Recipe: Hi Grace, Here is some info on fennel

Hi Grace. Where are you in Alberta? I am a temporarily displaced Albertan from
the Edmonton area. I lived the past year near Hinton in the foothills and I am
now in Montreal and then in three weeks we go to London, Ontario for a year or
two. It is interesting but it is NOT ALBERTA, I miss the west. I keep
watching to see a posting from a fellow Albertan.
I also love fennel. I have trouble not eating it all raw when I am cooking with
it. My daughter who has some training in the food industry tells me the better
ones to chose are the oval shaped bulbs not the round ones as they are more
fiberous. Hope that is correct and I didn't mix it up. Here are a few recipes.
I have made it with oranges in a salad and it was very good but I can't seem to
find the recipe as I don't have all my cook books here. Maybe someone else will
have that recipe.

Here are a few other ideas you to test.............

Shaved fennel, mushrooms and parmesan salad :

2 small or 1 large , tender fresh fennel bulbs.(season with salt and pepper and
sprinkle with 1 1/2 - 2 T. olive oil)
salt
fresh ground pepper
3-4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 oz. very thinly sliced mushrooms
1/2 lemon
A big chunk of Parmesan cheese at room temperature or fresh grated if possible.
Fennel Risotto:

Bulb fennel is a sentual vegetable, with a cuvaceous shape and a subtle and
alluring licorice flavor.

5 cups water, or vegetable stock
3/4 cup Barsac wine ( or Reisling, Gewurztraminer, or any sweet or semi-sweet
white wine.
2 cups minced fennel bulbs, and 3 tablespoons chopped fennel leaves.
1 Large garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 small plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped fine.
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 T. olive oil
1 cup minced onion
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 1/4 cups uncooked Arborio rice
1/3 cups grated Parmesan cheese, or a bit more to taste
Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
2 T. chopped parsley

1. Make the sauce: In a heavy saucepan, place 1/2 cup of the water or stock,
1/2 cup of the wine, 1 cup of the minced fennel bulb, the garlic ; and the
cream, and stir to combine. Bring the sauce to a boil, and let it boil hard for
10 minutes. Reduce the heat, add the tomatoes and the chopped fennel leaves and
simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. There should be
about 1 1/4 cups of sauce.

2. Heat the remaining 4 1/2 cups water or stock with the salt in a saucepan
until the liquid is very hot, then turn the heat to low.

3. Heat the olive oil in a heavy saucepan over med-high heat. Add the onions
and the remaining 1 cup minced fennel. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the thyme and
the rice and stir to coat the rice with the oil. Add remaining 1/4 cup of the
wine and 1/2 cup of the hot water or stock. Wait until the liquid is absorbed,
then add another 1/2 cup of the liquid. Continue adding the stock or water in
this fashion; do not make the next addition until the liquid from the previous
one is absorbed. Stir often to keep the rice from sticking. After about 18- 20
minutes, most of the liquid should be used, and the rice should be tender but
still slightly chewy. Stir 1/3 cup parmesan cheese. and add salt, pepper, and
if you like a bit more cheese.

4. Reheat the sauce, and spoon the risotto onto four plates. Drizzle the sauce
around each mound, or make a well in the middle of the mound and spoon the sauce
into it. Sprinkle with chopped parsley; and serve. Enjoy!Cooking with Fennel:

Preparation: Rinse thoroughtly. trimm stalks to with 3/4 to 1 inch of the bulb.
Discard hard outside stalks and reserve leaves for seasoning and garnishes.
Cut away and discard bulb base. Cut bulb lengthwise into halves or quarters,
cut into jullienne strips or crosswiseslices, or dice. Serving ideas:

Top hot cooked fennel with butter, a little whipping cream, or parmesan cheese;
sprinkle with shredded swiss chesse and grated orange peel. Garnish with fennel
leaves. Serve raw fennel as a dipper for melted butter seasoned with anchovies
or garlic, or add thinly sliced fennel to green salads.Fennel Salad Vinaigrette:2-3 fennel bulbs
1/2 cup olive oil
2 T. each lemon juice and white wine vinegar
salt and pepper
lettuce leaves
About 1/2 cups crumbled blue-veined cheese

Prepare fennel as previously directed in preparation. Reserve feathery leaves,
cover, put in refrigerator. Cut bulbs in half lenghtwise, then thinly slice
crosswise. In a bowl, combine oil, lemonjuice and vinegar. Stir in fennel and
season to taaste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for a t least 8
hours or until the next day. To serve: line 4 plates with lettuce. mound
fennel mixture on top.Chop enough fennel leaves to make 1/2 cup and sprinkle
with about 2 T. each, fennel leaves and 2 T. cheese. Makes 4 servings. Glazed Fennel and Onions:

2 pounds fennel bulbs
1/3 cup butter, margarine or olive oil
1 med. sized onion, sliced
3 T. beef broth
salt

Prepare fennel as previously directed, reserving feathery leaves. Thinly slice
fennel crosswise.
Melt butter in a 5-6 quart pan over med-low heat. Add fennel and onion, cover
and cook until vegetables are soft (about 15 min.) Uncover; continue to cook,
stirring occasionally, until juices have evaporated and vegetables are golden,
about 40 min.) Add broth and cook stirring, until vegetables are evenly moist.
Season to taste with salt. Chop fennel leaves; sprinkle over mixture. Makes 4
servings.

I hope you find something here you will like.Good luck!