caramelized fennel with lemon & parmesan
a recipe for people who *think* they don't like fennel
Well friends, I’m tired and soggy and more than a little bedraggled, but I’ve (almost) made it through May.
You may recall that at the start of this month, I wrote about my anxiety around getting steamrolled yet again by the farm, which seems to happen every year around this time. I don’t want to count my chickens with another day still left in the month, but I think (I hope!) I’m gonna make it through May relatively unscathed (unless you count that time about two weeks ago when I legit threw out my back for two days after sneezing too hard while carrying a crate of cabbage… dear god that was so, so embarrassing).
Anyway. All to say that I’m grateful that June is around the corner, and with it I can already feel some relief that the heavy lift of spring and early summer is done, and now I can relax (a little) and enjoy + share the fruits of our labor with my family, friends, and neighbors. Don’t get me wrong, the farm is still quite demanding through the summer months, but for the most part, all the really hard work has been done, and now we can focus on tending the crops and reaping the abundant harvests.
Speaking of which… we had another gorgeous veggie box this week, heavy with cabbage, carrots, beets, lettuce, and the first of our zucchini. Here’s a snapshot:
And next week, we’re officially kicking off our 10-week Summer CSA! I’m so grateful for all the support that we continue to receive from our community, because I really consider it the greatest privilege to provide good, nourishing food for my neighbors’ tables.
Local friends, there is only 1 CSA share left for Summer! Here’s the link with more info and to reserve your share, which will get you 10 weeks of boxes filled with so much summer goodness. (Think tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, okra, potatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, corn, garlic, onions, lettuce, etc etc!)
Okay y’all, I’ve gotta scoot and go mow some grass, harvest a zillion zucchini / cucumbers, prune + trellis tomatoes, and prep for my Knife Skills workshop that I’m hosting here tomorrow… happy growing + cooking!
A reminder that if you have any gardening or cooking related questions, I’m here to help. Send in your questions on our private community HELP LINE, where I’ll always personally answer within 24 hours. There’s no question too big or small. :)
Time to get cooking and dig into this week’s new recipe – caramelized fennel with lemon & parmesan – available for paid subscribers.
I know, I know – fennel is a divisive vegetable. While some people love fennel’s distinct notes of anise and licorice (me!), a lot of folks won’t touch it.
So this one goes out to all y’all who think you don’t like fennel, because I really and truly think this recipe will change your mind… please please please give it a try! (And if you ARE a fan of fennel, even better! You’ll love this too).
My husband Matthew was the ideal tester for this recipe, because he feels strongly about fennel, and let’s just say it’s not his favorite. But after taking one bite of this golden, lemony fennel, his eyebrows shot up and his eyes widened. Silent for a moment, he finally said, “It doesn’t even taste like fennel,” which, if you don’t like fennel, I guess is a good thing?
I think what Matthew was trying to say was that when you roast fennel until it’s juicy, tender and caramelized, and then heighten all that golden flavor with bright lemon zest + juice and some salty parmesan cheese, fennel transforms into an entirely different (and wildly good) thing.
This recipe is ridiculously simple – just a handful of ingredients and some time in a hot oven is really all that fennel needs to shine. Remember, less is more baby!
Keep reading for the full recipe (and a handy 1-page PDF for easy printing).
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Caramelized Fennel with Lemon & Parmesan
Serves 2-4