Fennel is an intense anise-smelling, weird-looking white bulb with layers wrapping around each other. It has sprays of soft green fronds at the end of the stems shooting out of the bulbs, although these are at times trimmed before you receive them. Basically an alien vegetable, fennel always wins either the least favorite and most favorite vegetable award!

When it's in Season at Hartwood Farm:

Fennel is in season on the farm in July and August.

Crop Category and What it Tastes Like:

An uncategorical veggie!

Fennel has a strong anise flavor that matches it’s licorice aroma. The bulb is crisp when raw, but tender and chewy when cooked, similar in consistency to a cooked onion (but not as soft as caramelized onion). The flavor is sweet, fresh, and complex.

How to Handle and Store:

Store your fennel in the fridge in a closed plastic bag. Trimmed bulbs without their frondy tops last 7 to 14 days.

How to Prep for Use:

Depending on the recipe, the tops are removed (some use them in salads) and the white bulb is cut normally one of three ways: either right down the middle of the long direction making two identical halves (for grilling); the leaves of the bulb are pulled off individually (for grilling, roasting, or kabobs), or the whole bulb is finely chopped (for sautéing or pasta sauce). The greens are edible too! Use them as an herb topping on your fennel dish, or muddle them in a drink like lemonade or grapefruit juice!

Ways to Cook and Eat:

Fennel is a very versatile veggie that's used in a lot of Italian dishes and works well with meat and fish. The flavor and intensity varies greatly based on cooking method. Fennel is VERY STRONG raw, but mellows out if used in a ragu sauce (almost unnoticeable) and when grilled.


Quick and Dirty Hangry Farmer Go-To Preparations:

We really just eat our fennel two ways, but we like it a LOT these preparations. First is on the grill--either small ones halved and coated with oil and salt and pepper, or individual leaves briefly grilled or as part of a kabob. The other way I love fennel is in a slow cooking pasta (red) sauce. We add it early on with the onion, so it has a chance to sauté and caramelize. 

Typical time to:

  • Steam—Not recommended unless you love it

  • Sauté—10 to 30 minutes--this might be overcooking it, but we find long, slow sautéing mellows the flavor

  • Bake—20 to 40 minutes, or until nice and soft and browned

  • Boil—Not recommended

Our Favorite Recipes:

Grilled Fennel (She Loves Biscotti)— simple grilled fennel recipe with lemon and sea salt

Roast Sausage and Fennel with Orange (Bon Appetit)—impress your friends with a fancy-looking (and tasting) but easy fennel recipe