Fennel is the vegetable that just keeps on giving.
You can literally eat every part of this aromatic (think: licorice) plant from its seeds, to its stalks to its ponderous bulb to its frilly fronds.
What’s more, fennel can be enjoyed raw, dipped into Bonnes Saveur’s red pepper hummus, for instance, or cooked, usually roasted or steamed along a Sunday roast chicken or, simply steamed and drizzled with Arlotta Olive Oil, sidling up to a baked trout fillet (Letterbox Farm).
According to food writer/historian Elizabeth Schneider, we owe fennel's arrival to the US to Thomas Appleton, the American consul in Florence who, back in 1824, sent Thomas Jefferson some seeds of the city's most famous vegetable with this rave review: “The fennel is beyond every other vegetable, delicious,” wrote Appleton. “There is no vegetable that equals it in flavor.”
Roasting fennel really coaxes out the flavor and I highly recommend this recipe for fennel al forno. Get your mozzarella from Maplebrook Farm. And, you can send this to the dinner table as a vegetarian entree or as a bold hearty side to some R & M or Letterbox Italian sausage.
Don’t know what to do with those frilly fronds that are leftover? I usually save them for chicken stock,or put them in any poaching liquid when I'm poaching fish, or lay them in the steamer with the quartered bulbs for extra flavor. You can also make fennel frond pesto to toss with your La Trafila Pasta or slather on your roasted chicken thighs.
If you’re not sure how to cut into a fennel bulb, here’s a primer from thekitchn.com.
I would definitely think about incorporating fennel into your Thanksgiving meal as the anise flavor really works to cut through the heaviness of many Thanksgiving dishes. Try this recipe for fennel and sausage stuffing with toasted brioche. Head straight to Wave Hill Breads for your brioche, natch.
Enough about fennel. Let’s talk squash! Try this recipe for caramelized squash with cinnamon -toasted nuts for some extra color and crunch on your holiday table.
Have you seen the gorgeous chanterelles at the Tivoli Mushroom stand?I can’t wait to make chanterelle toast, a recipe plucked from my new obsessionforagerchef.com.
In the good news department, we’re thrilled to announce that Josh Small, founder of Dough Co Bagels has finally figured out the trick to making the perfect cinnamon raisin bagel. Not offering one in his repertoire has been keeping him up at night but finding the right balance between raisins and flour and adding lots of proofing time did the trick.
Local resident Dick Goldsmith is once again giving away FREE Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes) this year from his garden harvest. Take what you want, all he asks is that you make a nominal donation to Feeding Westchester.
Remember: next week is the week to test out any new recipes you plan on featuring on the big day!
Looking forward to seeing you all at the market on Saturday.
Our featured musician is Peter Calo.
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