Currently viewing the tag: "fennel"
Here, the zucchini is cut into thin strands resembling spaghetti. For this dish you will need a fixed blade slicer (a.k.a. mandolin) of some sort such as a Ben-Riner. Use the comb that gets you closest to spaghetti. This iteration of squash as pasta sees it dressed with a quick tomato sauce with caramelized onions and fennel.
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Here is one use for the stalks of fennel that recipes always tell you to “reserve for another use”. Putting the salmon on the stalks of fennel allows the fish to cook a little more gently, preventing drying out and also imparting a subtle fennel flavor tinged with a bit of smoke. Top the fish with Quick Braised Fennel for Fish or Chicken to compound the flavors, and then if you wish, to take it further, put the salmon in a large bowl with braised vegetables such as carrots and cauliflower and then ladle Fennel Broth (see recipe) around the fish, top with braised fennel and drizzle with olive oil and serve.
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This dressing goes with the Romaine, Roast Beets, and Carrot Thread salad, but will go with roasted beets anytime. This would also be nice on fennel roasted pork loin, grilled salmon, or ground chicken meatballs. With the chervil in it, it is not a dressing that would keep a long time. Use within 3-4 days, although letting it sit a couple hours before using allows time for the chervil flavor to express itself.
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This salad also features an oregano infused olive oil and calls for optional quickled red spring onions. The dressing has some fennel seed powder to echo the shaved fennel. You want to use a Ben Riner or other fixed blade slicer for this.
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This oil is originally for a Provençal inspired shaved fennel salad, but has many other uses. Once made it will keep in the refrigerator for a week or two before the flavor starts to drop off.
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A favorite ice cream flavor of mine growing up was mandarin chocolate. When I started cooking I figured out what the “mandarin” part was and have played with those flavors in other things since then. Here is another dish inspired by those excursions. This recipe lists carrot, but they can be omitted if you choose. They are a good companion to fennel as they have sweetness to match the aroma of fennel and they have an earthiness that helps ground the fennel, onion, and orange juice.
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This is a variation on a theme for soup we call “Monday Soup”, which is a hearty vegetable soup, usually with sausage added, that can be eaten for 2-3 days after for lunches or whenever. This one uses a fair amount of fennel, and so will be a little sweet, which is countered by the greens and with vinegar added at the end.
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Slow cooking the Romano beans brings out the sweetness of the bean and leaves them meltingly tender without getting that furry feeling that over cooking these beans in water can yield. The scallions add the bass line to this dish, and the sweetness of the fennel adds top end. Once this dish gets going, resist the urge to stir it, or even open it, for at least 30 minutes.
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This gets the “Provençal” from the use of fennel and “pastis”, which is an anise flavored liqueur from France. As it is most often consumed in Provence and the surrounding areas, it is associated with the cuisine of the area as well. You can make the dish without the pastis, but it does taste better with it. Fennel is also used a lot in the cuisine of the area, both as a main ingredient and as a flavoring agent.
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This dressing is for a green salad with blueberries, almonds, and mozzarella, but would work well with other things as well. Use with cold shrimp or chicken, or a salad of sliced radishes and green onions, slaws, or with fennel, among other things.
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Use this as a salad dressing for slaw, or on shellfish. It is also great on shaved fennel salads.
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This is another recipe where cooked vegetables stand in for a normal sauce. The “sauce” could be used on its own or with pasta or grains as well. The recipe uses tilapia, but feel free to substitute other firm white fish such as cod, halibut, etc. Swordfish would work also, or toss it with grilled or sautéed shrimp. This dish is easiest to make the day after you have cooked artichokes. Cook a 2-3 extra to have with this dish, or just eat the leaves one night and use the hearts the next.
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Another version of a classic pairing, using blood oranges this time. If blood oranges are not in season, just use another orange or tangerine. The oranges are cut into “suprêmes”, or filets, rather than just rounds as they are more uniform and easier to eat. A mandolin is helpful for shaving the fennel.
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This dressing goes with the Fennel and Blood Orange Salad. If blood oranges aren’t in season, use another orange. The use of fennel oil and orange blossom water add depth of flavor and emphasis to the salad ingredients. Using orange blossom water this way is inspired by Moroccan cuisine where it is sometimes drizzled on a dish at the last moment to add aroma. If you do not have this or the fennel oil, don’t worry, the dressing will still be quite good.
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“Confit” is the term for slow cooking something to tenderness in a (typically) oil bath, and for whatever it is that has been cooked this way. This may seem like a lot of oil, but the oil is part of the yield of this dish, and is great for building other dishes. Use it with braised meats and for flavoring fennel poached fish, or use it to flavor spreads like tapenade or on a sandwich. The fennel confit can be used to top cocques and pizzas, as a base for fish or chicken, or in salads and sandwiches, among many other things, and is great for giving you a quick jumping off point for quick meals.
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I can remember back to a time that I just didn’t get the appeal of fennel. This course, stringy, strongly scented vegetable didn’t seem worth the trouble to cook. But now I can honestly say that it is among my very favorite vegetables. I fully realize that there are many of our CSA members who still don’t “get” fennel, and if you are among these, you simply must try Jeanne’s recipe for roast fennel and onions.
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The trick to this dish is to simmer it gently so the cauliflower and potatoes don’t overcook. The cauliflower should be cooked through, but still retain some toothsome texture. Reducing the stock with the fennel and leeks adds flavor. Use a waxy potato rather than something like a Russet so the potato does not disintegrate and turn to mush.
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This is a substantial salad that is good when it is hot. It is composed of recipes that are already on the website except for the lavender quickled carrots. Lavender is fun to use in savory dishes and goes well with fennel. The meaty blandness of the beans and the vinegar of the dressings keep the lavender from being too much. The lavender should come across as a piece of pleasing music heard from the next room, not like someone wearing too much scent sitting down next to you.
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With summer here, the time is perfect for gratins. Sure, everyone is firing up the grill, but let’s face it-grilled vegetables only hold their appeal for a while, and then you want something with a little more depth of character. All those vegetables that are great on the grill are also great in a gratin. Easy to make, gratins can be made in advance and will keep overnight, and are good hot from the oven, or at room temperature. What’s not to like?
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If it sits still long enough, I’m bound to try this technique on most anything it seems. It works beautifully with fennel, giving a sweet and sour taste that is reminiscent of a lightly done sauerkraut. Simple, quick, and versatile. Use it to top a salad, or put it in sandwiches. Great on grilled fish or roast pork as well. If you heat it up it can be used like sauerkraut with sausages and potatoes. It goes great topping Swedish crispbread topped with coarse mustard and pâté and crispbread with labne and smoked salmon. The fennel/licorice flavor is enhanced with a pinch of fennel seeds, but it is not “in your face” fennel/licorice flavor. This is one of those times when you’d like to use your fixed blade slicer.
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Sometimes simple is the best. This is one of those dishes. It is also flexible which adds versatility to it. This is a good recipe for when you don’t have enough fennel to make it the main attraction but want the flavor to shine. With a little tweaking this recipe can serve as a topping for meat or fish-see the Chef’s Notes. A fixed blade slicer such as a Ben-Riner or mandolin makes this recipe quicker and even simpler to assemble.
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