FLORENCE FENNEL

In her book, 'Green Cuisine, The Organic Vegetable Cookbook', Anna Ross says, "Fennel has a distinct taste of aniseed, which you either love or hate. This flavour goes very well with fish, so you could serve Fennel & Potato Gratin as an accompaniment. I also like to serve it as a main vegetarian course with Roasted Carrots with Thyme. When you use fennel raw in salads, remove the first layer of skin if it is tough. Use the feathery leaves in salads or as a garnish." She also provides recipes for Fennel Soup, Fennel Couscous and Kohlrabi & Fennel Soup. For the latter, slice and sauté the two vegetables plus an onion, add stock and seasoning and simmer until tender. Finally liquidise with a little milk until smooth and reheat before serving. The green-white 'bulbs' can also be cooked whole in boiling water, or steamed, and served with a white or cheese sauce.

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