Growing at the Speed of Life - A Year in the Life of My First Kitchen Garden

STEAMED AND



BROILED FENNEL

This is a domestic problem: I love it, but Treena
doesn’t care for the licorice flavor, no matter
how subtle it may be. If it weren’t for that one
fact, it would meet her need for very low calo­
ries with good visual portion size. So fennel in
whatever incarnation is only an occasional
solitary treat for me but could fill the plate
for you!
SERVES 4

2 medium to large fennel bulbs
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Dusting of smoked paprika

Preheat the broiler.
Tr i m o ff the stems, fronds, and any discol­
ored outside layers of the bulb. Chop and save a
few of the fronds to scatter over the top of the
finished dish. Cut the bulbs in half lengthwise.
Place the fennel slices in a steamer and steam
over boiling water for 8–10 minutes or until
crisp tender.
Season with salt and black pepper, brush
lemon juice on both sides, and lay them in a
single layer on a broiler pan. Spray lightly with
olive oil cooking spray, and dust with paprika.
Broil about 3 inches from the heat source until
golden brown, about 4 minutes. Turn and
brown the other side. Divide among 4 hot plates
and scatter the reserved fronds over the top.

Per serving : 38 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 9 g

carbohydrate, 1 g protein, 4 g dietary fi ber, 206 mg

sodium. Exchanges: 1 Vegetable

BRAISED FENNEL



IN SPICY TOMATO JUICE

For all the world this winds up looking like

braised celery, and yet its flavor is quite distinc­

tive. Accompanied with no more than 2 ounces

(dry weight) of your favorite pasta, such as

whole-grain angel hair, it does very well as a

main dish.

SERVES 4

1 medium to large fennel bulb (about

1½ pounds)

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 cup spicy tomato-vegetable juice

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Trim the fennel bulb, saving the stems to fl a­

vor soups or fish stews. Cut lengthwise into

four slices.

Lay the bulb pieces in a 10-inch greased glass

or ceramic baking dish. Scatter the fennel seeds

over the top and pour in the juice until the fen­

nel is half covered. Bake, covered, 45 minutes,

basting with the pan juices 2–3 times, until a

fine knife meets with only slight resistance.

Per serving : 65 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 15 g

carbohydrates, 3 g protein, 6 g dietary fiber, 243 mg

sodium. Exchanges: 4 Vegetable

152 • GROWING AT THE SPEED OF LIFE