Sunday, February 13, 2011

A Fennel Affair

It began with Caramelized Fennel Flatbread and a Sugar-Crusted Fennel & Pear Salad.  A good source of vitamin C, fiber, folate and potassium, I thought I might be able to try some other ways to prepare fennel that I would enjoy.  Luckily for you I found two ;)

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The first was a unique side dish of Sauteed Fennel with Almonds and Cherries.  My picture didn't turn out that great (check out the original!), but I really liked it.  Definitely a unique combination of flavors, and one that I'd certainly make again!  I left out the optional cilantro but otherwise followed the recipe (ok perhaps I cooked it a bit longer to make sure it was nice and caramelized!).

Sauteed Fennel w/Almonds & Cherries

The second recipe that caught my eye was one from Dan Barber, whom I saw speak at Harvard.  I found his recipe for Fennel Soup over at Two Fat Als and knew I wanted to give it a try.  The apple adds a hint of sweetness to this creamy bowl of soup-- delicious!!  I happened to be out of fennel seeds and fresh thyme, so I substituted half the amounts with fennel pollen and dried thyme.  I added these with the other seasonings so they were sauteed a bit before adding stock.

Dan Barber's Fennel Soup

How about you, do you give veggies a second chance?  Do you like fennel raw?  Have a favorite fennel recipe?

19 comments:

Erica said...

I honestly have never used fennel before (except the seeds). I really want to try cooking with it! The soup looks super creamy and delicious. Hope you are enjoying your weekend so far!!

GF Gidget said...

I've never used it either. That definitely needs to be rectified!

Delicious Dishings said...

Both dishes look tasty! The first time I ever made fennel, I followed a recipe that said to boil it until it softened and then saute it with butter and parmesan cheese. Loved it!

Kerstin said...

What a fabulous soup (and picture!)! I usually cook fennel, and to be honest, I'm not sure I've ever had it raw - gotta try it!

Janetha @ meals + moves said...

I love fennel! It is so underrated.

Fun and Fearless in Beantown said...

I like fennel a lot in dishes but I've bactually never cooked with it. Both of these dishes look great!

Joanne said...

I absolutely detest raw fennel but really love it cooked! That soup looks so creamy and delicious. (LOVE Dan Barber! One of my friends went to his restaurant over Christmas break and said it was the best thing he's ever eaten. Need to go there one day when I'm rich.)

Lisa (bakebikeblog) said...

oooh I love fennel and that soup looks delightful!

Rosiecat24 said...

Hip hip for fennel! You know I love the stuff, but it must be either sliced thinly if it's raw or cooked well so that it doesn't feel like I'm gnawing on something fibrously unappetizing. The soup sounds really delicious--apple and fennel is a stellar combo, but I've only ever had it raw in various salads. I'm bookmarking the soup for future reference :-)

Elizabeth said...

That looks so silky and delicious. I don't think I've ever made fennel into soup before.

peachkins said...

I haven't cooked fennel but it looks delicious in your dishes!
Happy Valentine's Day!

Reeni said...

These both look good - especially the caramelized one. My Mom loves raw fennel - I grew up eating it but prefer it cooked now.

Alisa Fleming said...

Oh, I was *this* close to buying fennel at Trader Joe's yesterday. It looked so good. I definitely like it raw, chopped up on salads, but it is also excellent roasted.

Last year was the first time I had ever had fresh fennel thanks to our CSA

Heather @ Get Healthy with Heather said...

I try to give veggies a try raw and cooked. If it's something new you never know which way you'll like it.

I don't cook with fennel much but know I like it roasted on pizza!

Anonymous said...

Both the fennel with almonds and cherries and the soup look delicious! I definitely have to cook with fennel more often.

Unknown said...

I never though about using fennel this way. You always have such great ideas!
LC

vanillasugarblog said...

how sad is it that i do not have a fav fennel recipe? sad.

Cara said...

I have my own little love affair with fennel! I think you saw the hash I posted yesterday? I also love raw in a salad I've made before with almonds, grapes, olives, and some other fun stuff (it's on my blog somewhere if you want to see!)

Ricki said...

I only came to like fennel for the first time last month (after disliking it for all of my life before then). . . but now I can try out all these fab recipes and love it all over again! Thanks. :)

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