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Sunday, April 17, 2011

CSA Mystery Veggie Challenge: Fennel + My Embarrashing Moment!

So, this week I have decided to take on fennel as my Mystery Veggie of the Week in preparation of my first CSA.  This morning I was on my third store trying to hunt down fennel.  I knew it was a root vegetable, but wasn't 100% on what it looked like, so I was going by the little produce signs.  At the end of my patience, I tracked down the produce manager and asked if he had any fennel, "Right over here," he says while walking me right back to the spot I was previously searching.  He points to a sign and I exclaim (for all to hear), "AH HA, IT'S ALSO KNOWN AS ANISE! (which I pronounce as "anus")  The manager politely corrects my mistake, while my boyfriend looks on in stunned horror (I'm not an idiot, I swear!).  Had I'd not been so excited to actually find the damn stuff, I probably would have been embarrassed, but I carried on!

This is stuff they really should teach in school...I'm posting a picture so you can avoid my faux pas or just remember that fennel is also known as anise, not anus.

Here's what I did with the fennel:

Ingredients:

Fresh Green Beans
Fennel, cut into fine slices (white part only)
Tarragon, minced
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions: 
  1. Steam green beans
  2. While green beans are steaming, saute fennel in olive oil 
  3. Add green beans, tarragon, salt & pepper and a little more olive oil to the fennel and heat through

I paired this dish with a baked lobster tail (acquired from my Farmer's Market) and rice pilaf - delic!

Enjoy!
The Hoff
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6 comments:

  1. TrixieApril 17, 2011 at 10:29 AM

    that sounds like a good use of fennel. I've never tried it before, never knew what to do with it. I guess I'll be experimenting when I get my batch from Farmer Chuck.

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  2. The HoffApril 17, 2011 at 5:21 PM

    It tastes like black licorice - it was ok. Definitely worth trying at least once.

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  3. beebeeApril 17, 2011 at 7:25 PM

    I usually end up using the fennel seed; aromatic, nice in teas; not so much the black licorice-y aftertaste.

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  4. Tina MacejkoApril 17, 2011 at 7:27 PM

    I dislike black licorice lol :D

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  5. The HoffApril 17, 2011 at 7:33 PM

    I hear ya Tina! When I heard it tasted like licorice, I was hoping for the strawberry Twizzler kind....no dice.

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  6. The HoffApril 17, 2011 at 7:34 PM

    Liv, where does one get fennel seed? Would that be in the seasoning department?

    ReplyDelete