No. 484Recipe Card Posted on Leave a comment

Fennel Fronds Pesto

Fennel Fronds Pesto | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Fresh Fennel is a little jewel to include in your garden. The fragrant green fronds create a rich green pesto, another little jewel from the Bijouxs kitchen.

FENNEL IN THE GARDEN

I have always included fennel in my gardens, even now in my tiny garden at my bungalow up the Central Coast. I was gifted a large fennel plant from a neighbor’s garden. Fennel bulbs multiple, so my neighbors dug up a large clump of bulbs to share. Turns out fennel is fussy about a transplant, there is a long tap root and you really have to keep if watered during its adjustment time. I cut back the fronds and planted in rich planting mix, after a few months my fennel is thriving.

 Fennel Fronds Pesto | Bijouxs Little Jewels

FENNEL IN THE KITCHEN

I have used the bulbs in a variety of recipes, cooked and raw in salads. Fennel has a mild anise/licorice taste. You will see many times fennel a part of Italian cuisine. The bulbs can be braised, with cream and cheese, also roasted and put into salads and pasta. One of my favorites is this Blood Orange, Fennel & Radicchio Salad. Thinly sliced fennel adds the crisp crunch to the beautiful salad made colorful with rich hues from Blood Oranges.

 Fennel Fronds Pesto | Bijouxs Little Jewels

FENNEL PESTO

So, what to do with all the luxuriant fronds that accompany the fennel plant? What came to mind was a pesto, which I have made with greens other than basil. After a checking the internet I discovered that you can basically just substitute fennel fronds in place of the basil-so simple. Many times, if I do not have pine nuts, I swap out walnuts in my pesto, as I did in this recipe. I used the basic ratios of my original basil pesto recipe.

There are of course many ways to use the pesto, just as you would use basil pesto. I liked this pesto as a dip for a steamed artichoke or spread on a sandwich or tossed with pasta. Fennel a little garden jewel.

 

No. 398Recipe Card Posted on Leave a comment

Crispy & Cheesy Roasted Fennel

Crispy Cheesy Roasted Fennel

Happy Spring Holidays. We are still going to celebrate, even though many of us are on our own this year. Most definitely a different kind of holiday, but food creates comfort and reminds us how grateful we are for our lives. Crispy Cheesy Roasted Fennel is on the menu. Yes, it’s crispy-buttery and full of spices, cooking at home, always a little jewel. Continue reading Crispy & Cheesy Roasted Fennel

No. 114Recipe Card Posted on 9 Comments

Baby Artichokes & Crispy Fennel

Crispy fried fennel and garlic in oil, delicate baby artichokes early in spring, these are a few of my favorite things. When spring produce arrives, things really begin to sing in the kitchen. Baby Artichokes & Crispy Fennel – little garden jewels. Continue reading Baby Artichokes & Crispy Fennel