Spring is here! Veggie Exploration: Fennel

In this last month of work on my thesis project, I am determined to cook more.  "How can one do that with so little time, energy, and sleep," you ask?  I'm wondering the same thing...  my hope is that this will provide just enough distraction and procrastination for me to really buckle down and do so while being well fed.

With the amount of goodies to be found at the farmers markets these days, I am determined to learn how to work with the many wonderful spring and summer veggies that are out there.  Today I begin with fennel...

This wonderful herb has hints of anise flavors and used in a variety of ways (including absinthe!).  Its seeds can be used as a spice (see: Fennel and Sage Crusted Pork Tenderloin), while the bulb is used as a vegetable.  The first time I fell in love with its fresh summer flavors was last summer when I was living in Rome.  It was prepared simply in a chopped salad with olive oil and lemon juice.

My version of a fennel citrus salad, crunchy and divine, served with a quick and easy lemon butter baked halibut steak made my night feel like spring.  Here's this meal's bleuprint.

photo: amy perenchio

Fennel Citrus Salad
Recipe by Amy Perenchio, Serves: 2

1 large fennel bulb
1 large grapefruit (You can sub this out for an orange, but the grapefruit at City Market looked too good to pass up.)
1/2 Lemon

Slice the white bulb of the fennel as thinly as possible.  I just use a knife to do this, but I think there are fancier tools (mandoline) out there to make perfectly thin slices.  Rip a few leaves off of the fennel stalk and roughly chop.  Place both the slices and the leaves into a mixing bowl.  Roll the lemon on counter, slice in half and juice one half into the bowl.  Be careful to catch all seeds.  Slice the grapefruit and put into bowl.  Gently toss.  Eat, enjoy!



Easy-Bake Lemon Butter Halibut
Recipe by Amy Perenchio, Serves: 1

1 Halibut Steak
1/2 Lemon
1 Tbs. Butter
Lemon Pepper (Salt Free)
Kosher Salt

Pre-heat oven to 450F.

While oven is warming, put butter in a glass baking dish and put into the oven until melted.  Remove from oven.  Rub steak with mixture of lemon pepper and kosher salt.

I use the Spice Hunter's Salt Free Lemon Pepper so that I am in control of how salty my dish ends up.

photo: amy perenchio

Place halibut steak into baking dish to coat with butter and flip so that both sides are coated evenly.  Slice a single slice from the half of lemon and place on the steak.  Squeeze the remaining half over the fish.  Bake 4-6 minutes per 1/2 inch of thickness of fish.  Mine took 12 minutes total.  Eat, enjoy!

photo: amy perenchio

Please note:  To ensure that everything in this dish is gluten-free, please make sure the lemon pepper you are using is gluten-free as well.