What do I do with all this fennel?

So I am doing this really cool new CSA thing where I get a box of seasonal local organic veggies delivered right to my door every week and it is so fun because it is a random mix every week and I have to try out new things that I would probably never buy in the store. One of those, is fennel. I got two big things of it and have NO experience with it. What should I do with it?

Roast it!

I usually will toss it in oil with some crushed garlic and then just put it on the grill. You can brush on some soy sauce too if you like. Here's a link to a recipe I have not yed tried but which also sounds pretty good.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/roasted-fennel-with-parmesan-recipe.html

Thanks Landon! A few of my friends have told me to BBQ it as well. That sounds like a pretty common trick. I will probably try that!

It is yummy simply saute it in butter and at the end some pepper and lemon.

I agree: grill it! A 'mixed grill' of things like onions, eggplant, zucchini, peppers, is delicious.
after grilling, dress everything with balsamic vinegar, olive oil and plenty of salt/pepper.
I love fennel in salads. Say: apple, walnut, finely cut fennel, crunchy lettuce, goat's cheese with lemon juice and olive oil.
It goes especially well with cheese-any cheese
If you eat seafood or pork, fennel's a great accompaniment.
The Italians are really into fennel, and you're pretty safe adding it to anything even vaguely Italian.
It's awesome added to a coleslaw, especially if there's pork to go with it!

Thanks everyone! What do I do with the non-bulbs part?

Cassie Langstraat wrote:Thanks everyone! What do I do with the non-bulbs part?

I don't grow bulb fennel, just a bronze fennel, for the herb and seed. I like the herb part for tea, sometimes mixed with another like mint...or chopped and added to a salad or stir fry.

I loved being part of a CSA too for awhile...it was great to have that variety of produce coming to the door..and like you say it got me too, to try some things that I probably wouldn't have otherwise.

Cassie Langstraat wrote:What do I do with the non-bulbs part?

You mean the stalks/fronds 'sprouting' from the bulb?
I just chop the stalks off in one go about where they start getting 'stalky'.
The stalks are usually tender, and you could strip the fronds off and leave the stalks on if you like.
If I'm cooking the fennel I cut off all the fronds and don't cook them-I find the texture icky, or they just carbonise!
If using in salads, I often add the youngest yellow-green fronds, very finely cut.
The older fronds are pretty strong flavoured/tough and go in the compost