An odd looking vegetable arrived in my Terra Organics box this afternoon. It was rather white and bulbous at the bottom, and feathery at the top. Rather alien in my kitchen. Which surprised me.
Six years ago when we began getting organic produce delivery, several then-“alien” foods arrived on our doorstep. Fresh beets, bok choy, ginger root, leeks, chard, blood oranges, mangos of many sizes and colors, kiwis, fava beans, persimmons and so much more. I fell in love with many, and also with many longtimers I thought I detested (I am now a fan of asparagus — cooked the right way).
But I’d never come across this. This “fennel.”
And so I decided this would be my edible challenge of the evening. And thankfully, Terra includes several tips and recipes with their box o’ produce. Here’s what I used tonight:
***
FENNEL & TOMATO BAKE
1 bulb fennel
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 sweet onion finely chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 lb. tomatoes, chopped
1 oz. breadcrumbs
1 oz cheddar cheese, grated
seasoning to taste
Pre-heat oven to 425. Slice fennel bulb thinly. Fry onion and garlic gently before adding fennel and cooking for a few minutes. Add tomatoes and seasoning. Simmer for 10 minutes then put into a lightly greased oven dish and top with cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake for 15-20 minutes. ***
I have officially made friends with fennel. Of course, cheese does do amazing things … but I think this is a veggie I’d like to hang out with again.
Looking forward to whether any more surprises land on my doorstep … but old friends are welcome, too.
Cheers!
I love fennel fresh. An absolutely delicious way to prepare it is as a salad, very thinly sliced, dressed simply in a good olive oil, fresh lemon juice, some sea salt and freshly gound black pepper. Buon appetito!
Comment # 1
Posted by Cece Noll
Jul 30, 12:41 PM
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