APRIL 2006 IN THE KITCHEN ARTICLE

FENNEL IN THE KITCHEN GARDEN

Fennel deserves a place in the kitchen garden; its feathery green fronds are lovely in the landscape, and its sweet, crisp bulbs with a hint of licorice are heavenly roasted, braised, paired with seafood or served raw. So why isn’t it grown more often?

Perhaps one of the reasons is because seedlings are not sold as transplants in garden centers; due to fennel’s proclivity to go to seed when transplanted, direct- sown seed gives better results. Confusion can set in, as well, about fennel’s true nature: Is it a vegetable or an herb? The short answer is: both! The vegetable fennel sold in grocery stores with the swollen base, or bulb, is known interchangeably as Florence fennel or finocchio, and is harvested as an annual vegetable when the bulb swells. The herb fennel is a towering, multi- stalked perennial, every part of which is edible; anise- scented leaves and stalks, yellow flowers with a startling sweet licorice bite, and of course fennel seeds which lend Italian sausage such distinctive flavor. There’s even a bronze version of this perennial fennel, with gorgeous rust- colored leaves and stalks.

As noted, fennel grows best when seed is sown outside directly where it is to grow. The perennial fennel seed can be planted throughout spring and summer, preferably in a sunny location at the back of a garden border where its 4 to 5 foot stalks can be shown to best advantage. Sow seed ½ inch deep and space plants 2 to 4 feet apart. The ferny leaves can be harvested anytime to chop into salads, sauces or soups, and the fresh stalks make an edible, fragrant bed for grilled fish fillets; see Quick Tips, below. Mature brown seeds can be harvested for winter use; clip them off the plant and lay out on a screen to dry before threshing, or gather bunches of seed heads, secure with a rubber band, enclose in a brown paper bag and hang upside down so that the seeds are captured when they fall.

Bulbing fennel is happiest when grown during cool weather. April is an ideal month to sow seed so that the fennel can mature before hot weather sets in. Plant 6 seeds per foot in well- prepared soil that gets plenty of sunlight. Water seedlings with diluted organic fish emulsion once they’re up. Thin seedlings to stand 6 inches apart and save thinnings for salads. For succulent baby fennel harvest when the bulb is no larger than 3 inches across.

QUICK TIPS:

1. To trim fennel, cut root off flush with fennel bulb. Save stalks to use in place of celery.

2. Slice bulbs thinly and toss with baby mixed salad greens, segmented oranges, toasted walnuts and a citrusy vinaigrette.

3. Saute three small, thinly sliced bulbs in olive oil with a diced onion and two cloves of minced garlic until lightly carmelized. Deglaze pan with a splash of white wine or vermouth, then add one 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes. Simmer 10- 15 minutes, add some fresh chopped parsley, and serve as a sauce over pasta or a topping for grilled salmon.

4. Give a new twist to a shrimp or crab boil by tying a bundle of fresh fennel stalks, lemon thyme, parsley and leaf celery together with a long piece of butcher twine. Suspend the bundle in the pot and tie the end of the twine to the pot handle. Simply remove the herb bundle before serving.

5. Dice the fennel fronds and add to potato salad.

6. Use the fennel stalks as a fragrant bed for grilled fish. Simply brush whole fish or fish fillets with olive oil then lay them on a bed of fresh fennel stalks directly on the hot grill, turning them halfway through the cooking time. The fennel will serve both to give the fish an intensely sweet, smoky flavor and to keep the fish from sticking to the grill.

Seed Sources:
Seeds from Italy
www.growitalian.com
(781) 721- 5904

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