General Description: Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a pale green bulbous member of the Umbelliferae family. Although fennel is a rather odd-looking vegetable with spiky stalks and an enlarged bulb-shaped base, it’s easy to love. The bulb, which can be as large as a fist, is made up of onionlike layers culminating in stringy celery-like stalks, all enclosing a sweet-tasting dense heart.

Fennel is easy to prepare and can be eaten raw or cooked. Raw fennel has a cleansing flavor akin to licorice and anise, though lighter and less persistent. The fennel bulb’s crisp texture lends itself to crunching just like an apple. Its distinctive flavor becomes delicate when cooked. When slow-cooked, fennel acquires a luscious melt-in-your-mouth quality. Large-bulbed sweet Florence fennel probably originated in Italy, where it is still eaten extensively, especially as pinzimonio, raw wedges dipped in olive oil and sea salt.

Season: Fennel is available year-round, though the quality varies greatly according to availability. Commercially grown California fat-bulbed fennel with much or all of its green stalks and feathery fronds is sold much of the year. During the coldest winter months you’ll occasionally find pale bulbs of greenhouse-grown fennel from Holland.

Purchase: Opt for large, squat, white bulbs with a pale green tint, fluffy green fronds, and a pearly sheen. The larger the bulb, the less waste. The decorative fronds have little flavor but make a lovely garnish.

Avoid: Split, shriveled, dried-out, stringy bulbs with brown or soft spots should be avoided. If the stalks have been cut away, the fennel has most likely been on the shelf too long, as the stalks deteriorate first.

Storage: Wrap fennel in plastic and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Preparation:

If your fennel has stalks, cut them off at the top of the bulb.

Trim off a thin slice from the darkened bottom end of the bulb. Pull away the outer layer, which is likely to be stringy and tough. Discard (or add to chicken, fish, or vegetable stock).

Separate the dark green outer and upper stalks from the light-colored, more-tender inner portions, throwing out all the tough stuff.

To prevent oxidation, immediately place cut fennel in a bowl of cold water with a little lemon juice until cooking or eating.

Serving Suggestions: Serve raw sticks or wedges with dip or olive oil and lemon. Shave the bulb paper thin and soak in ice water with a little lemon juice till curled, then add to a salad. Sauté wedges in olive oil over high heat until caramelized. Boil diced bulb and add to rice, pasta, or polenta. Chop light green stalks and add to meatballs, crabcakes, red sauce for seafood, or soup.

Flavor Affinities: Black olives, chicken, fish, lemon, olive oil, oranges, shellfish, tomatoes.