The cool, rainy weather this summer has made for a bountiful harvest of fennel from our friends at Wayward Seed Farm. We've featured fennel once already this summer, but there are so many great uses for Thomas Jefferson's favorite vegetable, that we're giving you a few more suggestions. As the season gets ready to turn, and warm dishes sound so much more palatable, be prepared for heartier options coming from the Professional Foodies in our kitchen. Meanwhile, enjoy the nice citrus-spiked salad featured below, as well as a few others.
Tonight's Ohio Vendor, by the way, is Powell's own Betsy's Brittle. Stop in, try Mandy's Marinated Garden Salad, and grab a beer or glass of wine at the bar. Dessert (free samples from Betsy's Brittle) will be delicious.
Tonight's Wines:
Gouguenheim Chardonnay 2008, Mendoza $2.00 sample, $3.00
glass
Aromas and flavors of apples and honey are well pronounced
is this elegant Chardonnay.
Jade Mountain Syrah 2007, Napa Valley $2.00 sample, $3.00
glass
This Syrah shows black cherry and cassis aromas with hints
of toasty wood.
Mandy's Marinated Garden Salad
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.
Mozzarella with Grilled Fennel
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.
Sweet Fennel Jewish Style
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.
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