fennel When you want to add fun to your cooking experience or simply want fresh fruits and vegetables that you’ve never tried before, it’s worth a stop to the Waterwitch Grocery on Waterwitch Avenue in Highlands across from Huddy Park.
Not only is this great little market filled with fresh fruits and vegetables, great oils, herbs, and spices, but now with the hot soups offered every day, it’s the perfect place to shop now that the weather is getting colder. What’s more, there’s a coffee counter and a juice bar simply for enjoying and relaxing, or for a real treat, try that turmeric ginger tea they offer. Nothing like it!
Owners Nancy Burton and Eileen Ricco are great shoppers themselves, and bring unique items to the store from local suppliers with excellent reputations and backgrounds. And then they even know great recipes and ideas for each of them so it’s enticing to pick up something and try something new.
This week, it was fennel that captured my attention.
Fennel looks kind of like a bunch of celery except with lovely green fern and a very white and delicious root. It’s a member of the carrot family, but it’s not a root vegetable since that white base with the long stalks grows above the ground. Those fern leaves may look like dill, but they have a taste all their own and even sprout little yellow flowers.
Every part of the fennel can be eaten, either cooked, steamed, roasted, or raw, in a salad or simply as a snack. What’s best, it tastes like licorice! That white bulb has the texture of celery but can be caramelized when it cooks, which gives it a sweeter, more tender flavor.
It’s a vegetable, so of course it’s nutritious and has all kinds of good things for better health, like a lot of potassium, Vitamin C and fiber.
If you want to try fennel raw, it’s best to shave it thin. Try marinating it in some lemon juice and olive oil which will add to the taste but still keep it crisp. For a salad, try mixing it with some nuts, Parmesan cheese, and whatever greens you prefer. Here Again, Nancy has a great provider farm, and this local farmer offers a great blend of crunchy red and green lettuce, with some pepper arugula for a spicy mix.
For easy cooking, try putting those thin slices in saucepan with some olive oil and simply brown in the pan, picking up a caramelized flavor. And if you want to try roasting it, spread wedges of the vegetable on a baking sheet, toss with some olive oil and pepper, and roast for about 20 to 25 minutes at 400 degrees until it edges are tender around the edges. You’ll still taste that licorice flavor.
As for all those lovely greens? Mince them up and use as a garnish for soups or any vegetable or add to soups or salads. Or use as a soup base if you make your own vegetable broths or soups.
Here’s a recipe for a great Fennel and Apple Salad
1 shallot, very thinly sliced
2Â Tbsp apple cider or white wine vinegar
1/2Â tsp. fennel seeds (optional)
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 fennel bulbs, ends trimmed, halved, cored, and very thinly sliced
2 Granny Smith or other tart apples, halved, cored, and very thinly sliced
4 radishes, very thinly sliced
1/2Â cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
In a small bowl, combine shallot, vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let sit, stirring occasionally, until ready to use. Gently crush fennel seeds until seeds start to break and are fragrant. In a large bowl, whisk oil, lemon zest and juice, and fennel seeds. Add apple, radishes, and pickled shallots (discard vinegar) and toss to combine, Top with walnuts.
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