Some vegetables make people take sides. Fennel, for example. People love it or they think they hate it. Joe Reynolds is a fan. He and partner Judith Winfrey are Love is Love Farm, the farmers at Gaia Gardens near Decatur.
“I think fennel is a very special member of the family of plants that produce umbels, like carrots, parsley and cilantro,” said Reynolds. Umbels are a flat-topped cluster of flowers, each flower on its own short stem. Those stems look a little like the spokes of an umbrella.
“Like all its relatives, fennel has a lot of essential oils and that’s why they’re all so aromatic and fragrant when we cook with them,” said Reynolds. Fennel’s essential oil is reminiscent of licorice, or anise.
As for that anise characteristic that makes some people turn up their noses, Reynolds finds that a little sauté in olive oil turns fennel succulent and uniquely sweet. “It partners well with other vegetables. We love to cut young summer squash into medallions and overlap them with slices of fennel. Add a little bit of spring onion, some butter and salt and roast it. The fennel and squash bring out the sweetness of each other. I wish I was eating that for dinner right now,” he said.
Reynolds also admires fennel for its beauty in the garden. “It’s one of the more spectacular-looking things in the garden with the overlapping arches of the bulb and the sprigs of feathery leaves. It’s pretty cool looking,” he said.
Love is Love Farm brings its produce to the Thursday evening East Atlanta Village Farmers Market and offers a community-supported agriculture program as well. To supply his customers, Reynolds succession-planted two 100-foot rows. The seeds were started in the greenhouse and then planted out in early March. He should be able to offer fennel from late May through June, depending on the weather.
“Hot weather can make it flower prematurely, but fennel can tough it out better than many of the other spring vegetables,” Reynolds said. He’s growing “Finale” from High Mowing Organic Seeds and “Orion” from Johnny’s Selected Seeds, two varieties that germinate and grow uniformly well for him.
The green fennel he grows comes to market, but Reynolds also grows bronze fennel as an ornamental, making little islands of bloom around the farm to attract beneficial insects. “Fennel pollen is also becoming a pretty hot thing with chefs, and the big beautiful blooms of bronze fennel are perfect for that,” he said.
Fennel should be stored loosely wrapped in your refrigerator. It should keep for a week to 10 days. If you buy fennel with the fronds (feathery greens) still attached, cut them off and store separately. Fronds are a great addition to a salad or soup and make a delicious pesto.
At local farmers markets
Cooking demos:
4–8 p.m. Thursday, May 30. Chef Seth Freedman of Forage and Flame offers demos throughout the evening.
9 a.m. Saturday, June 1. Chef Tyler Williams, Woodfire Grill, working with fennel. Morningside Farmers Market, Atlanta. www.morningsidemarket.com
10 a.m. Saturday, June 1. Chef Adam Evan, The Optimist. Peachtree Road Farmers Market, Atlanta. www.peachtreeroadfarmersmarket.com
For sale
Vegetables and fruit: artichokes, arugula, Asian greens, beets, broccoli, broccoli raab, cabbage, carrots, celery, chard, collards, cucumbers, dandelion, English peas, fava beans, fennel, garlic and green garlic, herbs, kale, kohlrabi, lamb’s quarters, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, mustard greens, onions, parsnips, pea tendrils, peaches, radicchio, radishes, sorrel, spinach, spring onions, strawberries, sugar snaps, summer squash, tomatoes, turnips.
From local reports
Lisa Rochon’s Arugula and Fennel Salad
Chef Lisa Rochon of Cuisine demonstrated this recipe at the Peachtree Road Farmers Market. The dressing is a particularly nice idea, a great way to use up bits of preserves or jam that may be hiding in your refrigerator. No fig preserves? Use what’s on hand.
Hands on: 15 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Serves: 6
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 medium fennel bulb with fronds
1/2 pound arugula
6 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup Fig Preserve Vinaigrette (see recipe)
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add walnuts and toast, stirring constantly, until walnuts become fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove from skillet and cool while preparing remainder of salad.
Remove the fronds from fennel bulb. Remove stems and chop fronds to make 1/4 cup and put in large bowl. Save remaining fronds for another use.
Cut fennel bulb in half, remove core and slice thinly. Rinse, spin dry and add to fronds.
Tear arugula leaves into bite-size pieces, rinse, spin dry and add to bowl. Toss together and divide salad between serving plates. Divide goat cheese and reserved walnuts between salads. Dress with vinaigrette and serve immediately.
Per serving, including vinaigrette: 394 calories (percent of calories from fat, 75), 17 grams protein, 9 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 34 grams fat (9 grams saturated), 30 milligrams cholesterol, 147 milligrams sodium.
Fig Preserve Vinaigrette
Hands on: 5 minutes
Total time: 5 minutes
Makes: 1 1/4 cups
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 tablespoons fig preserves
3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
In a small bowl, combine olive oil, preserves, balsamic vinegar and red wine vinegar. Whisk to combine. Season to taste. Use immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to one week. If refrigerated, bring to room temperature before using. Whisk or shake thoroughly to recombine dressing before using.
Per 1-tablespoon serving: 50 calories (percent of calories from fat, 92), trace protein, 1 gram carbohydrates, trace fiber, 5 grams fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 7 milligrams sodium.
