Audio By Carbonatix
Whether you’re a CSA devotee, a farmers’ market weekender or consider ketchup a veg, we’ll bring you fresh inspiration for how to prepare our local produce.
This week’s harvest: Fennel
When you pick up a fennel bulb at the market and give it a good once over, you nose might get tickled by the tall feathery tops. That sweet licorice flavor is what makes fennel distinctive and dividing depending if you’re a Good & Plenty person. It’s the satisfying crunch that gives fennel a starring role in the salad course and the heft that makes it great for roasting to bring out its sweet soft side. Pick some up this week and cook with us, why don’t you…before it’s too late.
When are they in season?
November through June
Selecting, cleaning and storage tips:
Avoid choosing limp fennel bulbs and fronds. When you get them home, store the bulbs and fronds separately in plastic bags in the fridge. Washing them is as easy as running it under water. When you prepare the bulb, you’ll want to cut the core out…unless you have a teeny weeny baby one, those will be tender, but by this time in the season you probably will only find large bulbs. Here’s a great tutorial: prepping fennel bulbs.
This year, make your gift count –
Invest in local news that matters.
Our work is funded by readers like you who make voluntary gifts because they value our work and want to see it continue. Make a contribution today to help us reach our $30,000 goal!
Recipes:
Don’t think it’s too plain to just slice it raw and eat it as a crudite (like this prociutto roll up) or after a meal as a digestf. It’s flavorful and special enough to be eaten in its birthday suit.
You could slice and add it to any number of simple salads. Here are a few favorites:
Finally, for all you mixologists, you could use the fronds to make your own digestif to sip after dinner.
Jennifer Woods is a local food advocate with over 10 years working in the AZ food industry, and currently works for Crooked Sky Farms, a CSA produce farm based in South Phoenix.
