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from The Splendid Table, by Lynne Rosetto Kasper

4 medium sized bulbs fennel, quartered and trimmed
4 TB. extra virgin olive oil
3 large cloves garlic, cut into 1/4 inch dice
1/2 cup water
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cut the fennel bulb in half lengthwise, and then cut into julienne strips between 1/4 and 1/2 inch wide. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, turn the heat to low and cook 8 minutes, or until the pieces are pale blond. Do not cook beyond a golden color, or the garlic will turn bitter. Immediately scoop out the garlic with a slotted spoon and reserve. Add fennel to the pan and sauté about 10 minutes, until they are golden brown on all sides. Once the fennel is browned, add the water to the pan and sprinkle the fennel with salt and pepper. Cover the pan tightly and cook over medium-low heat 5 to 8 minutes, or until the fennel is tender. Uncover the pan and boil away any liquid left in it. Sprinkle fennel with reserved garlic. Serve immediately.



from The Kitchen Diaries: A Year in the Kitchen with Nigel Slater, by Nigel Slater

2 medium sized heads of fennel
5 TB. olive oil
24 black olives
small bunch flat leaf parsley
2 balls buffalo mozzarella

Heat the grill. Slice the stalks and fronds from the fennel bulbs. Cut the bulbs into thin slices, no thicker than 1/8 inch. Lay the fennel on the grill, letting it color first on one side, then the other. Depending on the heat of your grill, this could take anything up to ten minutes.

Pour olive oil into a bowl and add the olives. Chop the parsley roughly and add it to the olive oil with a seasoning of salt and black pepper. Life the fennel off the grill and drop it into the dressing. Toss gently. Divide the salad between four plates. Slice the mozzarella thickly, or split it by hand, then lay the pieces on top of the salad. Drizzle over any remaining dressing or add a little more olive oil.



1 English cucumber, thinly sliced
1/2 lb. haricot verts, blanched
1/2 lb. carrots, thinly sliced
1 red onion, thinly julienned
3-4 heirloom tomatoes, chunked
1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced

Dressing:
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 cup white vinegar
zest of 1 lemon
2-3 TB. fresh dill, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

Mix and serve.



1 lb. pasta

1/2 lb. bacon, cut into bite sized bits
2 pints grape or cherry tomatoes
1 bunch flat leaf parsley, stems removed
1 cup walnuts, lightly toasted
Any combination of the following:
spinach
chard, cut into strips
onions, in chunks
leeks, sliced
asparagus, in bite sized pieces
squash, large dice
zucchini, large dice
bell pepper, large dice
green beans, cut into 2 inch pieces
mushrooms, sliced
cabbage, large shred
fennel, sliced into thin matchsticks

Cook pasta until al denta, set aside. Over medium low heat, cook the bacon pieces until crisp. Carefully remove bacon bits from pan, add to the pasta. In the same pan, over medium high heat, add vegetables that need to cook the longest, such as onions, leeks, asparagus, green beans, peppers, mushrooms and fennel. Cook 4-6 minutes, tossing for even cooking. Add tomatoes and cook covered another 8-10 minutes, or until tomatoes are soft. Add vegetables such as chard, spinach, squash, and zucchini. Cook until greens are just wilted. Add bacon and pasta to the pan, cook 2 additional minutes until pasta is warm. Season as needed with salt and pepper. Toss with parsley and walnuts and serve.



from The Observer, August 24, 2008

2 large, or 3 medium-sized, heads of fennel
3 TB. olive oil
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 LB. beef tomatoes, or equivalent tasty tomatoes
1/2 LB. Miceli's Buffalo Mozzarella
1 TB. balsamic vinegar

Salmoriglio:

6 TB. fresh oregano or marjoram leaves
1 teas. flaky sea salt or ½ tsp fine sea salt

4 teas. lemon juice
4 TB. extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil (optional)
vegetable oil for brushing

Trim any stems off the top of the fennel bulb, retaining any feathery leaves to scatter over the finished salad. Discard any bruised leathery outer layers. Retain the root and hard heart of the fennel to hold your finished wedges together; if the root end has discolored, clean it up by taking off the thinnest of slices. Cut the fennel heads in half then slice each half into 3-4 mm thick wedges, each time cutting through the root and heart to keep the fan in one piece. Place the fennel in a bowl, drizzle over the olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.

Salmoriglio: Pound the oregano or marjoram in a pestle and mortar with the sea salt until dark in color and well broken down. Add the lemon juice and combine well. Slowly pour in the olive oil, stirring as you do so. Add a few twists of pepper and set aside for at least 30 minutes to let the flavor settle. Keeps well for several days in a lidded jar.

Grill: Pre-heat the grill to medium, or 'cook', temperature. Clean and lightly oil the rack. Place the fennel on the grill and cook slowly for up to 20 minutes, or until softened. If the fennel is picking up too much color, move it to a cooler area of the grill, or place on a piece of foil on the grill. If fennel is not cooked for long enough, it will be stringy and chewy.

To serve: Leave the fennel to cool. This salad is best served at room temperature. Slice the beef tomatoes and mozzarella into rounds. Season tomatoes with salt and pepper and drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil if desired. Arrange the tomatoes, fennel and mozzarella on a serving plate and drizzle sparingly with salmoriglio.