When I decided to cook soup with a crockpot, rather than the usual onions, I decided to take a chance on something called a fennel?
Truth to tell, I didn't even know what it was when I saw it. The grocery store didn't have a name printed for it or anything. All I knew was that it looked like a cross between a celery and an onion, and it had a particularly distinct aroma, similar to onion but not really.
The scary part is that they turned out to be $2 a piece, but I figure that it was worth trying anyways. (The price wasn't printed, so I didn't know until it was rung up.)
When I got home and looked it up on the internet, it mentioned that it was not only nutritious, but was also medicinal in some way. Interesting.
Unfortunately, 12 hours in the crockpot made the fennel give off a strong, bitter smell, and it did not do much to soften up the vegetable. Overall though, the soup still ended up fine.
So, even though I won't use fennel again, it was a new and interesting experience just the same. And for that, it was worth $2.
Fennel
November 16th, 2009 at 01:16 am
November 16th, 2009 at 02:04 am 1258337044
November 16th, 2009 at 02:51 am 1258339894
November 16th, 2009 at 03:11 am 1258341074
November 16th, 2009 at 05:22 am 1258348969
November 16th, 2009 at 02:32 pm 1258381951
November 16th, 2009 at 02:49 pm 1258382945
Serve about 1/4 of the bulb in a small bowl with a few spoonfuls of the both. To me this is a very strong, but, mmm, sophisticated taste. Certainly not everyone is going to like it. I freeze extra portions.
Unfortunately, not all fennel is equal either. I have not figured out how to tell a good fennel bulb from a disappointing one before cooking and tasting it. Some stay pretty tough and some are much sweeter than others.---You described it as bitter; I would describe a good fennel as sweet! Maybe you did not get a great one.
Whenever you start your gardening, BA, this is one you can grow! Even growing them in my garden, I have not figured out how to always make the bulbs sweet and plump. Oh, but besides the base end of the stem ("bulb") and the seeds, I also harvest the flowers and flower buds. They are even more sweet and are so good in an iceberg lettuce salad, plus give the salad. sprinkle of yellow color. Butterflies are attracted by fennel in the garden and you can also grow bronze fennel--yes that is its color.
All you wanted to know about fennel and more, eh?
November 16th, 2009 at 03:24 pm 1258385056
As for being adventurous, I've always known I was a plodding and methodical kind of guy. That's why a friend of mine back in high school told me I should be spontaneous sometimes, and make sure to seize opportunities when it presents itself. I've never forgotten that.
That's what I did when I saw the fennel. And even though I didn't know what it was at the time, it was only a veggie, so I didn't think it was a huge risk or anything. I also double checked the internet before I cooked it, to make sure it wasn't poisonous or anything.
Anyway, thank you for the inputs and compliments.