I have been growing fennel about three years now. The ones in the back row are the Smokey-colored variety and the ones in the front row are Florence fennel. I originally planted them as larval hosts for butterflies but while they are not attracting them, they are thriving. They are such a pretty plant that I will keep them; especially if they reseed. However, I have never used either the seeds or the bulbous stem in cooking. My wife went on the Internet and all she could find was a garden salad with the bulbous stem. I am sure there are other recipes. Does anyone else know of any recipes we can use?
Thanks,
Chuck
Fennel
Hi Chuck,
I once knew are C Bernard down in S. Florida. Now about that fennel........
I grow bronze fennel specifically for myself for cooking, the fragrance and the beauty of it. I grow green fennel for the B'fly cats. Last summer the cats got on my bronze and I had to relocate them over to the green. They didn't mind.
I don't have any specific recipes for this, but since I like the fennel so much, when I am making a big soup pot, or marinade on anything meat, or even spice up a fresh garden salad, I go out to the garden and pluck a few sprigs off and put them into what ever I am having for dinner.
I have never seen the bronze set seed, so I won't dig them up for the root. They remain evergreen here in my zone 8b. The green seems to grow more as an annual.
Molly
:^)))
I have tried growing fennel; but the bulb never forms. Is there a trick to this?
We love cooked fennel; my husband makes a type of fennel topping for salmon that is great.
The fennel I have, the base looks sort of like celery at the base. Just overlapping stalks. I think that is what the grocery stores sell.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fennel
Pam
I just read somewhere in the last 2-3 days that not all fennel makes a bulb, and they listed the variety that does. Of course I didn't bookmark it.
Florence fennel produces the bulb, (Foeniculum vulgare var. azoricum) I have heard it takes a long growing season to produce the bulb; do you find this to be true?
Tammy everything I read says 90 to 120 days. Really interesting I also read that you should not interfere with plant growth or the bulb won't develop.