Fennel Frond Pesto

Thank You WE CSA member Valerie for this wonderful recipe...
"i made this last night and it is fabulous!! i intend to put it on toasted quinoa or whole wheat rotini and top it with shaved white carrots, shaved turnips, red lentils and sprinkle some of the carrot tops on it!! we are a vegan family so i make parmezan sprinkles in place of the dairy parmesan and it is lovely. Thanks for all of your hard work!!"

• 1 bunch fennel fronds fronds, or Bronze Fennel herb
• 2 garlic cloves, minced--i use more
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts or sliced or slivered almonds--cashews would work as well
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Chop off fennel fronds and coarsely chop enough to measure 1 cup (discard the rest of the fronds, save the fennel for later use, and of course eat the fennel bulb itself, it's great to dip into the pesto). Put the chopped fronds in a food processor or blender. Add the garlic, nuts, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a generous pinch of pepper to the food processor and process until finely chopped. Add 4 tablespoons of the oil and cheese continue to process until the mixture looks like pesto. Season with more salt to taste. Makes 3/4 cup

Cauliflower, Fennel & Brussels Sprouts Salad

• thinly sliced fennel bulb
• thinly sliced brussels sprouts (and/or chopped broccoli or rapini)
• 2 cups chopped cauliflower
• 1/4-3/8 cup chopped onion or scallion
• 1/2-1 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds (soaked for 4 hours to germinate)
• 1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds (or raw)
• 1 cup veganaise or mayonaise
• 1/8 cup agave nectar
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Mix and eat. Now or later.

Squash & Fennel Soup

source: firehorserider.com It's so simple to make. I think the hardest part is peeling the squash. Once that's done, it only takes ten or fifteen minutes to throw all the ingredients into the pot. Walk away for an hour and come back and blend. It doesn't get any easier. Here's how: In a soup pot, pour a little olive oil or non-hydrogenated vegan "butter" and allow to warm on medium. Add five or six cloves of minced garlic and a red onion, diced. Chop a carrot or two and one or two stalks of celery and add to the garlic/onion mix. Stir on medium for a few minutes. Meanwhile, peel the beautiful winter squash. I actually use a sharp vegetable knife rather than a peeler. If the skins are thick, I find a knife just works better. Cut the squash into cubes and toss into the mix. Wash and dice a fennel bulb and add to the mix. I get beautiful fennel at the Venice Market and use the entire plant from bulb to leaf, but if you're in a place where all you can find is the bulb, that'll do just fine. Cover the veggies with water and turn heat to almost high. Throw in one or two cubes of veggie bouillon and bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and let simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. Turn off the heat, add a splash of maple syrup, some sea salt to taste, fresh ground pepper to taste, and if you have access to a Japanese market, this wonderful condiment called "nanami togarashi" is the secret ingredient for this soup. It's a blend of chilis, black sesame, seaweed and citrus, and I find it gives this creamy, sweet and licoricy soup a wonderful hint of exotic spice. Blend the soup with a Braun hand blender or in a food processor until smooth, and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Just looking at this soup will make you feel good.

Oven Potatoes with Fennel

• 20 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes, cut in 1/2" cubes
• 1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed and cut in 1" slices
• 1 medium sweet onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced finely
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• freshly ground black pepper -- to taste
  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. In large bowl, combine potatoes, fennel, onion, parsley, oil, salt and pepper; toss gently until well coated. Arrange mixture in a single layer on a prepared baking sheet. Bake, turning occasionally, until potatoes are crisp on all sides, 30-35 minutes. Serve immediately. source: Marquita Farm

FENNEL, GRAPE & GORGONZOLA SALAD

• 1 lg. bulb fennel bulb
• 2 tbsp.extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice, halved
• 1/2 cup black grapes, seeded
• 2 oz. Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 cup thinly sliced radish
• 1 cup sliced romaine
  Trim fennel stalks flush with bulb and discard any tough outer layers. Halve bulb lengthwise, discard core, and slice fennel thin. In a bowl toss together fennel, oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste and let stand 10 minutes. Add grapes, Gorgonzola, radicchio, and romaine and toss to combine.

Fennel Salad

• 1 Bulb fennel
• 1 bunch radish
• 1 Cucumber
• A few carrots
• Rice vinegar
• Dill 1-2 tsp if fresh

Thinly slice fennel, carrots and radish. Seed and chop cucumber. Mix everything into a bowl and toss with some rice vinegar and some dill to taste. This salad gets better as the days go by and it marinates in the vinegar, but it is really tasty the day of as well. from Adrienne Cox

Fennel, Carrot, Onion Stew

• fennel bulbs
• 1 tablespoon butter, divided
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 cups pearl onions, cut bite size
• 1 teaspoon honey or agave nectar
• 4 large carrots, cut into thick matchsticks
• 1-1 1/2 cups vegetable broth or water, divided
• Sea salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fennel fronds, or fresh parsley
  Cut off fennel stalks and remove strings from the bulbs with a vegetable peeler. Cut each bulb into 8 wedges, but do not remove the core. Bring salted water to a boil in a large saucepan, add fennel and blanch for 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, blot with paper towels and set aside.Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons butter and 1/2 teaspoon oil in a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the fennel and saute until nicely browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a dish and reserve. Repeat with the remaining butter, oil and fennel. Add onions to the pan, sprinkle with sugar and sauté, shaking the pan back and forth, until nicely browned, 5 to 6 minutes.Return the fennel to the pan; add carrots and 1 cup broth. Season with salt and pepper and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes, adding more broth as needed to keep the stew moist. Garnish with fennel fronds or parsley.Makes 6 servings.

Great Antipasto Salad

shared by Whole Earth CSA member Sharon A... Thanks Sharon!
I tried this with the fennel from our last pickup. The only change I made was instead of "1 2/5 tsp dried Italian mixed herbs" I chopped up a handful of fresh Oregano, Thyme, and Basil from my garden. One of the great things about this salad is that it will keep in the refrigerator for a week and it actually gets better with time, so you can have salad on hand that is ready to serve. It's also a powerhouse of vitamin A,; one serving provides 305% of your daily value for this important nutrient. Enjoy!

• 2 cups carrots, turned
• 1½ cups thick sliced celery
• 1 cup fresh sliced fennel bulb
• 2 TBS rinsed and quartered Kalamata olives
• 2 TBS capers, rinsed
• Dressing1 1/2 tsp dried Italian mixed herbs
• 2 medium cloves garlic, pressed
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp honey
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp cracked black pepper
• 1½ TBS fresh lemon juice
• extra virgin olive oil to taste

Press garlic and let sit for 5 minutes to bring out its health-promoting benefits. Bring water to boil in steamer and add carrots and steam for 4 minutes. Add celery and fennel and steam for just 1 more minute. Remove from heat and place in a bowl with capers and olives. Whisk all dressing ingredients together, drizzling olive oil at end a little at a time. Toss with vegetables and marinate for at least 15 minutes before serving. Healthy Cooking Tips: The cooking time for this recipe can vary depending on the exact size you cut your vegetables. You want your vegetables to be tender on the outside and still crisp on the inside. When they get to this point remove from the heat. Source: www.whfoods.com

Leek and Fennel Relish

• 1 Tb olive oil
• leeks, white part only, washed and thinly sliced (save green stem for soup stock)
• 1 fennel bulb, without leafy fronds, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1 Tb fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the leeks, fennel, and parsley. Reduce the heat to medium and sauté, stirring often, until the leeks are soft, about 7 minutes. (The fennel should still be crunchy.)
Remove the mixture from the heat and transfer it to a medium glass or earthenware bowl. Let it cool completely. Stir in the lemon juice, mustard, and yogurt. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours.
Source: The Essential Vegetarian Cookbook

from WE CSA member Leah... Thanks Leah!
So, I made a new recipe last night with the patty pans and it was delicious. It's vegetarian and except for the little bit of extra virgin olive oil I used to sauté, it's fat free. http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2006/07/patty-pan-squash-stuffed-with-cajun.html I followed it to the letter the first time, but would probably try some other veggies and perhaps a little bulgur wheat (cook first). Maybe even a spicy sausage another time for non-vegetarian.Also, here's the recipe I told you about for the flat leaf parsley & pistachio pesto slaw with raw fennel: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/everyday-italian/fennel-slaw-with-prosciutto-and-pistachio-pesto-recipe/index.html If you don't use prosciutto, you need to salt it. Here's another recipe for fennel I didn't try, but it sounds wonderful -- although I'd use chicken or fish, not pork (will definitely try next time I get fennel): http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/pork-chops-with-fennel-and-caper-sauce-recipe/index.html

SAVORY BRAISED FENNEL & CABBAGE

• 1 large onion, finely sliced
• 1 medium head of cabbage, chopped
• large bulb fennel, sliced 1/4 inch half moons
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon of dried savory
• 3 tablespoons of butter
• 1 teaspoon of flour
• 1 cup of vegetable or chicken stock
• 1/2 cup of white wine
• 4 fresh tomatoes, sliced into eighths
• 1 tablespoon of tomato puree (you can buy it in the tube and keep it in the refrigerator for just this purpose, when you only need a tablespoon and don't want to open those little cans.)
• 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley for last minute garnish
• Sour cream
• Parmesan cheese for last minute sprinkling

Saute onions until soft and limp. Add fennel, chopped cabbage, garlic, herbs, butter and flour. Keep stirring lightly to blend and wilt the cabbage and fennel. Add stock and wine. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are nearly tender. Add tomatoes and puree. Simmer another 10 minutes until all is tender. Put in serving dish, dollop with sour cream, spinkle with parsley. Serve parmesan on the side.

Roasted Fennel

• 2 fennel bulbs (thick base of stalk), stalks cut off, bulbs sliced
• Olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 400°F. Rub just enough olive oil over the fennel to coat. Sprinkle on some balsamic vinegar, also to coat. Line baking dish with silpat or aluminum foil. Lay out piece of fennel and roast for 15-20 minutes, until the fennel is cooked through and beginning to caramelize.

Lemony Leek Soup

adapted from Recipes from a Kitchen Garden by Shepherd et al

• 1 T butter
• 2 T vegetable oil
• 6 cups thinly sliced leeks
• 1 carrot, thinly sliced
• 1 stalk celery or fennel, thinly sliced
• 6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 T grated lemon zest
• 2 T lemon juice
• 2 t fresh marjoram or 1 t dried
• 1 T chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup brown rice
• 1/2 cup milk
• Salt & white pepper to taste
• garnish: sour cream or yogurt
• 3 T minced chives
  In a 4-5 quart saucepan, heat butter and oil, add leeks, carrot and celery and saute until softened. Add stock, lemon rind, lemon juice, marjoram, parsley and rice and simmer, covered, for about 40 minutes until vegetables are very tender. Puree in a blender (or with a stick blender) or food processor. Pour mixture back into pan; add milk, & S & P to taste. If soup is too thick add more milk or stock. Heat soup through, but do not boil. Serve hot or cold, sprinkled with chives and dollop of sour cream or yogurt. Serves 6-8
  

Fennel Gratin

adapted from Mollie Katzen

• 3/4 cup dried bread crumbs
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large onion, halved and cut in 1/4-inch slices
• fennel bulbs, trimmed of stalks, halved, and cut in 1/4-inch slices
• 1 (28-ounce) can of diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated Parmigiano
• Grated zest of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toast the breadcrumbs in an 8-inch skillet over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Set aside to cool.2. Heat the onion in a very large (16-inch) skillet over medium heat, and swirl to coat the pan. Cook the garlic and onion until soft, but not brown, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the fennel and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the fennel has softened and is beginning to brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. 3. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes longer. Transfer to a shallow 3-quart oven-to-table casserole or gratin dish.4. Combine the breadcrumbs, grated cheese and lemon zest in a bowl and sprinkle evenly over the fennel mixture. The gratin can be made up to this point 6 to 8 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate, then bring to room temperature before baking. 5. Bake the gratin until heated through and the topping is crisp, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Roasted Red Pepper & Fennel Salad

• 1 medium red bell pepper
• 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
• 1 head leaf lettuce - rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 bulb fennel, diced
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• black pepper to taste

Preheat broiler. Grill pepper under the broiler until the skin is blackened, and the flesh has softened slightly. Place pepper in a paper bag or resealable plastic bag to cool. Remove the seeds and skin (the skin should come off the peppers easily now). Slice into strips.
Set oven to bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place pine nuts and sesame seeds on a baking sheet, and toast until beginning to brown. They'll smell great! Combine lettuce greens, fennel bulb, and red pepper in a salad bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce and vegetable oil. Pour over salad, and toss to coat. Sprinkle with pine nuts and sesame seeds, and season to taste with ground black pepper.

Roasted Red Pepper & Fennel Salad

• 1 medium red bell pepper
• 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
• 1 head leaf lettuce - rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 bulb fennel, diced
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• black pepper to taste
  Preheat broiler. Grill pepper under the broiler until the skin is blackened, and the flesh has softened slightly. Place pepper in a paper bag or resealable plastic bag to cool. Remove the seeds and skin (the skin should come off the peppers easily now). Slice into strips.
  Set oven to bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place pine nuts and sesame seeds on a baking sheet, and toast until beginning to brown. They'll smell great!
  Combine lettuce greens, fennel bulb, and red pepper in a salad bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce and vegetable oil. Pour over salad, and toss to coat. Sprinkle with pine nuts and sesame seeds, and season to taste with ground black pepper.

Roasted Fennel

• 2 fennel bulbs (thick base of stalk), stalks cut off, bulbs sliced
• olive oil
• balsamic vinegar
  Preheat oven to 400°F. Rub just enough olive oil over the fennel to coat. Sprinkle on some balsamic vinegar, also to coat. Lay out piece of fennel on oil coated baking tray and roast for 15-20 minutes, or until the fennel is cooked through and beginning to caramelize.

Fennel Vinaigrette Dressing

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped fennel leaves
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic
• pinch sea salt
• pinch unrefined sugar or raw honey

In a small saucepan, heat oil, fennel leaves, lemon juice, crushed garlic and salt and sugar. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.

CHIOGGGA BEET & FENNEL SALAD WITH FETA

from Bon Appétit

• large (3-inch-diameter) beets, all but 1 inch of tops trimmed
• beet greens from beets
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 oranges1 small fresh fennel bulb, trimmed, quartered, cut into paper-thin strips
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted, husked, halved
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• Coarse kosher salt, celtic sea salt
• Freshly ground white pepper
• green Romaine lettuce
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely crumbled feta cheese
• oranges

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place all beets in 9x9x2-inch metal pan. Drizzle 3 tablespoons oil over; sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Cover pan with foil and roast beets until tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Uncover and cool completely. Meanwhile, saute beet greens in olive oil, salt & peper to taste, until tender. When beets cool, peel and cut into 1/2-inch cubes, and place in large bowl; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before using. Cut all peel and pith off oranges. Working over medium bowl to catch orange juice, cut between membranes, releasing segments. Add 1 cup orange segments, fennel, mint, parsley, hazelnuts, and shallot to bowl with beets. Transfer 2 teaspoons orange juice to small bowl; whisk in vinegar and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season dressing to taste with salt and white pepper. Stir into beet mixture. Mound beet greens on large platter, top with lettuce leaves, torn and then beet salad mixture. Drain remaining orange segments; arrange on salad. Sprinkle with feta.

Recipes From Our Members

I must share. Tonight we had a wonderful meal. I was absolutely sure I didn’t like beets and, I must confess, have bartered them to friends and even shared them with the porcupines at the wildlife rehab facility where I volunteer (they love them).
Tonight I baked them (like a baked potato) and THEY WERE WONDERFUL! I love turnips, and the flavor was similar.
I also made a wonderful quick stir fry with collard greens, fresh spinach, purple onions, garlic and some pac choi from last week… yum yum.
I even went out on a limb and looked through all my vegetarian cookbooks and made a fennel recipe. It was great! Fennel, tomatoes, shallots, garlic and fresh basil sauted and topped with bread crumbs and baked. I actually enjoyed it as well.
I’m currently fat and happy and feeling quite smug about the whole thing. Please know that I would never have tried these wonderful concoctions without my CSA. Thank you, thank you. I’ll share the beets and fennel with family for Easter dinner tomorrow. My grandchildren are always game to try Gram’s new experiments in food.
Kris W.