happy and delicious days.
cally classified as an herb, it is also used as a Simply halve the bulb lengthwise (if it’s 2–3
vegetable, eaten raw or cooked. inches in diameter) and cut off the shortened
Fennel looks like an overweight celery but top branches (to use in stews, soups, etc.). Broil
with fine feathery fronds. It’s important not the bulb under radiant heat or over barbecue
to let them grow any fatter in their exposed coals until nicely browned and crisp tender. Use
aboveground bulb than 2–3 inches; more than a spritz of olive oil, a little sea salt, and freshly
that and the outer stems can become tough and ground white pepper to season.
fi brous. When served alongside a nice piece of
As with both celery and leeks, fennel can be freshly caught fish with a few newly dug fi nger
treated to mulching that is heaped up the sides ling potatoes, there can be little in this world to
to keep the outer stems a very pale green to rival the experience.
white, which also helps both taste and texture.
You should start the mulch when the bulb is egg
size. I found out that too vigorous weeding can
damage fennel’s shallow roots. If this happens,
the plants will bolt, so the mulch will do double The Numbers
duty in blanching and weed suppression! For each 100 g raw (3.5 oz ; ½ cup): 31 calories, 0 g
If you pinch off the seed stalks, you will en- fat, 0 g saturated fat, 7 g carbohydrate, 1 g protein,
courage greater bulb size. 3 g dietary fiber, 52 mg sodium
150 • GROWING AT THE SPEED OF LIFE
