fennel - as seen in The Adelaide Magazine

Fennel bulb w fig & olive tepanade
@ Khai Liew's opening of The Collectors 

Florence Fennel bulb

My absolute favourite Mediterranean vegetable, great raw or cooked, adding a touch of savoury clean lively anise to the winter table.  Crisp pale fatter bulb of the plant is the best eating, as a snack raw with dip & salads. Aromatic long stems & feathery leaves have many uses as well. Use the tops in tea for a delightfully elegant tisane. Through wet fennel stems under fish when baking. Fennel seeds have curative qualities, said to help calm digestion and they do wonderful things when lightly toasted sprinkled on raw honey. Bruise fresh fennel seeds and sprinkle on salads & fish.

Go Go Southern Italian:

  The Sicilian: Clean the corse outer layers away, shave the bulb across the grain, layer with thin sliced oranges, local black olives, handfuls of rocket, sea salt, fresh pepper, splashes of new season olive oil & drops of red wine vinegar. Add grated raw beetroot, shaved radish for a colourful, healthful variation.

Roast Mediterranean:

Roast fennel Bulb: cut cleaned fennel bulb into wedges toss in olive oil, rosemary, salt & pepper, roast till tender. Toss with a handful of soaked currants, toasted pine nuts, lemon zest and fresh green herbs, delicious with seared haloumi, or an aside to sardines, roasts, or on top of brown rice pilaf for vego deluxe.

Winter comforter:

Winter bake: poach 1 cm thick fennel slices with in season leeks in a vegetable or light chicken stock with thyme, salt & pepper. Add some sauté shallots, tender braised white beans fold in a knob of organic butter, check seasoning – put in an oven to table baking dish, top with parmesan & bake to tinging gold – A perfect Vegetarian main course in individual dishes or put on the table family style to feed the masses. Easy as pie.

Smooth & Silky:

 Fennel Bulb Pure is an elegant accompaniment that gives a gourmet touch to Seared in season oysters, poached ox tongue, baked local snapper. So simple, slice the bulb thin across the grain. Poach in just enough light stock till tender and liquid reduced, check seasoning, add a knob of organic butter and puree in a blender till silky. Heat to serve.