Roasted Fennel and Cherry Tomatoes

1 large fennel bulb with fronds attached

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoons coarse kosher salt, divided

1 pint cherry tomatoes

2 large fresh oregano sprigs

2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Grated parmesan 

15-ounce cans cannellini (white kidney beans), drained

Preheat oven to 425°F. Chop/mince enough fennel tops to measure 1/4 cup. Trim fennel bulb and cut in half vertically. Cut each bulb half into 1/2-inch-wide wedges, leaving some core attached to each wedge.

Heat oil in large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until very hot, about 3 minutes. Add fennel wedges in single layer; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon coarse salt. Cook until fennel begins to brown and soften, turning occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes. Add tomatoes, oregano, garlic, and crushed red pepper; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon coarse salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Fold together gently.

Transfer skillet to oven. Bake fennel and tomatoes until soft, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Mix in beans and chopped fennel tops. Bake 5 minutes longer to heat through. Transfer mixture to large shallow bowl. Grate parmesan over the mixture. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Roasted Beet and Fennel Salad with Cumin Vinaigrette

2 medium beets, roasted peeled, halved and cut in thin half-moons

1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed, quartered, cored and sliced very thin across the grain reserve tops and mince the herb

1 navel orange, peeled, pith cut away, and cut in thin rounds or sections

2 Tbsp chopped fennel herb

1 Tbsp chopped cilantro

2 Tbsp lemon or lime juice

¼ teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon lightly toasted cumin seeds, crushed

 Salt to taste

1 small garlic clove, puréed (optional)

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Heat oven to 400˚F.

Wash beets well. Wrap individually in foil and put them in a roasting pan or skillet and cover.

Cook, undisturbed, for at least 45 minutes, until a knife pierces one with little resistance. They may cook at different rates; remove each when it is done. When cool enough to handle peel and cut to desired shape. 

Combine beets, fennel, orange slices, fennel herb and cilantro in a large salad bowl. Set aside and prepare dressing.

Whisk together lemon or lime juice, sugar, cumin, salt, optional garlic and olive oil. Toss with the salad and serve.

Roasted Beet and Fennel Risotto

3 medium beets 

1 bulb baby fennel- chopped fine - reserve the herb for garnish

3 1/2 cups vegetable broth

3 cups water

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups arborio rice (14 oz)

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 oz parmesan, grated

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.

Tightly wrap beets in a double layer of foil and roast on a baking sheet until very tender, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Cool to warm in foil package, about 20 minutes.

When beets are cool enough to handle, peel them then cut into 1/2-inch cubes.

While beets are cooling, bring broth and water to a bare simmer in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan. Keep at a bare simmer, covered.

Cook onion and fennel in oil in a wide 4- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute.

Add wine and simmer briskly, stirring constantly, until absorbed, about 1 minute. Stir in 1/2 cup broth and simmer briskly, stirring constantly, until broth is absorbed. Continue simmering and adding broth, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next, until rice is just tender and creamy looking, 18 to 22 minutes. 

Stir in beets, salt, and pepper (mixture will turn bright pink) and cook, stirring, until heated through. Thin as necessary with some of leftover broth, then stir in cheese and fennel herb and remove from heat.

Leek and Parsley Risotto

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup leek, diced

1 fennel bulb, diced (optional)

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1.5 cups of arborio rice

4 cups of veggie stock

1 cup white wine

a small bunch of fresh parsley, very finely chopped

½ cup grated hard cheese like a parmigiana or an asiago

1/2 lemon

sea salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil for the risotto in a heavy-bottomed sauté pan. Sauté leek and fennel (optional) until tender. Add the minced garlic and sauté another minute or two until the garlic is fragrant. Add arborio rice stirring constantly until evenly coated. Add one cup of wine and stir continually until liquid is mostly absorbed. Then gradually add the veggie stock a cup at a time and reducing the liquid until mostly absorbed between each cup. This method allows for a slow release of the starches giving the finished product a creamy texture.

Cook until al dente, which is firm but cooked. You don’t want to overcook the rice into mush. Once the rice has reached the perfect state of al dente-ness add the parsley, cheese, and the juice of half a lemon and toss. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Indian Style Cabbage and Fennel

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 large fennel bulb (1 lb), halved and thinly sliced (4 cups)

1 large onion, halved and sliced into half-moons (2 cups)

½ savoy cabbage

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp garam masala or curry powder

Heat oil in cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add fennel seeds and cumin seeds, and sauté 30 seconds. Add fresh fennel and onion, and season with salt, if desired. Sauté 5 minutes.

Carefully pile cabbage into pan, cover, and cook 15 minutes, or until cabbage has cooked down, stirring often.

Add cayenne pepper, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook 20 to 30 minutes, or until vegetables are browned and caramelized.

Stir in chickpeas, lemon juice, and garam masala, and cook 5 minutes more, or until chickpeas are heated through.

Fennel Leaf and Basil Pesto

1 cup roughly chopped fennel tops

1 bunch of basil, stems removed

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

2 tablespoon pine nuts or slivered almonds (optional)

½ teaspoon chili flakes (optional)

½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt

¼  cup extra-virgin olive oil

Combine the fennel tops, basil, garlic, nuts, chili flakes and salt in a food processor or blender and pulse until the mixture is chopped up.

Add oil and process/blend until the mixture becomes paste-like. (You may have to scrape down the sides of the bowl.) Serve pesto at once, refrigerate for up to a week, or freeze for up to a month.

Fennel and Zucchini Salad

1 medium-large zucchini, sliced into paper thin coins

1 fennel bulb, top trimmed and shaved paper-thin

2/3 cup fennel frond and tops minced fine (the fronds have the most flavor)

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice, plus more if needed

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more if needed

fine grain sea salt

1 Head of Magenta lettuce cut into thin ribbons

Honey, if needed

1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted 

1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Combine the zucchini, fennel and minced tops in a bowl and toss with the lemon juice, olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside and marinate for 20 minutes, or up to an hour.

When you are ready to serve the salad, put the lettuce ribbons in a large bowl. Scoop the zucchini and fennel onto the lettuce, and pour most of the lemon juice dressing on top of that. Toss gently but thoroughly.

Taste and adjust with more of the dressing, olive oil, lemon juice, or salt if needed. If too acidic for your liking try adding a tiny drizzle of honey into the salad at this point. Serve topped with pine nuts and feta.

Fennel and Pepper Risotto

7 cups vegetable stock

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 head of fennel, diced small with core removed (reserve tops)

1 finely chopped shallot

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 yellow peppers, finely diced

 Salt to taste

1 ½ cups arborio or short grain rice

½ cup dry white wine

 Freshly ground pepper to taste

3 tablespoons chopped fennel herb

2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup)

Bring the stock to a simmer in a saucepan, with a ladle nearby. Season generously with salt. Heat the olive oil in a large, wide, heavy skillet or saucepan over medium heat and add the diced fennel and shallots. Cook gently until they begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, peppers, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, until the peppers are limp and fragrant, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the rice and stir over medium heat until the grains separate, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the wine and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. When the wine has just about evaporated, stir in just enough stock to cover the rice. Reduce heat slightly. Cook, stirring often, until the stock is just about absorbed. Add another ladleful or two of the stock and continue to cook in this fashion, stirring often and adding more stock when the rice is almost dry, for about 25 minutes or until the rice is cooked through but still a little chewy. Taste and adjust seasoning.

When the rice is cooked through, add a generous amount of freshly ground pepper, and stir in another half cup of stock, the Parmesan and the fennel herb. Remove from the heat. The rice should be creamy; if it isn’t, add a little more stock. Stir once, taste and adjust seasonings, and serve.

Curried Kale with Sautéed Vegetables

1 bunch green kale, roughly chopped

2-3 mini onions sliced

2 cups summer squash (zucchini), diced

1 cup broccoli cut into small florets

½ cup fennel bulb sliced thin across the grain 

1 can coconut milk (plus one can of water)

2 teaspoons curry powder

2 Tbsp coconut oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Serve over jasmine or basmati rice

Bring coconut milk plus can of water to a simmer in a pan and then add chopped kale and reduce by half over medium heat.

While the kale is stewing, heat a sauté pan over medium high heat then add coconut oil. Once the oil has liquefied, add the vegetables and sauté until lightly browned. (Stir Frequently) 

Add curry powder to the sautéed vegetable mix while stirring to ensure an even coating. Then turn to low and add the stewed kale with coconut milk to the sauté pan and let simmer for 5 minutes.

Salt and pepper to taste

Serve with rice.

As an option, you could add ground pork to the vegetable medley. Brown ½ pound of ground pork in the coconut oil first, then remove while cooking vegetables, and replace it just before adding the coconut stewed kale back to the sauté pan.