Without a Recipe: Fennel

Fennel has a licorice-y flavor that mellows considerably when cooked. Shave it raw into salads or grill, roast, or caramelize slowly.

• We love fennel in winter salads-shave paper thin and toss with thin-sliced radishes and greens with a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice.
• A staple of Italian cooking, fennel is fantastic on pizza (slice thin and add to pizza dough with Italian sausage and mozzarella) or caramelized in butter and olive oil and stirred into risotto and pasta.
• Grill it up! Leaving the root end intact, slice fennel all the way through into thin slices, brush with olive oil, and throw on the grill with pork chops or Italian sausage links.
• Make a fennel relish with spring onions, citrus, and cilantro to top fish–be sure to throw in some of the feathery fronds for more flavor.