Amy said she and Wyatt have been enjoying the beautiful fennel we have at the Farm right now grilled. I usually pan roast or shave fennel raw into salads. So, I thought I would try some grilled fennel for a change.

Before we get to the fennel, look at what I have from my CSA share.

Dang, what a haul. Let’s start with that fennel. Cut the fronds off and trim the bulbs up so they look a bit like this.

These fennel bulbs are pretty small and tender. You can leave them whole to grill, leave the root on so they don’t fall apart. Salt, pepper and oil them and toss them on the grill.

Do the same with any other vegetables you have, you might as well cook the rest of your vegetables, once the grill is hot. Any leftovers will be good with just about anything else you cook this week. I grilled my onions and zucchini and kale too.

The fennel, zucchini, and onions took about 20 minutes to cook. The kale only takes a few minutes. When the fennel is done you will want to cut off the tough root. You can either slice it up or serve it whole. I think it is pretty left whole, but easier to eat cut up. Do what works for you.

We had our grilled fennel and vegetables over polenta. There were a lot of leftover grilled vegetables for a few more meals this week. I liked the fennel grilled. The texture is a bit like cooked celery and the flavor is less anise pronounced than raw fennel. I must confess, I do like the fresh crunch of raw fennel. I hope we have more fennel bulbs in our CSA future.

Enjoy these dog days of summer, and all the great food we are getting.

Mo