Fennel

[Clarabel]

Hi,

Someone just gave me a fennel plant, which is gorgous and I'm really looking forward to planting, but I don't know which bits of the plant to eat!

Any tips on cooking with it would be fabulous.

Clarabel

[hedgewizard]

Depends on whether it's herb fennel or bulb fennel I'm afraid... you'll have to ask. Herb fennel has tasty leaves that go nicely with fish and can be dried, also the seeds are worth drying for winter use. Bulb fennel produces a wonderful thick bulb that you can slice and use like a fennel-flavoured celery.

[ina]

I prefer to eat the bulb raw, thinly sliced in a salad, possibly with carrot and/or apple and/or cabbage (white or red).

And the seeds I like as tea, on their own or in a mix with other herbs.

[hedgewizard]

Yummy, and perfect for upset stomach! Also a perfect accompaniment to cold poultry, sliced thinly with a drizzle of honey-and-ginger vinaigrette.