Fennel: sample this celery-like Mediterranean delight that's a worthy complement to any meal.

Few vegetables boast historical athletic notoriety; yet the ancient Greek word for fennel was marathon. Even today, the length of a marathon (26.2 miles) dates to 490 BC, when an Athenian raced this span to tell of a Greek victory in battle at Marathon--a city named for its field of fennel. Today, fennel makes a great addition to anyone's diet--distance runner or otherwise.

Sweet or Florence fennel is the bulb you find for sale as a vegetable. Wild fennel gives us the small, flat spice seeds that flavor Mediterranean and Indian dishes. It has a mild licorice flavor and a texture similar to celery. Fennel is packed with vitamin C, potassium and dietary fiber, plus phosphorus, magnesium, calcium and folic acid.

When choosing fennel bulbs, look for hard white or pale green bulbs and firm green stalks topped with feathery leaves. Then try the sniff test: A sweet, spicy anise scent is a sign of freshness. Limp stalks indicate that the bulb has seen better days. After the tough base and inner core are removed, the striated bulb can be chunked, diced or julienned as desired.

Fennel bulbs, fronds and seeds are all edible; try sprinkling the fronds or seeds over a salad. Serve fennel raw, steamed, braised or boiled, hot or cold. Saute it in olive oil, and pair it with lemon, black olives or seafood. Puree fennel in a creamy soup with butter or slice it thinly alongside yogurt with oranges or mint leaves.

Now the next time you spot fennel in the market, give it a trial run.

 
fennel-quinoa tabbouleh 
Serves 8 
 
Fennel's sweet anise flavor gives traditional tabbouleh 
a light twist. Excellent served warm or at room temperature. 
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