Fennel



Fennel



Fennel, a great vegetable/herb of springtime that I discovered only a few years ago myself. It has a wonderfully unique licorice-like flavor that can really bring that something special to whatever dish you might be making.

Facts about Fennel:

• Fennel contains specific nutrients that make it a powerful antioxidant. In particular its properties are said to reduce inflammation.
• Fennel is a member of the Umbelliferae (Apiaceae) or carrot family, along with dill , caraway and anise.
• This perennial native of the Mediterranean is called marathon in Greece, a name derived from the word maraino, meaning to grow thin. Fennel was recommended as an herb for weight reduction, "to make people more lean that are too fat," according to the seventeenth century herbalist and astrologer Nicholas Culpeper.- excerpt from Encyclopedia.com
• In the middle ages people regarded it as a "magic herb" and would hang it over their doorways to ward of ghosts as well as stick the seeds into keyholes to keep ghosts out.
• Spanish missionaries brought Fennel to California and it is now known there as wild anise. The English settlers brought it to New England where is was used medicinally as a digestive aid.

Let's Eat!

• Oh the many ways to consume Fennel! Raw, roasted, and much revered in my kitchen. Grill it, fry it, sautee it, you just have fun with it!
• My cousin Nate, your typical male meat and potato lover, actually requested this simple salad I make while having dinner at my sisters in Rochester. I was thrilled, as I always am, when I can inspire a love for salad in people.
• Here is what I do: 
• Take any kind of salad green, I think mesculn works great but you can also use arugula which is one of my favorites, add fresh basil leaves about have the amount in comparison to whatever green you use. Slice fennel thin-ish, toss with a good extra virgin olive oil, fresh squeezed lemon, and kosher salt.-- That's it.

Recipe: Fennel and avocado

• I found this delicious recipe while doing my Fennel research. Not only is it super simple and all the ingredients are available at the Fresh Egg Farm Stand-- girls, the chef in this video is someone I would definitely like to sit down to a meal with. ;) http://www.marksdailyapple.com/fennel-and-avocado-a-match-made-in-heaven/
• I have always wanted to try sipping a little sambuca with a fennel dish but it may be too much licorice for me... worth a try, why not experiment... but for a wine I would select and nice, ice cold, fruity chardonnay.
• Sit out on your deck this afternoon and enjoy this healthy salad and sip a glass of chardonnay (or sambuca haha) and bask in the fact that the sun is out and Spring is here!!

Eating Healthy for Happiness... Cheers!