Farmers market report: Fennel is in season. We have recipes

Dec. 23, 2016 8:30 AM PT

What’s in season: Known for its bright, licorice-like notes, fennel is normally in season during the cold months, from late winter through early spring. Fennel is a versatile vegetable; the bulb and stems can be enjoyed raw or cooked. And the tender greenery can be used as a last-minute addition to a recipe for flavor, or used as a garnish. Wild fennel, which can be found growing throughout Southern California, is perfect for harvesting seeds and pollen.

What to cook: Shave raw fennel bulbs or stems to lend crunch and assertive flavor to salads and slaws. Or braise the vegetable, gently muting the flavor as it cooks to sweet tenderness, alongside potatoes and other cold-weather vegetables. Chop up the delicate greens and use as you would fresh herbs in dips or soups, or sprinkle over a dish as a colorful garnish. Toast the seeds before using to bring out their depth of flavor, then grind and add to vegetable sides, fish or meat dishes, breads and other baked goods, to lend gentle licorice notes.

What’s on the horizon: Dandelion greens and radishes, normally in season from late winter through early spring, are showing up at select stands.

Click on the photo gallery below for some of our favorite fennel recipes:

1/8

Recipe: Black mussels with fennel salt

(Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

2/8

Recipe: Roast potatoes, onions, fennel and bay leaves

(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

3/8

Recipe: Pink grapefruit and fennel salad with crab

(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

4/8

Recipe: Deviled eggs with smoked salmon, fennel and capers

(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

5/8

Recipe: Yellowtail with fennel sauce

(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

6/8

Recipe: Fennel soup

(Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

7/8

Recipe: Rockfish soup with fennel and potatoes

(Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

8/8

Recipe: Carrots, cauliflower and fennel with harissa and caraway

(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

APPLE AND FENNEL SALAD

Total time: 20 minutes | Serves 4

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

Salt

2 ounces Manchego cheese

1/2 fennel bulb

1 Granny Smith apple

1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

1 tablespoon chopped chives

4 small fennel fronds for garnish

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and sherry vinegar. Season with one-eighth teaspoon salt, or to taste. Reserve.

2. Cut the Manchego into batons about 2 inches long by one-fourth-inch thick. Slice the fennel lengthwise very thinly, preferably with a mandolin. Place the Manchego and fennel in a large bowl.

3. Core and halve the apple. Cut one-half of the apple into a one-fourth-inch dice. Thinly slice the second half lengthwise, preferably with a mandolin. Add the diced and sliced apple to the bowl, along with the walnuts.

4. Gently toss the salad, adding just enough vinaigrette to lightly coat the ingredients. Divide the salad among four plates. Evenly sprinkle the chives over each serving, and garnish each plate with one fennel frond. Serve immediately.

Each of the 4 servings: 243 calories; 6 grams protein; 8 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 22 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 10 mg. cholesterol; 210 mg. sodium.

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