Saturday Beefcake Appetizer

Some background: In Italy the word finocchio [fennel] applies to a number of plants belonging to the Ombrellifera family, and more specifically to Foeniculum vulgare. According to De Agostini's La Mia Cucina, the plant grows in the wild as a perennial or biannual, but is annual if grown as a crop. In fennel grown as a crop the bulb is the part used, which is rich in anise oil; in the wild varieties flowers and fronds, which contain a more powerful oil and are necessary for certain dishes, are used instead. In your market you will likely find the bulbs. They range from the size of a tennis ball to that of a soft ball (5-10 cm in diameter), and can be either spherical or taper towards the fronds; though there isn't much of a difference in flavor between the two I find that the spherical ones yield more. In any case, when you select fennel pick bulbs that are firm and blemish free; if they have brownish streaks or the outer layer looks somewhat deflated they are likely old or have suffered in transport.





If you are going to use them in a salad wash them well, quarter them, and rinse them again, checking to make sure than no dirt has worked its way in between the sections. Then slice them finely, or julienne them. They go especially well in mixed salads ... If your fennel bulbs still have leafy fronds attached, they too are a nice addition to the salad.




If you instead plan to cook your fennel, as a rule you will want to wash the bulbs, quarter them, and then proceed with the recipe.

Tomato and Fennel Bruschetta

Tomatoes, two large, seeded and diced
Fennel Bulb, trimmed and diced (be sure to clean in between the layers)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, about one half cup
Fresh Basil, chopped, one quarter cup
Thick Slices of Italian Rustic Bread, not quite an inch thick, four slices of whote or whole grain
Garlic Cloves, two flattened
Preheated broiler

1. Toss the first four ingredients in a large bowl, season with Sea or Kosher Salt and freshly ground black pepper.
2. Place bread on cookie sheet, and broil until golden brown.
3. Rub both sides of the bread and transfer to serving plates.
4. The mixture is placed on top of the bread.
5. Enjoy with beverage and house guest(s)of choice. Simple and to the point. Perfect beginning for a great repast after a hard day at the beach, gym or in the bedroom, oh, and work.